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"Honestly, Mother, I don't want a thing on earth but to go home

with you and do as you say for the next ten years," said Kate

"Stiffen up!" cried Mrs Bates "Stiffen up!" "Don't be no

broken reed, Katie! I don't want you dependin' on ME; I came to

see if you would let ME lean on YOU the rest of the way I wa'n't

figuring that there was anything on this earth that could get you

down; so's I was calculatin' you'd be the very one to holdunaccountably weak in the knees,

let's see if we can brace theiven ot

one here I had executed two years ago, and I was a co about nohen 'a little bird tole me' to come to-day, so

here I a sealed envelope from the front of her

dress and tossed it in Kate's lap

"Mother, what is this?" asked Kate in a hushed voice

"Well, if you'd rather use your ears than your eyes, it's all the

same to me," said Mrs Bates "The boys always had a ers on the papers in the case I can't

say I don't like the difference; and I've give you every chance,

too, an you WOULDN'T demand, you WOULDN'T specify Well, I'll