there was neither sense nor justice in the way Grandpa always has
acted and she said she would wager all she was worth that he would
live to regret it. She said it wasn't natural, and when people
undertook to controvert -- ain't that a peach? Bet there isn't a
woman in ten miles using that word except Ma -- nature they always
hurt themselves worse than they hurt their victims. And I bet he
does, too, and I, for one, don't care. I hope he does get a good
jolt, just to pay him up for being so mean."

"Don't, Adam, don't!" cautioned Kate.

"I mean it!" cried the boy.

"I know you do. That's the awful thing about it," said Kate. "I
am afraid every girl he has feels the same way, and from what your
father said yesterday, even the sons he favours don't feel any too
good toward him."

"You just bet they don't! They are every one as sore as boiled
owls. Pa said so, and he knows, for they all talk it over every
time they meet. He said they didn't feel like men, they felt like
a lot of 'spanked school-boys.'"

"They needn't worry," said Kate. "Every deed is made out. Father
reads them over whenever it rains. They'll all get their land
when he dies. It is only his way."

"Yes, and THIS is only his way, too, and it's a dern poor way,"
said Adam. "Pa isn't going to do this way at all. Mother said he
could go and live on his land, and she'd stay home with Susan and