With a decisive gesture such as he had never believed her capable
of, Lila came up to Christopher and stood facing him with beaming
eyes. He had never before seen her so lovely, and he realised at
the instant that it was this she had always needed to complete
her beauty. From something merely white and warm and delicate she
had become suddenly as radiant as a flame.

"I went with Jim Weatherby, Christopher," she said slowly, "and
I'm not ashamed of it."

The admission wrung a short groan from Cynthia, who stood
twisting her gingham apron tightly about her fingers.

"Oh, Lila, who was his grandfather?" she cried. "Well, there's
this thing certain, she doesn't want to marry his grandfather,"
put in Tucker, undaunted by the failure of his former attempts at
peace-making. "Not that I have anything against the old chap, for
that matter; he was an honest, well-behaved old body, and used to
mend my boots for me up to the day of his death. Jim gets his
handy ways from him, I reckon."

Cynthia turned upon him angrily.

"Uncle Tucker, you will drive me mad," she exclaimed, the tears
starting to her lashes. "It does seem to me that you, at least,
might show some consideration for the family name. It's all we've
left."

"And it's a good enough relic in its way," returned Tucker
amicably, "though if you are going to make a business of