At the simple enough words his face softened strangely. It was with
an odd gentleness he said he hoped they could all have some good
times together.

But, the moment conquered, things which it had called up swept in. The
whole of it seemed to rush in upon her.

She turned harshly upon Katie. "This is--ridiculous! I'm going away
to-night!"

"We will talk it over this evening," replied Kate quietly. "You will wait
for that, won't you? I have something to suggest. And in the end you will
be at liberty to do exactly as you think best. Certainly there can be no
question as to that."

On their way home they encountered the throng of men from the
shops--dirty, greasy, alien. It was not pleasant--meeting the men when
one was driving. And yet, though certainly distasteful, they interested
Katie, perhaps just because they were so different. She wondered how they
lived and what they talked about.

Chancing to look at Ann, she saw that stranger than the men was the look
with which Ann regarded them. She could not make it out. But one thing
she did see--the soft spring breezes had much yet to do.




CHAPTER VII