第5章

AstheBearCattraversedLilacValley，LindawaspointingoutPeterMorrison\'slocation。ShewastellingDonaldWhitingwheretofindPeter\'sarticles，andwhatafinemanhewas，andthathehadpromisedtothinkhowhecouldhelpwiththeirplantomakeofDonaldabetterscholarthanwasOkaSayye。

"Well，Icallthatmightydecentofastranger，"saidDonald。

"ButheisscarcelymoreofastrangerthanIam，"answeredLinda。"Heisawriter。Heisinterestedinhumanity。It\'sthebusinessofeverymaninthisworldtoreachoutandhelpeveryboywithwhomhecomesincontactintothebiggest，finestmanhoodpossible。Heonlyknowsthatyou\'reaboytacklingabigjobthatmeansmuchtoeverywhiteboytohaveyousucceedwith，andforthatreasonhe\'sjustasinterestedasIam。Maybe，whenwecomeinthisevening，I\'llrunuptohisplace，andyoucantalkitoverwithhim。Ifyourfatherhelpedyouatoneangle，it\'saltogetherprobablethatPeterMorrisoncouldhelpyouatanother。"

DonaldWhitingrubbedhiskneereflectively。HewassittinghalfturnedinthewideseatsothathemightwatchLinda\'shandsandherfacewhileshedrove。

"Well，that\'sallright，"hesaidheartily。"YoucanwritemedownaswillingandanxioustotakeallthehelpIcanget，forit\'sgoingtobenomicroscopicjob，thatIcantellyou。OneweekhaswakeduptheJaptothefactthatthere\'ssomethingdoing，andhe\'sdigginginandhasbegun，thelastdayortwo，tospeakupinclassandsuggestthingshimself。SinceI\'vebeenstudyinghimandwatchinghim，IhavecometotheconclusionthatheismucholderthanIam。SomethinghesaidinclassyesterdaymademethinkhehadprobablyhadthebestschoolingJapancouldgivehimbeforehecamehere。Thenexttimeyoumeethimlookforasuspicionofgrayhairsaroundhisears。He\'stooblamedcomprehensivefortheaverageboyofmyage。YousaidtheJapswerethebestimitatorsintheworldandIhaveanideainthebackofmyheadthatbeforeIgetthroughwithhim，OkaSayyeisgoingtoproveyourproposition。"

LindanoddedassheshottheBearCatacrossthestreetcartracksandheadedtowardthedesert。Theenginewaspurringsoftlyasitwarmedup。Thecarwasrunningsmoothly。Thesunofearlymorningwasshiningonthemthroughbracing，salt，coolair，andeveninthevalleythelarkswerebusy，andthemockingbirds，andfromeverywaysidebushtherosyfinchesweresinging。Alltheworldwascomingtotheexquisitebloomofahalf-tropicalcountry。Upfromearthswepttheheavyodorsofbloomingcitrusorchards，millionsofroses，andtheoverpoweringsweetnessofgardensandcultivatedflowers；whiledownfromthemountainsrolledthedelicatebreathofthemistybluelilac，thepungentodorofCaliforniasage，andthespicysweetofthelemonadebush。Theyweretwoyoungthings，freefortheday，flyingdownaperfectroad，adventuringwithProvidence。TheyhadonlygoneafewmileswhenDonaldWhitingtookoffhishat，stuffeditdownbesidehim，andthrewbackhishead，shakinghishairtothewindinagesturesosoontobecomefamiliartoLinda。Sheglancedacrossathimandfoundhimlookingather。Asmilebrokeoverherlips。Oneofhermostspontaneouslaughsbubbledupinherthroat。

"Topping，isn\'tit！"shecriedgaily。

"It\'sthebestthingthateverhappenedtome，"answeredDonaldWhitinginstantly。"OurcarisamightygoodoneandDadisn\'tmeanaboutlettingmedriveit。Icantakeitfrequentlyandcanhaveplentyofgasandtakemycrowd；butlordy，Idon\'tbelievethere\'saboyorgirllivingthatdoesn\'tjustpositivelygroanwhentheyseeoneoftheselittlegrayBearCatsgolopingpast。

AndIneverevenhadarideinonebefore。Ican\'tgetoverthefactthatit\'syours。Itwouldn\'tseemsofunnyifitbelongedtooneofthefellows。"

Withsteadyhandandgraduallyincreasingspeed，LindaputtheBearCatovertheroadsofearlymorning。Sometimesshestoppedintheshadeofpepper，eucalyptus，orpalm，wherethelarkswerespecializingintheirage-oldoffertory。Andthenagaintheywentracinguntiltheyreachedtherealdesert。Lindaranthecarundertheshadeofatallclumpofbloom-whitenedalders。

Shetookoffherhat，loosenedthehairathertemples，andlookedoutacrossthelongmorningstretchofdesert。

"It\'sjustbeginningtobegood，"shesaid。Shebeganpointingwithherslenderhand。"Thatgleamyouseeoverthereisthegoldofasmallclumpofearlypoppies。Thepurplebeyonditislupin。Alltheseexquisitecolorsonthefloorarebirds\'-eyesandbabyblueeyes，andthemistywhitehereandthereisforget-me-not。Itwon\'tbelongtilthousandsandthousandsofyuccaplantswilllighttheirtorchesalloverthedesertandallthealdersshowtheirlacymist。OfcourseyouknowhowexquisitelytheSpaniardsnamedtheyucca\'OurLord\'sCandles。\'

Isn\'tthattheprettiestnameforaflower，andisn\'tittheprettiestthought？"

"Itcertainlyis，"answeredDonald。

"Hadanyexperiencewiththedesert？"Lindaaskedlightly。

"Huntedsagehenssome，"answeredDonald。

"Oh，well，that\'llbeallright，"saidLinda。"Iwonderedifyou\'dgomurderingyourselflikeatenderfoot。"

"What\'stheuseofallthisartillery？"inquiredDonaldashesteppedfromthecar。

"Betterputonyourhat。You\'retallerthanmostofthebushes；

you\'llfindslightshade，"cautionedLinda。"Theuseispurelyamatterofself-protection。Thedeserthasgotsuchadevilofafightforexistence，withoutshadeandpracticallywithoutwater，thatitcan\'taffordtotakeanyotherchanceofextermination，andsoitprotectsitselfwithneedleshereandspearsthereandsabersatotherplacesandrootsthatstrikedowntoChinaeverywhere。Firstthingwearegoingtogetissomesoap。"

"Greathat！"exclaimedDonald。"Ifyouwantedsoapwhydidn\'tyoubringsome？"

"Forallyouknow，"laughedLinda，"Imaybegoingtoeducationyouupalittle。DareyoutotellmehowmanykindsofsoapI

canfindtodaythattheIndiansused，andwhereIcanfindit。"

"Couldn\'ttellyouonetosavemylife，"saidDonald。

"Andbornandrearedwithinafewmilesofthedesert！"scoffedLinda。"NiceIndianyou\'dmake。Wetakeourchoicetodaybetweenfindingdeer-brushanddiggingforamole，becausethemockorangesaren\'tripeenoughtobeniceandsoapyyet。I\'vegotthedeer-brushspotted，andwe\'llpassanamolebeforewegoveryfar。Lookforawavyblue-greenleaflikeawidebladeofgrassandcominguplikealily。"

Sotogethertheywenttothedeer-brushandgatheredabunchofflowersthatLindaboundtogetherwithsomewirydesertgrassandfastenedtoherbelt。ItwasnotlongbeforeDonaldspiedanamole，andhavingfoundone，discoveredmanyothersgrowingnear。

ThenLindaledthewaypastthornsandbrush，pastimpenetrablebedsofcholla，untiltheyreachedahugebarrelcactusthatshehadlocatedwiththeglasses。BesidethisbristlingmonstrousgrowthLindapaused，andreachedfortheaxe，whichDonaldhandedtoher。Shedrewitlightlyacrossthearmorprotectingtheplant。

"ShortofVictrolaneedles？"sheinquired。"Becauseifyouare，thesemakeexcellentones。Alotmoresingingqualitytothemthanthesteelneedles，notnearlysometallic。"

"Well，Iamsurelygoingtotrythat，"saidDonald。"Neverheardofsuchathing。"

Lindachoppedoffasectionofplant。Thenshepickedoneoftheknivesfromthebucketandhandedittohim。

"Allright，yougetwhatyouwant，"shesaid，"whileIoperateonthebarrel。"

Shesetherfeetfirmlyinthesand，swungtheaxe，andwithacoupleofdeftstrokesslicedoffthetopofthehugeplant，andfromtheheartofitlifteduphalfabucketfulofthejuicyinterior，withherdipper。

"Ifwedidn\'thavedrink，hereiswherewewouldgetit，andmightygooditis，"shesaid，pushingdownwiththedipperuntilsheformedasmallpoolintheheartoftheplantwhichrapidlyfilled。"Haveataste。"

"Jove，thatisgood！"saidDonald。"Whatareyougoingtodowithit？"

"Showyoulater，"laughedLinda。"ThinkI\'lltakeasipmyself。"

Thenbyaroundaboutroutetheystartedontheirreturntothecar。OnceLindastoppedandgatheredasmallbunchofanextremelycuriouslittleplantspreadingovertheground，atinyreddishvinewithquaintroundleavesthatlookedasifadropofwhitepaintrimmedwithmaroonhadfallenoneachofthem。

"Ineversawthatbefore，"saidDonald。"Whatareyougoingtodowithit？"

"Useitonwhicheverofusgetsthefirstsnakebite，"saidLinda。"Thatisrattlesnakeweedandifapoisonoussnakebitesyou，scoreeachsideofthewoundwiththecleanest，sharpestknifeyouhaveandthenbruisetheplantandbinditonwithyourhandkerchief，andforgetit。"

"Isthatwhatyoudo？"inquiredDonald。

"Whysure，"saidLinda，"thatiswhatIwoulddoifasnakeweresoungallantastobiteme，buttheredoesn\'tseemtobemuchoftheantagonisticelementinmynature。Idon\'tgothroughthedesertexhalingtheodoroffright，andsosnakesliequiescentorslipawaysosilentlythatIneverseethem。"

"Nowwhatonearthdoyoumeanbythat？"inquiredDonald。

"WhythatistheveryfirstlessonDaddyevertaughtmewhenhetookmetothemountainsandthedesert。Ifyouareafraid，yoursystemthrowsoffformicacid，andtheanimalsneedonlythesuspicionofascentofittomakethemreadytofight。Anyanimalyouencounterorevenabee，recognizesit。OneofthefirstthingsthatIrememberaboutDaddywasseeinghimsitontherunningboardoftherunaboutbucklinguphisdesertbootswhilehesangtome，\'LetnotyourheartbetroubledNeitherletitbeafraid，\'

ashegotreadytotakemeonhisbackandgointothedesertforourfirstlesson；hetoldmethatamanwasperfectlysafeingoingtotheforestorthedesertoranywherehechoseamonganykindofanimalsifhehadsufficientself-controlthatnoodoroffearemanatedfromhim。Hesaidthatamanwassafetomakehiswayanywherehewantedtogo，ifhestartedhisjourneybyrecognizingabloodbrotherhoodwithanythinglivinghewouldmeetontheway；andIhaveheardEnosMillssaythatwhenhewassnowinspectorofColoradohetraveledthecrestoftheRockiesfromoneendofthestatetotheotherwithoutagunoranymeansofself-defense。"

"Now，thatissomethingnewtothinkabout，"saidDonald。

"Andit\'ssomethingthatisverytrue，"saidLinda。"Ihaveseenitworktimeswithoutnumber。FatherandIwentquietlyupthemountains，throughthecanyons，acrossthedesert，andwewouldneverseeasnakeofanykind，butrepeatedlywewouldseemenwithgunsanddogsouttokill，totrespassontherightsofthewild，andtheywouldbehuntingforsticksandclubsandfiringtheirgunswherewehadpassedneverthinkingoflurkingdanger。

Ifyoustartoutinaccord，atonewithNature，you\'requiteassafeasyouareathome，sometimesmoreso。Butifyoustartouttostirupafight，theoccasionisveryrareonwhichyoucan\'tsucceed。"

"Andthatremindsme，"saidDonald，withalaugh，"thataweekagoIcametostartafightwithyou。Whathasbecomeofthatfightweweregoingtohave，anyway？"

"Youcansearchme，"laughedLinda，throwingoutherhandsinagracefulgesture。"There\'snotascrapoffightinmysystemconcerningyou，butifOkaSayyewerehavingafightwithyouandIwereanywherearound，you\'dhaveonefriendwhowouldhelpyoutohandletheJap。"

DonaldlookedatLindathoughtfully。

"Bythegreathocus-pocus，"hesaid，"youknow，Ibelieveyou。

IftwofellowswerehavingapitchedbattlemostofthegirlsI

knowwouldquietlyfaintorrun，butIdobelievethatyouwouldstandbyandhelpafellowifheneededit。"

"ThatIsurelywould，"saidLinda；"butdon\'tyousay\'mostofthegirlsIknow\'andthenmakeastatementlikethatconcerninggirls，becauseyouprovethatyoudon\'tknowthematall。Afewyearsago，IverydistinctlyrecallhowangrymanywomenwereatthislineinoneofKipling\'spoems:

Thefemaleofthespeciesismoredeadlythanthemale，andtherewasnothingtoitsavethatagreatpoetwastryingtopaywomanhoodeverywherethefinestcomplimentheknewhow。Healwayshasbeenfundamentalinhisprocessofthought。Hegetsrightbacktotheheartofprimalthings。Whenhewrotethatlinehewasnotreallythinkingthattherewasanastypoisonintheheartofawomanordeathinherhands。Whathewasthinkingwasthatinthejunglethefemalelionortigerorjaguarmustgoandfindaparticularlysecludedcaveandbearheryoungandraisethemtobequiteactivekittensbeforesheleadsthemout，becausethereisdangerofthebloodthirstyfathereatingthemwhentheyaretinyandhelpless。Andifperchanceamalefindsthecaveofhismateandhertinyyoungandentersittodomischief，thenthereisnorecordedinstanceIknowofinwhichthefemale，fightingindefenseofheryoung，hasnotbeen\'moredeadlythanthemale。\'Andthatistheoriginofthemuch-discussedlineconcerningthefemaleofthespecies，anditholdsgoodfairlywelldownthelineofthewild。It\'seventrueamongsuchtinythingsasguineapigsandcanarybirds。Thereisamotherelementintheheartofeverygirl。Daddyusedtosaythathalfthewomenintheworldmarriedthementheydidbecausetheywantedtomotherthem。Youcan\'ttellwhatisinawoman\'sheartbylookingather。Youmustbringherfacetofacewithanemergencybeforeyoucansaywhatshe\'lldo，butIwouldbeperfectlywillingtostakemylifeonthis:Thereisscarcelyagirlyouknowwhowouldseeyougettingtheworstofafight，saywithOkaSayye，orsomeonewhomeanttokillyouorinjureyou，whowouldnotpickupthefirstweaponshecouldlayherhandson，whetheritwasanaxeorastickorastone，andgotoyourdefense，andifshehadnothingelsetofightwith，Ihaveheardofwomenwhoputupratheratidybattlewiththeirclaws。

Soundsprimitive，doesn\'tit？"

"Itsoundstrue，"saidDonaldreflectively。"Isee，younglady，whereoneisgoingtohavetomeasurehiswordsandthinkbeforehetalkstoyou。"

"Prettythought！"saidLindalightly。"We\'llhaveagreattimeifyoumuststoptoconsidereverywordbeforeyousayit。"

"Well，anyway，"saidDonald，"whenarewegoingtohavethatfightwhichwasthepurposeofourcomingtogether？"

"Why，we\'renotevergoingtohaveit，"answeredLinda。"Ihavegotnothinginthisworldtofightwithyouaboutsinceyou\'redoingyourlevelbesttobeatOkaSayye。Ihavewatchedyourheadabovetheremainderofyourclassforthreeyearsandwantedtofightwithyouonthatpoint。"

"Nowthat\'saqueerthing，"saidDonald，"becauseIhavewatchedyouforthreeyearsandwantedtofightwithyouaboutyourdrygoods，andnowsinceI\'veknownyouonlysuchashortwhile，I

don\'tcaretwowhoopswhatyouwear。It\'samatterofperfectindifferencetome。YoucanwearFrenchheelsorbabypumps，orgobarefoot。Youwouldstillbeyou。"

"Isitatruce？"askedLinda。I

"No，ma\'am，"saidDonald，"it\'snotatruce。Thatimplieswarandwehaven\'tfought。It\'snotarmedneutrality；it\'snotevenwatchfulwaiting。It\'smyfriend，LindaStrong。Meforherandherforme，ifyousayso。"

Hereachedouthishand。Lindalaidhersinit，andlookingintohiseyes，shesaid:"Thatisacompact。We\'lltestthisfriendshipbusinessandseewhatthereistoit。Nowcomeon；

let\'srunforthecanyon。"

ItwasonlyashorttimeuntiltheBearCatfolloweditstrailofthepreviousSaturday，and，rushingacrossthestream，stoppedatitsformerrestingplace，whileLindaandDonaldsatlookingatthesheer-walledlittleroombeforethem。

"Icansee，"saidLinda，"astrongertingeinthegreen。Therearemoreflowersinthecarpet。Thereismoremelodyinthebirds\'song。WearegoingtohaveabettertimethanwehadlastSaturday。Firstlet\'sfixupouroldfurnace，becausewemusthaveafiretoday。"

Sotheyleftthecar，andunderLinda\'sdirectiontheyreconstructedtheoldfireplaceatwhichthegirlandherfatherhadcookedwhenbotanizinginMultiflores。Inacornersecludedfromwind，usingthewallofthecanyonforabackwall，bigboulderstherightdistanceapartoneachside，andsmallstonesforchinking，Lindasuperintendedtherebuildingofthefireplace。

Sheunpackedthelunchbox，setthetable，andwhenshehadeverythinginreadinessshecoveredthetable，andtakingapackage，shecarrieditonacoupleofaluminiumpiepanstowhereherfirewasburningcrisply。Withasmallfieldaxeshechoppedacoupleofsmallgreenbranches，pointedthemtoherliking，andpeeledthem。Thenshemadeapokerfromoneofthesaplingstheyhadusedtomovetherocks，andbeatdownherfireuntilshehadabrightbedofdeepcoals。Whenthesewerearrangedexactlytohersatisfaction，shepulledsomespraysofdeerweedbloomfromherbundleand，goingdowntothecreek，madealatherandcarefullywashedherhands，tuckingthetowelsheusedindryingthemthroughherbelt。Thenshecamebacktothefireand，sittingdownbesideit，openedthepackageandbeganheroperations。Onthelong，slendersticksshestrungapieceoftenderloinbeef，aboutthreeinchesincircumferenceandonefourthofaninchinthickness，thenhalfasliceofbacon，andthenasliceofonion。Thissherepeateduntilherskewerwouldbearnomoreweight。Thenshelaiditacrosstherockswallingherfire，occasionallyturningitwhileshefilledthesecondskewer。Thenshebroughtfromthecarthebucketofpulpshehadtakenfromthebarrelcactus，transferredittoapieceofcheeseclothanddeftlyextractedthejuice。Tothissheaddedthecontentsofathermosbottlecontainingapintofsugarthathadbeenbroughttotheboilingpointwithapintofwaterandpouredoversomechoppedspearminttowhichhadbeenaddedthejuiceofhalfadozenlemonsandthreeorfouroranges。Fromasmall，metal-linedcompartment，Lindatookachunkoficeanddroppeditintothismixture。

Shewassittingontheground，onefootdoubledunderher，theotherextended。Shehadtakenoffherhat；thewindandthebusheshadroughenedherhair。Exercisehadbroughtdeepredtohercheeksandherlips。Happinesshadbroughtamellowglowtoherdarkeyes。Shehadturnedbackhersleeves，andherslenderhandswerefascinatinglygracefulintheirdefthandlingofeverythingshetouched。TheywereasecondeditionofthehandswithwhichAlexanderStronghadfeltoutdefectivenervesystemsandmadedelicatemuscularadjustments。Shewaswhollyabsorbedinwhatshewasdoing。SittingontheblanketacrossfromherDonaldWhitingwaswhollyabsorbedinherandhewasthinking。

Hewasplanninghowhecouldpleaseher，howhecouldearnherfriendship。Hewasadmittingtohimselfthathehadverylittle，ifanything，toshowforhoursoftimethathehadspentindancing，atcardgames，beachpicnics，andraces。Allthesethingshadbeenamusing。Buthehadnothingtoshowforthetimehehadspentorthemoneyhehadwasted。NothinghadhappenedthatinanywayequippedhimforhisbattlewithOkaSayye。

Conversely，thisgirl，whomhehadresented，whomhehadcriticized，whohadclaimedhisnoticeonlybyherradicaldifferencefromtheothergirls，hadmanaged，duringthefewminuteshehadfirsttalkedwithherinthehall，towoundhispride，tospurhisambition，tostarthimonacoursethatmustendinlastingandmaterialbenefittohimevenifhefailedinmakingahigherrecordofscholarshipthanOkaSayye。Itwasverycertainthattheexercisehewasgivinghisbrainmustbebeneficial。Hehadlearnedmanythingsthatwereintenselyinterestingtohimandhehadnoteventouchedthesurfaceofwhathecouldseethatshehadbeentaughtbyherfatherorhadlearnedthroughexperienceandpersonalinvestigation。Shehadbeencomingtothemountainsandthecanyonsalone，forfouryearsdoingbyherselfwhatshewouldhavedoneunderherfather\'ssupervisionhadhelived。Thatarguedforsteadfastnessandstrengthofcharacter。Shewouldnotutteronewordofflattery。Shewouldsaynothingshedidnotmean。Watchingherintently，DonaldWhitingthoughtofallthesethings。Hethoughtofwhatshehadsaidaboutfightingforhim，andhewonderedifitreallywastruethatanygirlheknewwouldfightforhim。Hehardlybelieveditwhenherememberedsomeofhisfriends，soentirelydevotedtopersonaladornmentandpersonalgratification。ButLindahadsaidthatallwomenwerealikeintheirhearts。Sheknewaboutotherthings。Shemustknowaboutthis。Maybeallwomenwouldfightfortheiryoungorfortheirmen，butheknewofnoothergirlwhocoulddriveaBearCatwiththeprecisionandskillwithwhichLindadrove。Heknewnoothergirlwhowasmasterofthesecretsofthedesertandthecanyonsandthemountains。Certainlyheknewnoothergirlwhowouldtugatgreatbouldersandbuildafireplaceandriskburningherfingersandscorchingherfacetoprepareamealforhim。SohewatchedLindaandsohethought。

Atfirsthethoughtshewasthefinestpalaboyeverhad，andthenhethoughthowhemeanttoworktoearnandkeepherfriendship；andthen，asthefirereddenedLinda\'scheeksandshemaderunningcommentswhileshedeftlyturnedherskewersofbrigandbeefsteak，foodthathalftheBoyScoutsinthecountryhadbeeneatingforfouryears，therecameanideawithwhichhedallieduntilitgrewintoaluringvision。

"Linda，"heaskedsuddenly，"doyouknowthatoneofthesedaysyou\'regoingtobeabeautifulwoman？"

Lindaturnedherskewerswithintenseabsorption。Atfirsthealmostthoughtshehadnotheardhim，butatlastshesaidquietly:"Doyoureallythinkthatispossible，Donald？"

"You\'relovelyrightnow！"answeredtheboypromptly。

"Forgoodness\'sake，haveaneyesingletoyourrecordfortruthandveracity，"saidLinda。"Doesn\'tthisbegintosmellzippy？"

"Itcertainlydoes，"saidDonald。"It\'smakingmeravenous。Buthonest，Linda，youareaprettygirl。"

"Honest，yourfoot！"saidLindascornfully。"Iamnotaprettygirl。IamleanandbonyandI\'vegotabeakwhereIshouldhaveanose。Speakingofprettygirls，mysister，Eileen，isaprettygirl。Sheisadownrightbeautifulgirl。"

"Yes，"saidDonald，"sheis，butshecan\'tholdacandletoyou。

Howdidshelookwhenshewasyourage？"

"Ican\'trememberEileen，"saidLinda，"whenshewasnotexquisitelydressedandthinkingmoreabouttakingcareofhershoesthananythingelseintheworld。Ican\'trememberherwhenshewasnotcurled，andevenwhenshewasatinythingMotherputadustofpowderonhernose。Shesaidherskinwassodelicatethatitcouldnotbearthesun。Shenevercouldrunorplayormotormuchordoanything，becauseshehasalwayshadtobesavedforthesolepurposeofbeingexquisitelybeautiful。Talkaboutliliesofthefield，that\'swhatEileenis！Sheisanimprovementontheoriginallilyofthefield——she\'salilyofthedrawingroom。Me，now，I\'mmoreofaJoshuatree。"

DonaldWhitinglaughed，asLindaintendedthatheshould。

Aminuteafterwardsheslidthesavoryfoodfromaskewerupononeofthepiepans，tossedbackthecoverfromthelittletable，stackedsomebread-and-buttersandwichesbesidethemeatandhandedthepantoDonald。

"Fallto，"shesaid，"andprovethatyou\'reamanwithanappreciativetummy。Fatherusedtobepositivelyravenousforthisstuff。Ilikeitmyself。"

Sheslidthefoodfromthesecondskewertoapanforherself，settledthefiretohersatisfactionandtheybegantheirmeal。

PresentlyshefilledacupfromthebucketbesideherandhandedittoDonald。Atthesametimesheliftedanotherforherself。

"Here\'stothebarrelcactus，"shesaid。"Maythedesertgrowenoughofthemsothatwe\'llneverlackonewhenwewanttohaveaSaturdaypicnic。"

Laughinglytheydrankthistoast；andtheskewerswerefilledasecondtime。Whentheycouldeatnomoretheypackedawaythelunchthings，buriedthefire，tooktheaxeandthefieldglasses，andstartedonatripofexplorationdownthecanyon。

Togethertheyadmireddelicateandexquisitefernsgrowingaroundgreatgrayboulders。Donaldtastedhunters\'rockleek，andlearnedthatanyhefoundwhileonahuntingexpeditionwouldfurnishasplendidsubstituteforwater。Lindatoldhimofrareflowersshelackedandwhattheywerelikeandhowhewouldbeabletoidentifywhatshewantedincaseheshouldeverfindanywhenhewasouthuntingorwithhisotherfriends。Theypeepedintothenestingplacesofcanyonwrensanddovesandfinches，andlistenedtotheexquisitecourtingsongsofthebirdswhoseheartswerealmostburstingwiththeexuberanceofspringandthejoyofhomemaking。Whentheyweretiredouttheywentbacktothediningroomandafterrestingatime，theymadeasupperfromtheremnantsoftheirdinner。WhentheywereseatedinthecarandLinda\'shandwasonthesteeringwheel，Donaldreachedacrossandcovereditwithhisown。

"Waitabit，"hesaid。"BeforeweleavehereIwanttoaskyouaquestionandIwantyoutomakemeapromise。"

"Allright，"saidLinda。"What\'syourquestion？"

"Whatisthere，"saidDonald，"thatIcandothatwouldgiveyousuchpleasureasyouhavegivenme？"

Lindacouldjestonoccasions，butbynatureshewasaseriousperson。ShelookedatDonaldreflectively。

"Why，Ithink，"shesaidatlast，"thathavingafriend，havingsomeonewhounderstandsandwhocaresforthethingsIdo，andwholikestogotothesameplacesandtodothesamethings，isthebiggestthingthathashappenedtomesinceIlostmyfather。

Idon\'tseethatyouareinanywayinmydebt，Donald。"

"Allrightthen，"saidtheboy，"thatbringsmetothepromiseI

wantyoutomakeme。MaywealwayshaveourSaturdaystogetherlikethis？"

"Sure！"saidLinda，"Iwouldbemightilypleased。I\'llhavetoworklateratnightandscheme，maybe。BygoodrightsSaturdaybelongstomeanywaybecauseIambornSaturday\'schild。"

"Well，hurrahforSaturday！Italwayswasagrandoldday，"saidDonald，"andsinceIseewhatitcandointurningoutagirllikeyou，I\'vegotabetteropinionofitthanever。We\'llcallthatsettled。I\'llalwaysaskyouonFridayatwhathourtocome，andhereafterSaturdayisours。"

"Oursitis，"saidLinda。

ThensheputtheBearCatthroughthecreekandontheroadand，drivingswiftlyasshedared，rantoLilacValleyanduptoPeterMorrison\'slocation。

Shewasamazedattheamountofworkthathadbeenaccomplished。

Thegaragewasfinished。Peter\'stemporaryworkdeskandhiscotwereinit。Anumberofhispersonalbelongingswerethere。Thesiteforhishousehadbeenselectedandthecellarwasbeingexcavated。

LindadescendedfromtheBearCatandledDonaldbeforePeter。

"Sinceyou\'rebothmyfriends，"shesaid，"Iwantyoutoknoweachother。ThisisDonaldWhiting，theSeniorItoldyouabout，Mr。Morrison。Youknowyousaidyouwouldhelphimifyoucould。"

"Certainly，"saidPeter。"Iamverygladtoknowanyfriendofyours，MissLinda。Comeovertomyworkroomandlet\'shearaboutthis。"

"Oh，goandtalkitoverbetweenyourselves，"saidLinda。"Iamgoingupheretohaveaprivateconversationwiththespring。I

wantittotellmeconfidentiallyexactlythecourseitwouldenjoyrunningsothatwhenyourhouseisfinishedandIcometolayoutyourgroundsIwillknowexactlyhowitfeelsaboutmakingachange。"

"Fine！"saidPeter。"Takeyourtimeandbecomeextremelyconfidential，becausethemoreIlookatthelocationandthemoreIhearthegaychucklingsongthatthatwatersings，themoreIaminlovewithyourplantorunitacrossthelawnandbringitaroundtheboulder。"

"Itwouldbeadownrightsinnottohavethatwaterinaconvenientplaceforyourchildrentoplayin，Peter，"saidLinda。

"Thenthat\'sallsettled，"saidPeter。"Now，Whiting，comethiswayandwe\'llseewhetherIcansuggestanythingthatwillhelpyouwithyourproblem。"

"Whistlewhenyouareready，Donald，"calledLindaassheturnedaway。

PeterMorrisonglancedafterherasecond，andthenheledDonaldWhitingtoanailkeginthegarageandimpaledthatyoungsteronthementalpointofamentalpinandstudiedhimascarefullyasanyscientisteverstudiedararespecimen。Whenfinallyhelethimgo，hismentalcommentwas:"He\'samightyfinekid。Lindaisperfectlysafewithhim。"

CHAPTERXV。Linda\'sHearthstoneEarlythefollowingweekLindacamefromschooloneeveningtofindaloadofsandandaheapofcuriouslymarkedstonesbesidethebackdoor。

"Canitpossiblybe，Katy，"sheasked，"thatthosemenareplanningtobeginworkonmyroomsosoon？Iamscaredoutofalmostsevenofmyfivesenses。IhadnoideatheywouldbereadytobeginworkuntilafterIhadmysettlementwithEileenorwaspaidforthebooks。"

"Don\'tyebeworried，"saidKaty。"There\'smoreinmestockingthanmeleg，andyou\'reaswelcometoitasthedesertiswelcometorain，an\'nadin\'it\'mostasbad。"

"Anyway，"saidLinda，"itwillsurelytakethemlongenoughsothatIcanpaybythetimetheyfinish。"

ButLindawasnotfiguringthatbackoftheprojectedimprovementsstoodtwomen，eachofwhomhadanextremelypersonalreasonforgreatlydesiringtopleaseher。PeterMorrisonhadsecuredaslabofsandstone。Hehadlocatedamarblecuttertowhomhemeanttocarryit，andwasspendingmuchthoughtthathemighthavebeenusingonanarticleintryingtohituponexactlytherightlineorphrasetobuildinaboveLinda\'sfire——somethingthatwouldconveytoherinafewwordsasenseoffriendshipandbeauty。

WhilePetergazedattheunresponsivegraysandstoneandwrotelineafterlinewhichheimmediatelydestroyed，HenryAndersonexploredthemountainandcamein，redfacedandperspiring，frommilesofclimbingwithabrightstoneineachhand，ortookthecartobringinsmallheapstooheavytocarrythathehadcollectedneartheroads。Theyweretwomenstrivingforthefavorofthesamegirl。HowLindawouldhavebeenamusedhadsheunderstoodthesituation，orhowEileenwouldhavebeenprovoked，neitherofthemenknewnordidtheycare。

TheworkmencameafterLindaleftandwentbeforeherreturn。

Havingbeencautionedtosilence，Katyhadnottoldherwhenworkactuallybegan；andsoithappenedthat，goingtoherroomoneevening，sheunlockedthedoorandsteppedinsidetofacethecompletedfireplace。Thefireboxwasnotverylargebutample。

Thehearthstonewasabigsheetofsmoothgraysandstone。ThesidesandtopwereHenry\'scollectionofbrilliantboulders，carefullyandartisticallylaidinbluemortar，andoverthefireboxwassetPeter\'sslabofgraysandstone。Onitwerefourdeeplycarvedlines。ThequaintOldEnglishletteringwasfilledeventothesurfacewitharedmortar，whilethecapitalsweredoneindullblue。Thegirlslowlyread:

Voicelessstones，withFlame-tonguesPreachSermonsstruckfromNature\'sLyre；NotesofLoveandTrustandHopeHourlysinginLinda\'sFire。

Inthefireboxstoodasquatpairofblackandirons，showingageandusage。Arougheucalyptuslogwaitedacrossthemwhiletheshavingsfromtheplacingofthemantelandthecuttingofthewindowsweretuckedbeneathit。Lindastoodabsorbedaminute。

Shelookedattheskylight，floodingtheroomwiththelightshesoneededcomingfromtherightangle。Shewentovertothenewwindowthatgaveheraviewofthelengthofthevalleyshelovedandamostessentialdraft。Whensheturnedbacktothefireplaceherhandsweretrembling。

"Nowisn\'tthattoolovelyofthem？"shesaidsoftly。"Isn\'tthataltogetherwonderful？HowIwishDaddywereheretositbesidemyfireandsharewithmetheworkIhopetodohere。"

Inordertocomeasclosetohimaspossibleshedidthenextbestthing。ShesatdownathertableandwrotealonglettertoMarian，tellinghereverythingshecouldthinkofthatwouldinteresther。Thenshere-readwithextremecarethelettershehadfoundatthePostOfficethatdayinreplytotheoneshehadwrittenMarianpurportingtocomefromanadmirer。Writingslowlyandthinkingdeeply，sheansweredit。ShetriedtoimaginethatshewasPeterMorrisonandshetriedtosaythethingsinthatletterthatshethoughtPeterwouldsayinthecircumstances，becauseshefeltsurethatMarianwouldbeentertainedbysuchthingsasPeterwouldsay。Whenshefinished，shereaditovercarefully，andthencopieditwithequalcareonthetypewriter，whichshehadremovedtoherworkroom。

WhensheheardKaty\'sfootstepoutsideherdoor，sheopeneditanddrewherin，slippingtheboltbehindher。Sheledhertothefireplaceandrecitedthelines。

"Nowain\'ttheyjistthefinestgentlemen？"saidKaty。"Cutrightoffofapieceofthesameclothasyourfather。Nowsomewaywemustgettogetherenoughmoneytogetyeagood-sizedrugforunderyourworktable，andthenye\'vegottohavetwobitsofsmallones，oneforyourhearthstoneandoneforyouraisel；andthenye\'reready，colleen，toshowwhatyecando。I\'msoproudofyewhenIthinkofthegrandsecretit\'skeepin\'foryeIam；

andlessandlessaregettin\'mechancesforthesalvationofmesoul，foreverynightI\'ma-sittin\'starin\'atthemagazinesyegavemewhenIoughttobetellin\'mebeadsandmakin\'medevotions。Ain\'titabouttimethethirdwascomin\'in？"

"Anydaynow，"saidLindainawhisper。"And，Katy，you\'llbecareful？Thateditormustthinkthat\'JaneMeredith\'isfullofyearsandripeexperience。Iprobablywouldn\'tgettencents，nonotevenafor-nothingchance，ifheknewthosearticleswerewrittenbyaJunior。"

"Juniornothing！"scoffedKaty。"Therewasnotadayofhislifethatyourpadidnotspendhoursdrillin\'yeinthingstherestofthegirlsinyourschoolneverheardof。\'Tain\'tnohigh-schoolgirlthat\'swrittenthemarticles。It\'sAlexanderStrongspeakin\'throughthemediumofhisownfleshandblood。"

"Why，soitis，Katy！"criedLindadelightedly。"Youknow，I

neverthoughtofthat。IhavebeensoegoisticalIthoughtIwasdoingthemmyself。"

"Paidyeanythingyet？"queriedKaty。

"No，"saidLinda，"theyhaven\'t。ItseemsthattheamountofinterestthearticlesevokeisgoingtodecidewhatIamtobepaidforthem，buttheycertainlycouldn\'ttaketherecipeandthecommentsandthesketchforlessthantwenty-fiveorthirtydollars，unlessrecipesarelikepoetry。Petersaidtheotherdaythatifapoetdidnothavesomeotherprofessiontosupporthim，hewouldstarvetodeathonallhewaspaidforwritingthemostbeautifulthingsthateverarewritteninallthisworld。

Petersaysevenanefforttowriteapoemisabeautifulthing。"

"Well，maybethatusedtobethetruth，"saidKatyasshestartedtowardthedoor，"butIhavebeenreadingsomethingslabeled\'poetry\'inthemagazinesoflate，andiftheholyfatherknowswhattheymean，he\'sevenbiggerthaneverItookhimtobe。"

"Katy，"saidLinda，"wearedreadfulbacknumbers。Wearelettingthisworldprogressandrollrightonpastuswithoutastruggle。Wehaven\'teitheronebeentoapsychoanalysttofindoutthecolorofourauras。"

"NowGodforbid，"saidKaty。"Iain\'tgoingtohaveoneofthemthingsaroundme。ThecolorsI\'mwearin\'satisfymeentoirely。"

"Andminearegoingtosatisfymeveryshortly，now，"laughedLinda，"becausetomorrowismybigdaywithEileen。Nexttimewehaveaminutetogether，olddear，I\'llhavestartedmybankaccount。"

"Rightyeare，"saidKaty，"jistexactlyright。You\'regettingsuchagreatgirlit\'stheproperthingyeshouldbesuitablydressed，anddon\'tyebetoomodest。"

"Theunfortunatethingaboutthat，Katy，isthatlintimatedtheotherdaythatIwouldbecontentwithlessthanhalf，sincesheisolderandsheshouldhaveherchancefirst。"

"Nowain\'tthatjistlikeye？"saidKaty。"Imighthaveknownyewouldbedoingthatverything。"

"AfterIhavegoneovertheaccounts，"saidLinda，"I\'llknowbetterwhattodemand。Nowflytoyourcooking，Katy，andletmesitdownatthistableandseeifIcandigoutafewdollarsofhonestcoin；butI\'mgoingtohavehardworktokeepmyevesonthepaperwiththatfireplacebeforeme。Isn\'tthatredandblueletteringtheprettiestthing，Katy，anddoyounoticethattiny\'P。M。\'cutdowninthelowerleft-handcornernearlyoutofsight？That，Katy，standsfor\'PeterMorrison，\'andoneofthesedaysPeterisgoingtobealargefigureonthelandscape。ThenextPosthehasanarticleinI\'llbuyforyou。"

"Itneverdoes，"saidKaty，"tobemakin\'upyourmindinthisworldsohardandfastthatyecan\'tchangeit。InthedaysbeforeJohnGilmangotbewitchedoutofhissensesIdidthink，barrin\'yourfather，thathewasthefinestmantheLordevermade；butIain\'tthoughtsomuchofhimoflateasIdidbefore。"

"Sameholdsgoodforme，"saidLinda。

"I\'vestudiedthisPeter，"continuedKaty，"likeyourpausedtostudythingsunderhismicroscope。He\'sthemostcome-at-ableman。He\'sgotsuchakindofaquestionin\'lookonhisface，andthere\'sabitofastooptohisshouldersliketheyhadbeenwhittledoutforcarryin\'aload，andthere\'sakindofawhimsyquiverin\'aroundhislipsthatmakesmeheartstandstilleverytimehespeakstome，becauseIcan\'tbecertainwhetherheisgoingtomakemelaughorgoingtomakemecry，andwhenwhathe\'ssayin\'doescomewiththatlittleslowdrawl，Ican\'tbejustsurewhetherhe\'smeanin\'itorwhetherhe\'sjistpokin\'funatme。Hesaidthequarestthingtometheotherdaywhenhewasherefiddlin\'overthemakin\'ofthisfireplace。Hewasstandin\'

outbesideyourdesertgardenandIcomeavenwithhimandIsaystohim:\'Them\'stherareplantsMissLindaandherpahavebeengoin\'tothedesertsandthecanyons，aslongashelived，tofetchin；andthenMissLindawentalone，andnowthesonofJudgeWhiting，thebiggestlawyerinLosAngeles，hasbegungoin\'

withher。Ain\'titthebrightest，prettiestplace？\'Isaystohim。Andhestoodtherelookin\'，andhesaystome:\'No，Katy，thatisagraveyard。\'Nowwhatinthenameofraisonwasthemanmeanin\'bythat？"

Lindastaredatthehearthmottoreflectively。

"Agraveyard！"sherepeated。"Well，ifanythingcouldcomefartherfromagraveyardthanthatspot，Idon\'tknowhowitwoulddoit。Ihaven\'ttheremotestnotionwhathemeant。Whydidn\'tyouaskhim？"

"Well，thetruthis，"saidKaty，"thatIproidemyselfonbeingabletokapememouthshutwhenIshould。"

"I\'llleavetothinkoverit，"saidLinda。"AtpresentIhavenomoreideathanyouinwhatrespectmydesertgardencouldresembleagraveyard。Oh！yes，there\'sonethingIwantedtoaskyou，Katy。HasEileenbeenaroundwhilethisroomwasbeingaltered？"

"Shecameinyesterday，"answeredKaty，"whenthehammerin\'andsawin\'wasgoin\'fullblast。"

"WhatIwantedtofindout\'"saidLinda，"waswhethershehadbeenhereandseenthisroomornot，becauseifshehasn\'tandshewantstoseeit，nowishertime。AfterIgetthingsgoinghereandthesewallsarecoveredwithdryingsketchesthisroomisgoingtobestrictlyprivate。Youseethatyoukeepyourkeywherenobodygetsholdofit。"

"It\'sonastringroundmeneckthisblessedminute，"saidKaty。

"Ididn\'tseehercomeuphere，butyecouldbesafeinbettin\'

anythingye\'vegotthatshecame。"

"Yes，Iimagineshedid，"saidLinda。"ShewouldbesufficientlycuriousthatshewouldcometolearnhowmuchIhavespentifshehadnootherinterestinme。"

Shelookedatthefireplacereflectively。

"Iwonder，"shesaid，"whatEileenthoughtofthatandIwonderifshenoticedthatlittle\'P。M。\'tuckedawaydownthereinthecorner。"

"Sureshedid，"saidKaty。"Shehasgoteyeslikeacat。ShecanseemorethingsinashortertimethananybodyIeverknew。"

SothateveningatdinnerLindatoldEileenthattheimprovementsshehadmadeforherconvenienceinthebilliardroomwerefinished，andaskedherifshewouldliketoseethem。

"Ican\'timaginewhatyouwanttostickyourselfoffuptherealonefor，"saidEileen。"Idon\'tbelieveIamsufficientlyinterestedingarretskylightsandwindowstoclimbuptolookatthem。Whateverybodyintheneighborhoodcanseeisthatyouhaveabsolutelyruinedthelooksofthebackpartofthehouse。"

"Goodgracious！"saidLinda。"HaveI？YouknowIneverthoughtofthat。"

"Ofcourse！Butallyou\'vegottodoisgoonthecastlawnandtakealookatthatsideandthebackendofthehousetoseewhatyouhavedone，"saidEileen。"Undoubtedlyyou\'vecutthesellingpriceofthehouseonethousand，atleast。Butit\'sexactlylikeyounottohavethoughtofwhatchoppinguptheroofandtheendofthehouseasyouhavedone，wouldmakeitlooklike。Youhavegotoneofthosesingle-trackminds，Linda，thatcanthinkofonlyonethingatatime，andyouneverdothink，whenyoustartanything，ofwhattheendisgoingtobe。"

"Verylikelythere\'salargeamountoftruthinthat，"saidLindasoberly。"PerhapsIdogetanideaandpursueittotheexclusionofeverythingelse。It\'saninheritancefromDaddy，thisconcentratingwithallmymightononethingatatime。ButIamverysorryifIhavedisfiguredthehouse。"

"WhatIwanttoknow，"saidEileen，"ishowinthisworld，atpresentwagesandcostofmaterial，you\'reexpectingtopaymenfortheworkyouhavehaddone。"

"Icantalkmoreunderstandinglyaboutthat，"saidLindaquietly，"dayaftertomorrow。I\'llgethomefromschooltomorrowasearlyasIcan，andthenwe\'llfigureoutourfinancialsituationexactly。"

Eileenmadenoreply。

CHAPTERXVI。ProducingtheEvidenceWhenLindahurriedhomethenextevening，herfirstwordtoKatywastoaskifEileenwerethere。

"No，sheisn\'there，"saidKaty，"andshe\'snotgoingtobe。"

"Notgoingtobe！"criedLinda，herfacepalingperceptibly。

"Shewentdowntownthismorningandshetelephonedmeaboutthreesayin\'shehadaninvoitationtogowithamotorpartytoPasadenathisafternoon，an\'shewasn\'tknowin\'whethershecouldgethomethenightornot。"

"Idon\'tlikeit，"saidLinda。"Idon\'tlikeitatall。"

ShelikeditstilllesswhenEileencamehomeforachangeofclothingthefollowingday，andagainwenttospendthenightwithafriend，withoutleavinganywordwhatever。

"Idon\'tunderstandthis，"saidLinda，whitelippedandtense。

"Shedoesnotwanttoseeme。Shedoesnotintendtotalkbusinesswithmeifshecanpossiblyhelpit。SheistreatingmeasifIwereafour-year-oldinsteadofawomanwithasmuchbrainasshehas。IfsheappearswhileIamgonetomorrowandstartsawayagain，youtellherCometothinkofit，youneedn\'ttellheranything；I\'llgiveyouanoteforher。"

SoLindasatdownandwrote:

DEAREILEEN:

Itwon\'tbenecessarytoremindyouofouragreementnightbeforelasttosettleonanallowancefromFather\'sestateforme。OfcourseIrealizethatyouarepurposelyavoidingseeingme，forwhatreasonIcan\'timagine；butIgiveyouwarning，thatifyouhavebeeninthishouseandhavereadthisnote，andarenotherewithyourfiguresreadytomeetmewhenIgethometomorrownight，I\'lltakemattersintomyownhands，anddoexactlywhatI

thinkbestwithouttheslightestreferencetowhatyouthinkaboutit。Ifyoudon\'twantsomethingdonethatyouwilldislike，evenmorethanyoudislikeseeingme，youhadbetterheedthiswarning。

LINDA。

Shereaditoverslowly:"My，thatsoundsmelodramatic！"shecommented。"It\'sevengotathreatinit，andit\'safunnythingtothreatenmyownsister。Idon\'tthinkthatit\'sasituationthatoccursveryfrequently，butforthatmatterIsincerelyhopethatEileenisn\'tthekindofsisterthatoccursfrequently。"

Lindawentuptoherroomandtriedtosettleherselftowork，butfoundthatitwasimpossibletofixherattentiononwhatshewasdoing。Hermindjumpedfromonethingtoanotherinawaythattotallyprohibitedeffectiveworkofanykind。Asuddenresolvecameintoherheart。Shewouldnotwaitanylonger。Shewouldknowforherselfjusthowshewassituatedfinancially。

ShewroteanotetotheeditorofEverybody\'sHome，askinghimifitwouldbeconvenienttoletherknowwhatreceptionherworkwashavingwithhissubscribers，whetherhedesiredhertocontinuethedepartmentinhismagazines，andifso，whatwasthebestofferhecouldmakeherfortherecipes，thenaturalhistorycommentsaccompanyingthem，andthesketches。ThenshewentdowntothetelephonebookandlookedupthelocationoftheConsolidatedBank。ShedecidedthatshewouldstopthereonherwayfromschoolthenextdayandasktobeshowntheStrongaccounts。

WhileshewasmeditatingtheseheroicmeasuresthebellrangandKatyadmittedJohnGilman。Strangelyenough，hewasaskingforLinda，notforEileen。AtthefirstglimpseofhimLindaknewthatsomethingwaswrong；sowithoutanypreludeshesaidabruptly:"What\'sthematter，John？Don\'tyouknowwhereI

Eileeniseither？"

"Approximately，"heanswered。"Shehas\'phonedmetwoorthreetimes，butIhaven\'tseenherforthreedays。Doyouknowwheresheisorexactlywhysheiskeepingawayfromhomeassheis？"

"Yes，"saidLinda，"Ido。ItoldyoutheotherdaythetimehadcomewhenIwasgoingtodemandasettlementofFather\'sestateandafixedincome。ThattimecamethreedaysagoandIhavenotseenEileensince。"

Theyenteredthelivingroom。AsLindapassedthetable，proppedagainstacandlestickonit，shenoticedanoteaddressedtoherself。

"Oh，herewillbeanexplanation，"shesaid。"Hereisanoteforme。SitdownaminutetillIreadit。"

Sheseatedherselfonthearmofachair，toreopenthenote，andinstantlybeganreadingaloud。

"Dearlittlesister——"

"Pathetic，"interpolatedLinda，"inconsiderationofthefactthatIamabouttwiceasbigassheis。However，we\'llletthatgo，andfocusontheenclosure。"ShewavedaslenderslipofpaperatGilman。"Ineverwaspossessedofanarticlelikethisbeforeinallmytenderyounglife，butitseemstomethatit\'sacheque，andIcan\'ttellyouquitehowdeeplyitamusesme。

Buttoreturntobusiness，atthepresentinstantIam:

DEARLITTLESISTER:

ItseemsthatallthefriendsIhaveareparticularlyinsistentonseeingmeallatonceandallinarush。Idon\'tthinkIeverhadquitesomanyinvitationsatonetimeinmylifebefore，andthenexttwoorthreedaysseemtobegoingtobeequallyasfull。ButItooktimetorunintothebankandgooverthingscarefully。Ifindthatafterthepaymentoftaxesandinsuranceandallthehouseholdexpenses，thatbywearingoldclothesI

haveandmakingthemoverIcanaffordtoturnoveratleastseventy-fivedollarsamonthtoyouforyourclothingandpersonalexpenses。AsIdon\'tknowexactlywhenIcangethome，IamenclosingachequewhichisconsiderablylargerthanIhadsupposedIcouldmakeit，andIcanonlydothisbyskimpingmyself；butofcourseyouaregettingsuchabiggirlandbeginningtoattractattention，soitisonlyrightthatyoushouldhavetheverybestthatIcanaffordtodoforyou。IamnottakingthebillfromTheModeintoconsideration。Ipaidthatwithlastmonth\'sexpenses。

Withlove，EILEEN。

Lindaheldtheletterinonehand，thechequeintheother，andstaredquestioninglyatJohnGilman。

"Whatdoyouthinkofthat？"sheinquiredtersely。

"Itseemstome，"saidGilman，"thatamorepertinentquestionwouldbe，whatdoyouthinkofit？"

"Rot！"saidLindatersely。"IfIwereastenographerinyourofficeIwouldthinkthatIwasmakingafairlygoodstart；butI

happentobethedaughterofAlexanderStronglivinginmyownhomewithmyonlysister，whocanaffordtoflitliketheflittingestofsocialbutterfliesfromonepartytoanotheraswelldressedas，andbetterdressedthan，theGreatGeneralAverage。Youhaveknownus，John，eversinceEileensatinthesuntodryherhandmadecurls，whileIwasleavingapieceofmydressoneverybuskinMultifloresCanyon。RighthereandnowI

amgoingtoshowyousomething！"

Lindastartedupstairs，soJohnGilmanfollowedher。ShewenttothedoorofEileen\'ssuiteandopenedit。

"Nowthen，"shesaid，"takealookatwhatEileenfeelsshecanaffordforherself。Youwillobserveshehascompleteandexquisitefurnishingsandallsortsoffeminineaccessoriesonherdressingtable。Youwillobservethatshehasfinerugsinherdressingroomandbathroom。Letmecallyourattentiontothefactthatallthesedrawersarefilledwithexpensivecomfortsandconveniences。"

AngrilyLindabegantoopendrawersfilledwithfancyfeminineapparel，daintilyandneatlyfolded，everythinginperfectorder:

gloves，hose，handkerchiefs，ribbons，laces，allinseparatecompartmentsShepointedtothehighchiffonier，thetopdecoratedwithcandlesticksandsilver-framedpictures。Herethedrawersrevealedheapsofembroideredunderclothingandsilkengarments。Thenshewalkedtotheclosetandthrewthedoorwide。

Shepushedhangersontheirrods，slidingbeforetheperplexedandbewilderedmandressafterdressoflaceandgeorgette，walkingsuitsofcloth，streetdressesofsilk，andprettyafternoongowns，heavycoats，lightcoats，abeautifuleveningcoat。LindatookthisdownandhelditinfrontofJohnGilman。

"Iseethingsmarkedinstorewindows，"shesaid。"Eileenpaidnotapennylessthanthreehundredforthisonecoat。Lookattherowsofshoes，andpumps，andslippers，andwhatthatboxisorIdon\'tknow。"

Lindaslidtothelightaboxscreenedbythehangingdresses，andwiththetoeofhershoeliftedthelid，disclosingacompletesmokingoutfit——caseaftercaseofcigarettes。Lindadroppedthelidandshovedtheboxback。Shestoodsilentasecond，thenshelookedatJohnGilman。

"Thatisthewaythingsgointhisworld，"shesaidquietly。

"Wheneveryouloseyourtemper，youalwaysdosomethingyoudidn\'tintendtodowhenyoustarted。Ididn\'tknowthat，andI

wouldn\'thaveshownittoyoupurposelyifIhadknownit；butitdoesn\'talterthefactthatyoushouldknowit。Ifyoudidknowitnoharm\'sdonebutifyoudidn\'tknowit，youshouldn\'tbeallowedtomarryEileenwithoutknowingasmuchaboutherasyoudidaboutMarian，andtherewasnothingaboutMarianthatyoudidn\'tknow。Iamsorryforthat，butsinceIhavestartedthisIamgoingthroughwithit。Nowgivemejustoneminutemore。"

Thenshewentdownthehall，threwopenthedoortoherroom，andwalkinginsaid:"YouhaveseenEileen\'ssurroundings；nowtakealookatmine。There\'smybed；there\'smydresserandtoiletarticles；andthisismywardrobe。"

Sheopenedtheclosetdoorandexhibitedapairofoverallsinwhichshewateredherdesertgarden。Nextrangedherkhakibreechesandfelthat。Thenhungtheoldsergeschooldress，besideittheextraskirtandorangeblouse。Thestackofunderclothingontheshelveswaspitifullysmall，visiblydilapidated。Twoorthreeoutgrownginghamdresseshungforlornlyontheoppositewall。LindastoodtallandstraightbeforeJohnGilman。

"WhatIhaveonandoneotherwaistconstitutemywardrobe，"shesaid，"andItoldEileenwheretogetthisdressandsuggesteditbeforeIgotit。"

Gilmanlookedatherinadazedfashion。

"Idon\'tunderstand，"hesaidslowly。"Ifthatisn\'tthedressI

sawEileensendupforherself，I\'mbadlymistaken。ItwastheSaturdaywewenttoRiverside。Itsurelyistheverydress。"

Lindalaughedbleakly。

"Thatmaybe，"shesaid。"Theonetimesheeverhasanyrespectformeisinaquestionoftaste。ShewillagreethatIknowwhencolorsarerightandathingisartistic。Nowthen，John，youaretheadministratorofmyfather\'sestate；youhaveseenwhatyouhaveseen。Whatareyougoingtodoaboutit？"

"Linda，"hesaidquietly，"whatmyheartmightpromptmetodoinconsiderationofthefactthatIamengagedtomarryEileen，andwhatmylegalsensetellsmeImustdoasexecutorofyourfather\'swishes，aredifferentpropositions。Iamgoingtodoexactlywhatyoutellmeto。Whatyouhaveshownme，andwhatI\'dhaverealized，ifIhadstoppedtothink，isneitherrightnorjust。"

ThenLindatookhertunatdeepthought。

"John，"shesaidatlast，"IamfeelingdepressedoverwhatI

havejustdone。IamnotsurethatinlosingmytemperandbringingyouuphereIhaveplayedthegamefairly。Youdon\'tneedtodoanything。I\'llmanagemyaffairswithEileenmyself。

ButI\'lltellyoubeforeyougo，thatyouneedn\'tpracticeanysubterfuges。Whenshereachesthepointwheresheisreadytocomehome，I\'lltellherthatyouwerehere，andwhatyouhaveseen。ThatisthebestIcandotowardsquaringmyselfwithmyownconscience。"

Slowlytheywalkeddowntheha]ltogether。AttheheadofthestairsLindatookthechequethatshecarriedandtoreitintobits。Steppingacrossthehall，sheletthelittleheapslowlyfluttertotheruginfrontofEileen\'sdoor。ThenshewentbacktoherroomandleftJohnGilmantohisownreflections。

CHAPTERXVII。ARockandaFlameThefirsttimeLindaenteredthekitchenafterherinterviewwithGilman，Katyaskedindeepconcern，"Nowwhatyebeendoing，lambie？"

"Doingthebabyact，Katy，"confessedLinda。"Disgracingmyself。

Losingmytemper。IwishIcouldbringmyselftotheplacewhereIwouldthinkhalfadozentimesbeforeIdoathingonce。"

"Nowlookhere，"saidKaty，beginningtobristle，"ain\'titthetruththatyehavethoughtforfouryearsbeforeyedidthisthingonce？"

"Quiteso，"saidLinda。"ButsinceIamthedaughterofthefinestgentlemanIeverknew，Ishouldnotdohasty，regrettablethings。Ontheliving-roomtableIfoundanotesweeterthanhoney，anditcontainedachequeformethatwouldn\'tpayEileen\'sbillsforlunches，candy，andtheatersforamonth；soinundueheatIreducedittobitsanddecoratedtherugbeforeherdoor。Butbeforethat，Katy，Iledmyguardianintotheroom，andshowedhimeverything。Imeanttotellhimthat，sincehehadneglectedmeforfouryears，hecouldseethatIhadjusticenow，butwhenI\'dpersonallyconductedhimfromEileen\'sroomtomine，andwhenItookagoodlookathimtherewassomethingonhisface，Katy，thatIcouldn\'tendure。SoItoldhimtoleaveittome；thatIwouldtellEileenmyselfwhatIhaddone，andsoIwill。ButIamsorryIdidit，Katy；Iamawfullysorry。YoualwaystoldmetokeepmytemperandIlostitcompletely。FromnowonIcertainlywilltrytobehavemyselfmorelikeawomanthanaspoiledchild。Nowgivemeadustclothandbrushes。IamalmostthroughwithmyjobinthelibraryandIwanttofinish，becauseIshallbeforcedtousethemoneyfromthebookstopayformyskylightandfireplace。"

Lindawenttothelibraryandbeganwork，efficiently，carefully，yetwithapreciserapidityhabitualtoher。Downthelonglineofheavytechnicalbooks，shecametotheendoftheshelf。

Threebooksfromtheendshenoticedadifferenceinthewallbehindtheshelf。Hastilyremovingtheothertwovolumes，shedisclosedasmalllockeddoorhavingascrapofpaperprotrudingfromtheedgewhichshepulledoutanduponwhichsheread:

Intheeventofmypassing，shouldanyonemovethesebooksandfindthisdoor，theselinesaretoinformhimthatitistoremainuntouched。Thekeytoitisinmysafety-depositvaultattheConsolidatedBank。TheBankwillopenthedoorandattendtothecontentsoftheboxatthepropertime。

Lindafixedthepaperbackexactlyasshehadfoundit。Shestoodlookingatthedooralongtime，thenshecarefullywipedit，thewallaroundit，andtheshelf。Goingtoanothershelf，shepickedoutthebooksthathadbeenwrittenbyherfatherand，beginningattheendoftheshelf，sherangedtheminarowuntiltheycompletelycoveredtheopening。Thenshefinishedfillingtheshelfwithotherbooksthatshemeanttokeep，butherbrainwasworking，millingoverandoverthequestionofwhatthatlittlecompartmentcontainedandwhenitwastobeopenedandwhetherJohnGilmanknewaboutit，andwhethertheConsolidatedBankwouldrememberthedayspecified，andwhetheritwouldmeananythingimportanttoher。

ShecarriedthedustersbacktoKaty，andgoingtoherroom，concentratedresolutelyuponherwork；butsheWasunabletodoanythingconstructive。Herroutinelessonsshecouldprepare，butshecouldnotevensketchawildroseaccurately。Finallyshelaiddownherpencil，washedherbrushes，putawayhermaterial，andlockingherdoor，slippedthekeyintoherpocket。

GoingdowntothegaragesheclimbedintotheBearCatandheadedstraightforPeterMorrison。Shedroveintohislocationandblewthehorn。Petersteppedfromthegarage，andseeingher，startedinherdirection。Lindasprangdownandhurriedtowardhim。Helookedatherintentlyassheapproachedandformedhisownconclusions。

"Sortofrestless，"saidLinda。"Couldn\'tevolveasinglenewideawithwhichtoenliventhegayannalsofEnglishliteratureandGreekhistory。Apersonalhistoryseemsinfinitelymoreinsistentandunusual。Iranawayfrommylessons，andmywork，andcametoyou，Peter，becauseIhadafeelingthattherewassomethingyoucouldgiveme，andIthoughtyouwould。"

Petersmiledaslowcurioussmile。

"Ilikeyourlineofthought，Linda，"hesaidquietly。"Itgreatlyappealstome。AnytimeanancientandpatriarchalliterarymannamedPeterMorrisoncanserveasarockuponwhichayoungthingcanrest，whyhe\'llbegladtobethatrock。"

"Whatwereyoudoing？"askedLindaabruptly。

"Comeandsee，"saidPeter。

Heledthewaytothegarage。Hisworktableandthecementfloorarounditwerelitteredwithsheetsofcloselytypedpaper。

"I\'llhavetoassemblethemfirst，"saidPeter，gettingdownonhiskneesandbeginningtopickthemup。

Lindasatonapackingcaseandwatchedhim。Alreadyshefeltcomforted。OfcoursePeterwasarock，ofcourseanyonecouldtrusthim，andofcourseifthetempestoflifebeatuponhertoostronglyshecouldalwaysflytoPeter。

"MayI？"sheinquired，stretchingherhandinthedirectionofasheet。

"Sure，"saidPeter。

"Whatisit？"inquiredLindalightly。"Thebridgeortheroadortheplayroom？"

"Gad！"hesaidslowly。"Don\'ttalkaboutmebeingarock！Rocksarestolid，stodgyunresponsivethings。IthoughtIwasstrugglingwithoneofthebiggestpoliticalproblemsofthedayfromaneconomicandpsychologicalstandpoint。IfI\'dhadsenseenoughtorealizethatitwasabridgeIwasbuilding，Imighthavedonethethingwithsomeimaginationandsubtlety。IfyouwantarockandyousayIamarock，arockI\'llbe，Linda。ButIknowwhatyouare，andwhatyouwillbetomewhenwereallybecomethekindoffriendswearedestinedtobe。"

"Iwondernow，"saidLinda，"ifyouaregoingtosaythatIcouldbeanysuchlovelythingonthelandscapeasabridge。"

"No，"saidPeterslowly，"nothingsoprosaic。Bridgesarecommoninthisworld。Youaregoingtobesomethinguncommon。Historyrecordstheexperiencesofbutonemanwhohasseenaflameintheopen。IamasecondMosesandyouaregoingtobemyburningbush。Iintendedtoreadthisarticletoyou。"

Petermassedthesheets，straightenedthemonthedesk，anddeliberatelyrippedthemacrossseveraltimes。Lindasprangtoherfeetandstretchedoutherhands。

"Why，Peter！"shecriedinashockedvoice。"Thatisperfectlyinexcusable。Therearehoursandhoursofworkonthat，andI

havenotadoubtbutthatitwasgoodwork。"

"Simplecaseofmechanism，"saidPeter，reducingthebitstosmallersizeanddroppingthemintotheemptynailkegthatservedashiswastebasket。"Alifelessthingwithoutasoul，mereclockwork。Ihavegottheideanow。Iamtobuildabridgeandmakearoad。EverywayIlookIcanseeagolden-flametongueofinspirationburning。I\'llrewritethatthingandanimateit。Takemeforaride，Linda。"

LindaroseandwalkedtotheBearCat。Peterclimbedinandsatbesideher。Lindalaidherhandsonthesteeringwheelandstartedthecar。Sheranitdowntothehighwayandchosealevelroadleadingstraightdownthevalleythroughcultivatedcountry。InalltheworldtherewasnothingtoequalthepanoramathatshespreadbeforePeterthatevening。ShedrovetheBearCatpastorchards，hundredsofacresoforchardsofwaxengreenleavesandwaxenwhitebloomoforange，grapefruit，andlemon。Shetookhimwhereseasofpinkoutlinedpeachorchards，andotherseasthemoredelicatetintoftheapricots。

Sheglideddownavenueslinedwithpalmandeucalyptus，pepperandolive，andthroughunbrokenrows，extendingformiles，ofroses，longstretchesofwhite，againastretchofpink，thensalmon，yellow，andred。Nowhereinalltheworldaretheretobefoundsomanyacresoforchardbloomandsomanymilesoftree-lined，rose-decoratedroadwayasinsouthernCalifornia。