intellectual showing, while she surely is a handsome woman. With
a good home and such a fine young professional man as she has had
the good fortune to attract, she should immediately put herself at
the head of society in Hartley and become its leader to a much
higher moral and intellectual plane than it now occupies."

"Bet she has a good time," said young Adam. "He's awful nice."

"Son," said Agatha, "'awful,' means full of awe. A cyclone, a
cloudburst, a great conflagration are awful things. By no stretch
of the imagination could they be called nice."

"But, Ma, if a cyclone blew away your worst enemy wouldn't it be
nice?"

Adam, Jr., and Kate laughed. Not the trace of a smile crossed
Agatha's pale face.

"The words do not belong in contiguity," she said. "They are
diametrically opposite in meaning. Please do not allow my ears to
be offended by hearing you place them in propinquity again."

"I'll try not to, Ma," said young Adam; then Agatha smiled on him
approvingly. "When did you meet Mr. Gray, Katherine?" she asked.

"On the foot-log crossing the creek beside Lang's line fence.
Near the spot Nancy Ellen first met him I imagine."

"How did you recognize him?"