Kate reached over and took her mother's
hand.
"There's no word I know in any language big enough to thank you
for this, Mother," she said. "The best I can do is make each day
as nearly a perfect expression of what I feel as possible."
Mrs. Bates drew away her hand and used it to wipe her eyes; but
she said with her usual terse perversity: "My, Kate! You're most
as wordy as Agatha. I'm no glibtonguer, but I bet you ten dollars
it will hustle you some to be any gladder than I am."
Kate laughed and gave up the thanks question.
"To-morrow we must get some onions in," she said. "Have you made
any plans about the farm work for this year yet?"
"No," said Mrs. Bates. "I was going to leave that till I decided
whether I'd come after you this spring or wait until next. Since
I decided to come now, I'll just leave your farm to you. Handle
it as you please."
"Mother, what will the other children say?" implored Kate.
"Humph! You are about as well acquainted with them as I am. Take
a shot at it yourself. If it will avoid a fuss, we might just say
you had to come to stay with me, and run the farm for me, and let
them get used to your being here, and bossing things by degrees;
like the man that cut his dog's tail off an inch at a time, so it
wouldn't hurt so bad.
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