AN EMBRYO MIND READER

KATE was far from physical flight as she pounded the indignation
of her soul into the path with her substantial feet. Baffled and
angry, she kept reviewing the situation as she went swiftly on her
way, regardless of dust and heat. She could see no justice in
being forced into a position that promised to end in further
humiliation and defeat of her hopes. If she only could find Adam
at the stable, as she passed, and talk with him alone! Secretly,
she well knew that the chief source of her dread of meeting her
sister-in-law was that to her Agatha was so funny that ridiculing
her had been regarded as perfectly legitimate pastime. For Agatha
WAS funny; but she had no idea of it, and could no more avoid it
than a bee could avoid being buzzy, so the manner in which her
sisters-in-law imitated her and laughed at her, none too secretly,
was far from kind. While she never guessed what was going on, she
realized the antagonism in their attitude and stoutly resented it.

Adam was his father's favourite son, a stalwart, fine-appearing,
big man, silent, honest, and forceful; the son most after the
desires of the father's heart, yet Adam was the one son of the
seven who had ignored his father's law that all of his boys were
to marry strong, healthy young women, poor women, working women.
Each of the others at coming of age had contracted this prescribed
marriage as speedily as possible, first asking father Bates, the
girl afterward. If father Bates disapproved, the girl was never
asked at all. And the reason for this docility on the part of
these big, matured men, lay wholly in the methods of father Bates.
He gave those two hundred acres of land to each of them on coming
of age, and the same sum to each for the building of a house and