\"Hiss，Katy，\"shesaid。\"Thatisadarksecret。Don\'tyoubeforgettingyourselfandsayinganythinglikethatbeforeanyone，orIwouldberuinedentirely。\"
\"Well，Ididthinkwhenyebeganit，\"saidKaty，\"thatofallthewildfoolishnessyeandyourpahadevergonethroughwith，thatwastheworst，butthatlastmessyeworkedoutwassotastytothetonguethatIthoughtofitalot，andI\'mkindo\'hankeringformore。\"
LindacaughtKatyandswungheraroundthekitcheninawildwardance。Hergayestlaughbubbledclearfromthejoypeakofhersoul。
\"Katy，\"shesaid，\"ifyouhadlainawakeallnighttryingtosaysomethingthatwouldparticularlypleaseme，youcouldn\'thavedonebetter。Thatwasaquaintlittlephraseandatruelittlephrase，andIknowalittlespotthatitwillfitexactly。WhatamIdoingtoday？Well，severalthings，Katy。First，anythingyouneedaboutthehouse。Next，Iamgoingtoemptythebilliardroomandsellsomeoftheexcessfurnitureofthelibrary，andwiththereturnsIamgoingtobuymearugandatableandsometoolstoworkwith，soIwon\'thavetoclutterupmybedroomwithmylessonsandthingsIbringinthatIwanttosave。AndthenI
amgoingtosellthetechnicalstufffromthelibraryandusethatmoneywhereitwillbeofgreatestadvantagetome。Andthen，Katy，IamgoingtomanicuretheBearCatandIamgoingtodriveitagain。\"
Lindahesitated。Katystoodverystill，thinkingintently，butfinallyshesaid:\"That\'sallright；yehavegotgoodcommonsense；yournervesaresteady；yourpadrilledyefine。Many\'sthetimehehasbraggedtomebehindyourbackwhatafinelittledriverhewasmakingofye。Idon\'tknowagirlofyourageanywherethathaslessenjoymentthanye。Ifitwouldbegivingyeanyhappinesstobedrivingthatcar，yejustgoaheadanddriveit，lambie，butyepromisemehereandnowthatyewillbemortalcareful。InallmydaysIdon\'tthinkIhaveseenameaner-lookinglittlebasteofacar。\"
\"OfcourseI\'llbecareful，Katy，\"saidLinda。\"Thatcarwasnotboughtforitsbeauty。Itsprimalobjectinthisworldwastoarrive。Gee，howweshotcurves，andcoasteddownthecanyons，andgasseduponthelevelwhensomepoorsoulwentbattyfromnervestrain！Thetruthis，Katy，thatyoucan\'tdriveveryslowly。Youhavegottogothespeedforwhichitwasbuilt。
ButIhavehadmytraining。Iwon\'tforget。Iadorethatcar，Katy，andIdon\'tknowhowIhaveeverkeptmyfingersoffitthislong。Todayitgetsabathandafacialtreatment，andwhen1havethoughtupsomewaytomeetmybigproblem，you\'regoingtohavearide，Katy，thatwillquiteupliftyoursoul。We\'llgoscootingthroughthecanyons，andwhizzingaroundthemountains，androaringalongthebeach，asslickasawhiteseaswallow。\"
\"Now，easy，lambie，easy，\"saidKaty。\"Ye\'replanningtospeedthatthingbeforeye\'vegotitoffthejacks。\"
\"No，thatwasmeretalk，\"saidLinda。\"But，Katy，thisismygreatday。IfeelinmybonesthatIshallhaveenoughmoneybynighttogetmesomenewtires，whichImusthavebeforeIcanstartoutinsafety。\"
\"Ofcourseyemust，honey。Iwouldjustbetickledtopiecestoletyehavewhatyeneed。\"
LindaslidherhandacrossKaty\'slipsandgatheredhercloseinherarms。
\"Youblessedolddarling，\"shesaid。\"Ofcourseyouwould，butI
don\'tneedit，Katy。Icansitonthefloortowork，ifImust，andinsteadoftakingthemoneyfromthebilliardtabletobuyaworktable，Icanbuytireswiththat。Buthere\'sanotherthingI
wanttotellyou，Katy。Thisafternoonamalebipediscomingtothishouse，andhe\'snotcomingtoseeEileen。HisnameisDonaldWhiting，andwhenhetellsyouitis，andstandsverystraightandtakesoffhishat，andlooksyouintheeyeandsays，\'CallingonMissLindaStrong，\'walkhimintothelivingroom，Katy，andseathiminthebestchairandputabookbesidehimandthemorningpaper；anddon\'tyouforgettodoitwithaflourish。Heisnothingbutahigh-schoolkid，buthe\'sthefirstboythateverinallmydaysaskedtocometoseemesoit\'sabigevent；andIwishtomysoulIhadsomethingdecenttowear。\"
\"Well，withalltheclothesinthishouse，\"saidKaty；andthenshestoppedandshutherlipstightandlookedatLindawithbelligerentIrisheyes。
\"Iknowit，\"noddedLindainacquiescence；\"Iknowwhatyouthink；butnevermind。Eileenhasagreedtomakemeafairallowancethefirstofthemonth，andifthatisn\'tsufficient，I
maypossiblyfigureupsomewaytodosomeextraworkthatwillbringmeafewhonestpennies，soIcanfussupenoughtolookfeminineattimes，Katy。Inthemeantime，farewell，oh，mybelovedest。Callmeathalf-pasteight，soIwillbereadyforbusinessatnine。\"
ThenLindawenttothegarageandbeganoperations。Sheturnedthehoseonthecarandwashedthedustfromitcarefully。Thenshedrieditwiththechamoisskinsassheoftenhaddonebefore。
Shecarefullyexaminedthecushioning，andfindingitdryandhard，shegaveitabathofoliveoilandwipedandmanipulatedit。Shecleanedtheenginewithextremecare。AtoneminuteshewasrunningtoKatyforkerosenetopourthroughtheenginetoloosenthecarbon。Atanothershewastelephoningforthedeliveryofoil，gasoline，andbatteriesforwhichshehadnomoneytopay，soshechargedthemtoEileen，orderingthebilltobesentonthefirstofthemonth。ItseemedtoherthatshehadonlyagoodstartwhenKatycameafterher。
Thebusinessofappraisingthefurniturewasshort，andLindawaswellsatisfiedwiththepriceshewasofferedforit。AfterthemanhadgonesheshowedKatythepiecesshehadmarkedtodisposeof，andtoldherwhentheywouldbecalledfor。Sheateafewbitesoflunchwhilewaitingforthebookman，andtheresultsofherbusinesswithhimquitedelightedLinda。Shehadnotknownthatthevalueofbookshadrisenwiththepriceofeverythingelse。Themanwithwhomshedealthadknownherfather。Hehadappreciatedthestraininhernaturewhichmadehersuggestthatheshouldnumberandappraisethebooks，butshemustbeallowedtimetogothrougheachvolumeinordertoremoveanyscrapsofpaperormemorandawhichherfathersofrequentlyleftinbookstowhichhewasreferring。HehadfiguredcarefullyandhehadmadeLindaafarhigherpricethancouldhavebeensecuredbyaman。Asthegirlwentbacktoherabsorbingtaskinthegarage，shecouldseeherwaycleartothecomfortsandconveniencesandthematerialthatsheneededforherwork。When。shereachedthecarshepatteditasifithadbeenalivingcreature。
\"Cheerup，niceoldthing，\"shesaidgaily。\"Iknowhowtogetnewtiresforyou，andyoushalldrinkallthegasolineandoilyourtummycanhold。Nowletmesee。WhatmustIdonext？I
mustgetyouoffyourjacks；andoh，mygracioustherearethegreasecups，andthat\'sanastyjob，butitmustbedone；andwhatistheuseofSaturdayifIcan\'tdoit？Daddyoftendid。\"
Lindabeganworkinutterabsorption。Shesucceededingettingthecaroffthejacks。Shewaslyingonherbackunderit，fillingsomeofthemostinaccessiblegreasecups，andshewassoftlysingingassheworked:
\"TheshoesIweararecommon-senseshoes——\"
AtthatminuteDonaldWhitingswungdownthestreet，turnedinattheStrongresidence，andrangthebell。Eileenwascomingdownthestairs，dressedforthestreet。ShehadinquiredforLinda，andKatyhadtoldherthatshethoughtMissLindahaddecidedtobeginusinghercar，andthatshewasinthegarageworkingonit。ToEileen\'scredititmaybesaidthatshehadnotbeentoldthatacallerwasexpected。Lindaneverbeforehadhadacallerand，asalways，Eileenwasabsorbedinherownconcerns。Hadshegottherougeatriflebrighterononecheekthanontheother？
Wasthepowderevenlydistributed？Wouldtheveilholdthehandmadecurlsinexactlytheproperplace？Whenthebellrangheronethoughtmighthavebeenthatsomeofherfriendswerecallingforher。Sheopenedthedoor，andwhenshelearnedthatLindawasbeingaskedfor，itispossiblethatshemistooktheclean，interesting，andwell-dressedyoungsterstandingbeforeherforamechanic。Whatshesaidwas:\"Linda\'sworkingonhercar。Goaroundtotheleftandyouwillfindherinthegarage，andforheaven\'ssake，getitrightbeforeyouletherstartout，forwe\'vehadenoughhorrorinthisfamilyfrommotoraccidents。\"
Thensheclosedthedoorbeforehimandstoodbuttoninghergloves；awickedandmalicioussmilespreadingoverherface。
\"Justpossibly，\"shesaid，\"thatyoungsterisfromagarage，butifheis，he\'sthebestimitationoftherealthingthatIhaveseeninthesechaoticdays。\"
DonaldWhitingstoppedatthegaragedoorandlookedin，beforeLindahadfinishedhergreasecups，andintimetobeinformedthathemightwearcommon-senseshoesifhechose。Athisstep，Lindarolledherblackheadonthecementfloorandraisedhereyes。Shedroppedthegreasecup，andherfacereddeneddeeply。
\"Oh，myLord！\"shegaspedbreathlessly。\"IforgottotellKatywhentocallme！\"
Inthatinstantshealsoforgotthatthestressofthepreviousfouryearshadaccustomedmentoseeingwomendoanykindofworkinanykindofcostume；butsoonLindarealizedthatDonaldWhitingwasnotpayinganyparticularattentioneithertoherortoheroccupation。Hewasleaningforward，gazingatthecarwithpositivelyanenrapturedexpressiononhiseageryoungface。
\"ShadesofJehu！\"hecried。\"It\'saBearCat！\"
Lindafeltaroundherheadforthegreasecup。
\"Why，sureit\'saBearCat，\"shesaidwiththecalmnessofcompleterecovery。\"Andit\'sjustaboutreadytostartforitsveryowncaveinthecanyon。\"
DonaldWhitingpitchedhishatupontheseat，shookoffhiscoat，andsentitflyingafterthehat。Thenhebeganunbuttoningandturningbackhissleeves。
\"Here，letmedothat，\"hesaidauthoritatively。\"Gee！IhaveneveryetriddeninaBearCat。Takemewithyou，willyou，Linda？\"
\"Sure，\"saidLinda，pressingthegreaseintothecupwithalittlepaddleandholdingituptoseeifshehaditwellfilled。
\"Sure，butthere\'snouseinyougettingintothismess，becauseIhaveonlygottwomore。Youlookovertheengine。Didyouevergrindvalves，anddoyouthinktheseneedit？\"
\"Why，theydon\'tneedit，\"saidDonald，\"iftheywereallrightwhenitwasjackedup。\"
\"Well，theywere，\"saidLinda。\"Itwasrunninglikeawatchwhenitwenttosleep。Butdowedaretakeitoutonthesetires？\"
\"Howlonghasitbeen？\"askedDonald，busyattheengine。
\"Alloffouryears，\"answeredLinda。
Donaldwhistledsoftlyandstartedacircuitofthecar，kickingthetiresandfeelingthem。
\"Haveyoufilledthem？\"heasked。
\"No，\"saidLinda。\"IdidnotwanttostarttheengineuntilI
hadfinishedeverythingelse。\"
\"Allright，\"hesaid，\"I\'lllookatthevalvesfirstandthen，ifitisallready，thereoughttobeagaragenearthatwecanruntocarefully，andgettunedup。\"
\"Thereis，\"saidLinda。\"ThereisoneonlyafewblocksdownthestreetwhereDadalwayshadanythingdonethathedidnotwanttodohimself。\"
\"That\'sthat，then，\"saidDonald。
Lindacrawledfromunderthecarandstoodup，wipingherhandsonabitofwaste。
\"Doyouknowwhattirescostnow？\"sheaskedanxiously。
\"Theyhave\'ematthegarage，\"answeredDonald，\"andifIwereyou，Iwouldn\'tgetaset；Iwouldgettwo。Iwould-putthemontherearwheels。Youmightbesurprisedathowlongsomeofthesewilllast。Anyway，thatwouldbethethingtodo。\"
\"Ofcourse，\"saidLinda，inarelievedtone。\"Thatwouldbethethingtodo。\"
\"Now，\"shesaid，\"ImustbeexcusedafewminutestillIcleanupsoIamfittogoonthestreets。Ihopeyouwon\'tthinkI
forgotyouwerecoming。\"
Donaldlaugheddrily。
\"When\'shoes\'wasthefirstwordIheard，\"hesaid，\"Ididnotforaminutethinkyouhadforgotten。\"
\"No，Ididn\'tforget，\"saidLinda。\"WhatIdiddowastobecomesoexcitedaboutcleaningupthecarthatIlettimegofasterthanIthoughtitcould。Thatwaswhatmademelate。\"
\"Well，forgetit！\"saidDonald。\"Runalongandjumpintosomething，andletusgetourtiresandtryKittyout。\"
Lindareachedupandreleasedthebrakes。Shesteppedtoonesideofthecarandlaidherhandsonit。
\"Letusrunitdownoppositethekitchendoor，\"shesaid，\"thenyougoaroundtothefront，andI\'llletyouin，andyoucanreadsomethingafewminutestillImakemyselfpresentable。\"
\"Oh，I\'llstayouthereandlookaroundtheyardandgooverthecaragain，\"saidtheboy。\"Whatabunchofstuffyouhavegotgrowinghere；Idon\'tbelieveIeversawhalfofitbefore。\"
\"It\'sDaddy\'sandmycollection，\"saidLinda。\"SomedayI\'llshowyousomeofthethings，andtellyouhowwegotthem，andwhytheyarerare。TodayIjustnaturallycan\'twaitaminuteuntilItrymycar。\"
\"Isitreallyyours？\"askedDonaldenviously。
\"Yes，\"saidLinda。\"It\'sabouttheonlythingonearththatispeculiarlyandparticularlymine。Ihaven\'tadoubtthereareimprovedmodels，butDaddyhaddriventhiscaronlyaboutninemonths。Itwasgoingsmoothasvelvet，andthere\'snoreasonwhyitshouldnotkeepitup，thoughIsuspectthatbythistimetherearelatermodelsthatcouldoutrunit。\"
\"Oh，Idon\'tknow，\"saidtheboy。\"Itlookslikesomelittleoldcartome。Ibetitcanjustskate。\"
\"Iknowitcan，\"saidLinda，\"ifIhaven\'tneglectedsomething。
We\'llstartcarefully，andwe\'llhavetheinspectoratthesalesroomslookitover。\"
ThenLindaenteredthekitchendoortofindKatywitheverythingediblethatthehouseaffordedspreadbeforeheronthetable。
\"Why，Katy，whatareyoudoing？\"sheasked。
\"Iwasmakin\'ready，\"explainedKaty，\"tofixyethesamekindoflunchIwouldforMissEileen。Willyehaveitundertheliveoak，orinthelivingroom？\"
\"Neither，\"saidLinda。\"Comeupstairswithme，andinthestoreroomyou\'llfindthelunchcaseandthethermosbottlesanddon\'tstintyourself，Katy。Thisisarareoccasion。Itneverhappenedbefore。Probablyitwillneverhappenagain。
Let\'smakeithighaltitudewhileweareatit。\"
\"I\'lldomyverybestwithwhatIhappentohave，\"saidKaty；
\"butIwarnyourightnowIammakingagoodbigholeintheSundaydinner。\"
\"Idon\'tgivetwowhoops，\"saidLinda，\"ifthereisn\'tanySundaydinner。Inmemoryofhundredsoftimesthatwehaveeatenbreadandmilk，makeitabanquet，Katy，andwe\'lleatbreadandmilktomorrow。\"
Thenshetookthestairwayatabound，andrantoherroom。Lnaveryshorttimesheemerged，cladinacleanblouseandbreeches\'
herclimbingboots，herblackhairfreshlybrushedandbraided。
\"Ioughttohavesomething，\"saidLinda，\"toshademyeyes。iTheglare\'shardonthemfacingthesun。\"
Goingdownthehallshecametothestoreroom，openedadrawer\'
andpickedoutafineblackfeltAlpinehatthathadbelongedtoherfather。Shecarrieditbacktoherroomand，standingattheglass，triediton，pullingitdownononeside，turningitupattheother，andstrikingadeepcleftacrossthecrown。Shelookedatherselfintentlyforaminute，andthenshereachedupanddeliberatelyloosenedthehairathertemples。
\"Nothalfbad，allthingsconsidered，Linda，\"shesaid。\"But，oh，howyoudoneedatichofcolor。\"
SherandownthehallandopenedthedoortoEileen\'sroom，andgoingtoherchiffonier，pulledoutadrawercontaininganarrayofgloves，veils，andribbons。Atthebottomoftheribbonstack，hereyecaughtthegleamofcolorforwhichshewassearching，andshedeftlyslippedoutanarrowscarfofRomanstripeswithadeepblackfringeattheend。Sittingdown，shefittedthehatoverherknee，pickedupthedressing-tablescissors，andrippedofftheband。Initsplaceshefittedtheribbon，pinningitsecurelyandknottingtheendssothatthefringereachedhershoulder。Thenshetriedthehatagain。Theresultwasblissfullysatisfactory。Theflashoforange，theblazeofred，thegleamofgreen，werewhatsheneeded。
\"Thankyouverymuch，sistermine，\"shesaid，\"IknowyouIwouldbeperfectlydelightedtoloanmethis。\"
CHAPTERIX。OneHundredPerCentPlusThenshewentdownstairsandwalkedintothekitchen，preparedforwhatshewouldsee，bywhatsheheardassheapproached。
WithKaty\'saprontiedaroundhiswaist，DonaldWhitingwasoccupiedinsqueezingorange，lemon，andpineapplejuiceoveracakeoficeinabigbowl，preparatorytothecompoundingofKaty\'smostdeliciousbrandoffruitpunch。Withoutaword，Lindasteppedtothebreadboardandbeganslicingthebreadandbuildingsandwiches，whileKatyhurriedherpreparationsforfillingthelunchbox。AfewminuteslaterKatypackedtheminthecar，kissedLindagood-bye，andrepeatedlycautionedDonaldtomakeherbecareful。
Asthecarrolleddownthedrivewayandintothestreet，Donaldlookedappraisinglyatthegirlbesidehim。
\"IsittheprevailingcustominLilacValleyforyoungladiestokissthecook？\"inquiredDonaldlaughingly。
\"Now，youjusthush，\"saidLinda。\"KatyisNOTthecook，alone。
Katy\'smyfather，andmymother，andmyfamily，andmybestfriend——\"
\"Stoprightthere，\"interposedDonald。\"Thatisquiteenoughforanyhumantobe。Katy\'samultitude。Shecameouttothecarwiththecanteen，andwhenIofferedtohelpher，withoutany\'pollyfoxin\'，\'shejustsaid:\'Sure。Comeinandmakeyourselfuseful。\'SoIwent，andIamexpectingamazingresultsfromthejobshegaveme。\"
\"Cometothinkofit，\"saidLinda，\"Ihavesmallexperiencewithanybody\'scookingexceptKaty\'sandmyown，butsofarasIknow，shecan\'tverywellbebeaten。\"
Carefullysheheadedthecarintothegarageadjoiningthesalesrooms。Thereshehadanovation。Themanagerandseveralofthemenrememberedher。ThewholeforceclusteredaroundtheBearCatandbegantoexamineit，andcommentonit，andLindaclimbedoutandaskedtohavethecarburetoradjusted，whilethemechanicputonapairoftires。Wheneverythingwassatisfactory，shebackedtothestreet，andafterafewblocksofexperimentaldriving，sheheadedfortheAutomobileClubtoarrangeforherlicenseandthenturnedstraighttowardMultifloresCanyon，butshedidnotfailtocallDonaldWhiting\'sattentiontoeverybeautyofLilacValleyastheypassedthrough。
Whentheyhadreachedalonglevelstretchofroadwayleadingtothecanyon，Lindaglancedobliquelyattheboybesideher。
\"Itallcomesbackasnaturalasbreathing，\"shesaid。\"I
couldn\'tforgetitanymorethanIcouldforgethowtowalk，ortoswim。Sittight。Iamgoingtosteponthegasforabit，justforoldsake\'ssake。\"
\"That\'sallright，\"saidDonald，takingoffhishatandgivinghisheadatosssothatthewindmighthavefullplaythroughhishair。\"Butrememberourtiresarenotsafe。Betternotgothelimituntilwegetridoftheseoldones，andhaveanewsetallaround。\"
Lindasettledbackinherseat，tookafirmgriponthewheel，andstarteddownthebroad，smoothhighway，graduallyincreasingthespeed。Thecolorrushedtohercheeks。Hereyesweregleaming。
\"Listentoitpurr！\"shecriedtoDonald。\"Ifyouhearitbegintogrowl，tellme。\"
Andthenforafewminutestheyrodelikebirdsonthepathofthewind。Whentheyapproachedtheentrancetothecanyon，graduallyLindasloweddown。SheturnedanexultantflashingfacetoDonaldWhiting。
\"Thatwasawhizzer，\"saidtheboy。\"I\'lltellyouIdon\'tknowwhatI\'dgivetohaveacarlikethisformyveryown。I\'llbetnotanothergirlinLosAngeleshasacarthatcangolikethat。\"
\"AndIdon\'tbelieveIhaveanybusinesswithit，\"saidLinda；
\"butsincecircumstancesmakeitmine，IamgoingtokeepitandIamgoingtodriveit。\"
\"Ofcourseyouare，\"saidDonaldemphatically。\"Don\'tYoUeverletanybodyfoolyououtofthiscar，becauseiftheywantedto，itwouldbejustbecausetheyarejealoustothinktheyhaven\'tonethatwillgoasfast。\"
\"There\'snottheslightestpossibilityofmygivingitupsolongasIcanmaketheengineturnover，\"shesaid。\"ItoldyouhowFatheralwaystookmearoundwithhim，andthere\'snothinginthisworldIamsosureofasIamsurethatIamspoiledforahousecat。Ihaveprobablylessfemininesophisticationthananygirlofmyageintheworld，andIprobablyknowmoreaboutcampingandfishingandthescientificwhyandwhereforeofalloutdoorsthanmostofthem。IjustnaturallyhadsuchaheavenlytimewithDaddythatitneverhashurtmyfeelingstobeleftoutofanydanceorpartythateverwasgiven。Theonethingthathashurtistheisolation。SinceIlostDaddyIhaven\'tanyonebutKaty。Sometimes，whenIseeacoupleofnice，interestinggirlsvisitingwiththeirheadstogether，agreatfeelingofenvywellsupinmysoul，andIwishwithallmyheartthatIhadsuchafriend。\"
\"Evertrytomakeone？\"askedDonald。\"Therearemightyfinegirlsinthehighschool。\"
\"IhaveseenseveralthatIthoughtIwouldliketobefriendswith，\"saidLinda，\"butIamsolackinginfemininegracesthatI
haven\'tknownhowtomakeadvances，inthefirstplace，andI
haven\'thadthecourage，inthesecond。\"
\"Iwishmysisterwerenotsomucholderthanyou，\"saidDonald。
\"Howoldisyoursister？\"inquiredLinda。
\"Shewillbetwenty-threenextbirthday，\"saidDonald；\"andofallthenicegirlsyoueversaw，sheisthequeen。\"
\"Yes，\"sheassented，\"IamsureIhaveheardyoursistermentioned。Butdidn\'tyoutellmeshehadbeenrearedforsociety？\"
\"No，Ididnot，\"saidDonaldemphatically。\"ItoldyouMotherjbelievedindressingherasthemajorityofothergirlsweredressed，butIdidn\'tsayshehadbeenrearedforsociety。Shehasbeenrearedwithaneyesingletomakingawell-dressed，cultured，andgraciouswoman。\"
\"Icallthatfine，\"saidLinda。\"Makesmeenviousofyou。Nowforgeteverythingexceptyoureyesandtellmewhatyousee。
Haveyoueverbeenherebefore？\"
\"Ihavebeenthroughafewtimesbefore，butseemstomeI
neversawitlookingquitesopretty。\"
Lindadrovecarefully，butpresentlyDonaldutteredanexclamationassheswervedfromtheroadandstarteddownwhatappearedtobequiteasteepembankmentandheadedstraightforthestream。
\"Sittight，\"shesaidtersely。\"TheBearCatjustlovesitscave。Itknowswhereitisgoing。\"
Shebrokethroughagroupofyoungwillowsandranthecar！intoatinyplateau，walledinacirclebythesheersidesofthe！
canyonreachingupwardalmostoutofsight，toppedwithgreatjaggedoverhangingboulders。Crowdedtooneside，shestoppedthecarandsatquietly，smilingatDonaldWhiting。
\"Howaboutit？\"sheaskedinalowvoice。
Theboylookedaroundhim，carefullyexaminingthecanyonwalls，andthenatthelevel，odorousfloorwhereonecouldnotstepwithoutcrushingtinyflowersofwhite，cerise，blue，andyellow。
Bigfernsgrewalongthewalls，hereandthere\"OurLord\'sCandles\"liftedhightorchesnotyetlighted，theambitiousmountainstreamskippedandcircledandfelloveritsrockybed，whilemanycanyonwrensweresinging。
\"Doyouthink，\"shesaid，\"thatanyonedrivingalonghereatanordinaryrateofspeedwouldseethatcar？\"
\"No，\"saidDonald，gettingheridea，\"Idon\'tbelievetheywould。\"
\"Allright，then，\"saidLinda。\"ToeupevenandI\'llraceYoUtothethirdcurvewhereyouseethebigwhitesycamore。\"
Donaldhadafleetingimpressionofaflashofkhaki，agleamofred，andawaveofblackastheystarted。Heranwithallthespeedhehadeverattainedatatrackmeet。Heranwithallhismight。Heranuntilhissidesstrainedandhisbreathcameshort；butthecreaturebesidehimwasnotrunning；shewasflying；andlongbeforetheynearedthesycamoreheknewhewasbeaten，sohelaughinglycriedtohertostopit。Lindaturnedtohimpantingandlaughing。
\"ImakethatdasheverytimeIcometothecanyon，tokeepmymuscleup，butthisisthefirsttimeIhavehadanyonetoracewithinalongtime。\"
Thentogethertheyslowlywalkeddownthesmoothblackfloorbetweenthecanyonwalls。AstheycrossedasmallbridgeLindaleanedoverandlookeddown。
\"Anyoneatyourhousecareabout\'nosetwister\'？\"sheaskedlightly。
\"Why，isn\'tthatwatercress？\"askedDonald。
\"Sureitis，\"saidLinda。\"Anyoneatyourhouselikeit？\"
\"Everyoneofus，\"answeredDonald。\"We\'reallbattyaboutcresssalad——and，say，thatremindsmeofsomething！Ifyouknowsomuchaboutthiscanyonandeverythinginit，isthereanyplaceinitwhereafellowcouldfindaplant，akindofsaladlettuce，thattheIndiansusedtouse？\"
\"Mightbe，\"saidLindacarelessly。\"Forwhy？\"
\"Haven\'tyouheardofthebigsensationthatisbeingmadeinfemininecirclesbythenewdepartmentinEverybody\'sHome？\"
inquiredDonald。\"MotherandMaryLouisewerediscussingittheotherdayatlunch，andtheysaidthatsomeoftherecipesfordishestobemadefromstufftheIndiansusedsoundeddelicious。
Oneremindedthemofcress，andwhenwesawthecressIwonderedifIcouldgetthemsomeoftheother。\"
\"Might，\"saidLindadrily，\"ifyoucouldgivemeaprettygoodideaofwhatitisthatyouwant。\"
\"Whenyouknowcress，it\'squeerthatyouwouldn\'tknowotherthingsinyourownparticularcanyon，\"saidDonald。
Lindarealizedthatshehadoverdoneherdisinterestednessatrifle。
\"Isuspectit\'sminers\'lettuceyouwant，\"shesaid。\"OfcourseIknowwherethere\'ssome，butyouwillwantitasfreshaspossibleifyoutakeany，sowe\'llfinishourdayfirstandgatheritthelastthingbeforeweleave。\"
Howitstartedneitherofthemnoticed，buttheyhadnotgonefarbeforetheywereclimbingthewallsandhangingtoprecariousfootings。Hercheeksflushed，hereyesbrilliant，herlipslaughing，LindawasshowingDonaldthriftyspecimensofthatCotyledonknownas\"oldhenandchickens，\"tellinghimoftherareEcheveriaofthesamefamily，andherplungedownthecanyonsidewhiletryingtouprootit，exultingthatshehadbroughtdowntheplantwithoutariftintheexquisitebloomonitsleaves。
Lindatoldaboutherfall，andthetwomenwhohadpassedatthatinstant，andhowshehadmetthemlater，andwhotheywere，andwhattheyweredoing。ThenDonaldclimbedhighforabunchoflarkspur，andLindashowedhimhowtoturnhisbacktothecanyonwallandcomedownwiththeleastpossibledamagetohispersonandclothing。Whenatlastbothofthemweretiredtheywentbacktothecar。LindaspreadanoldIndianblanketovertheleastflower-grownspotshecouldselect，broughtoutthethermosbottlesandlunchcase，andservedtheirlunch。Withaglassoffruitpunchinonehandandalettucesandwichintheother，DonaldsmiledatLinda。
\"I\'llagreeaboutKaty。Sheknowshow，\"hesaidappreciatively。
\"Katyismorethanacook，\"saidLindaquietly。\"Sheisahumanbeing。Shehasthebiggest，kindestheart。Whenanybody\'ssickorintroubleshe\'sthegreatesthelp。Sheishonest；shehasprinciples；sheisintelligent。Inhersparetimeshereadsgoodbooksandmagazines。Sheknowswhatisgoingonintheworld。
Shecantalkintelligentlyonalmostanysubject。It\'snodisgracetobeacook。Ifitwere，Katywouldbeunspeakable。
Factis，atthepresentminutethere\'snooneinalltheworldsodeartomeasKaty。IalwaystalkIrishwithher。\"
\"Well，Icallthatroughonyoursister，\"saidDonald。
\"Maybeitis，\"concededLinda。\"Isuspectaladywouldn\'thaveisaidthat，butEileenandIaresodifferent。Sheneverhasmadetheslightestefforttoproveherselflovabletome，andsoI
haveneverlearnedtoloveher。Whichremindsme——howdidyouhappentocometothegarage？\"
\"Theverybeautifulyoungladywhoopenedthedoormistookmeforamechanic。ShetoldmeIwouldfindyouworkingonyourcarandforgoodness\'saketoseethatitwasinproperconditionbeforeyoudroveit。\"
Lindalookedathimwithwide，surprisedeyesinwhichatraceofindignationwasplainlydiscernible。
\"Nowlistentome，\"shesaiddeliberately。\"Eileenisamostsophisticatedyounglady。Ifshesawyou，sheneverinthisworld，thoughtyouwereamechanicsentfromagaragepresentingyourselfatourfrontdoor。\"
\"Theremighthavebeenasparkofmaliceinthebigblue-grayI
eyesthatcarefullyappraisedme，\"saidDonald。
\"Yourchoiceofwordsisgood，\"saidLinda，refillingthepunchglass。\"\'Appraise\'fitsEileenlikeherglove。Sheappraiseseverythingonamonetarybasis，andwhenshecan\'tfigurethatit\'sgoingtobeworthanappreciablenumberofdollarsandcentstoher——\'tothegaragewidit，\'asKatywouldsay。\"
WhentheyhadfinishedtheirlunchLindabeganpackingtheboxandDonaldsatwatchingher。
\"Atthispoint，\"saidLinda，\"Daddyalwayssmoked。Doyousmoke？\"
Therewasahintofdeepercolorintheboy\'scheeks。
\"Ididsmokeanoccasionalcigarette，\"hesaidlightly，\"uptotheday，notathousandyearsago，whenaveryemphaticyoungladywhoshouldhaveknown，insinuatedthatitwasbadforthenerves，andgoingonthepresumptionthatsheknew，Ihaven\'tsmokedacigarettesinceandI\'mnotgoingtountilIfindoutwhetherIcandobetterworkwithoutthem。\"
Lindafoldednapkinsandpackedawayaccessoriesthoughtfully。
Thenshelookedintotheboy\'seyes。
\"Nowwereachthepointofourbeingheretogether，\"shesaid。
\"It\'stimetofight，andIamsorrywedidn\'tgoatitgasandbomb？\'theminutewemet。You\'resodifferentfromwhatIthoughtyouwere。Ifanyonehadtoldmeaweekagothatyouwouldtakeoffyourcoatandmesswithmyautomobileengine，orwearKaty\'sapronandsqueezelemonsinourkitchenIwouldhavelooked！himoverforDaddy\'shighsignofhysteria，atleast。It\'stoobadtoIhavesuchagoodtimeasIhavehadthisafternoon，andthenendwithafight。\"
I\"That\'snothing，\"saidDonald。\"Youcouldn\'thavehadasgoodatimeasIhavehad。You\'relikeanotherboy。Afellowcanbejustafellowwithyou，andsomehowyoumakeeverythingyoutouchmeansomethingitnevermeantbefore。YouhavemademefeelthatIwouldbeabouttwicethemanIamifIhadspentthetimeIhavewastedinplainjazzingaround，huntingCotyledonortrap-doorspiders\'nests。\"
\"Igetyou，\"saidLinda。\"It\'sthedifferencebetweenagirlrearedinanatmosphereofgeorgetteandrouge，andonewhohasgrownupinthecanyonswiththeoaksandsycamores。Oneisnaturalandtheotherisartificial。Mostboysprefertheartificial。\"
\"IthoughtIdidmyself，\"saidDonald，\"buttodayhastaughtmethatIdon\'t。Ithink，Linda，thatyouwouldmakethefinestfriendafelloweverhad。Ifirmlyandfinallydeclinetofightwithyou；butforGod\'ssake，Linda，tellmehowIcanbeatthatlittlecocoanut-headedJap。\"
Lindaslammeddownthelidtothelunchbox。Hervoicewassmoothandevenbuttherewasbattleinhereyesandsheanswereddecisively:\"Well，youcan\'tbeathimcallinghimnames。ThereisonlyonewayonGod\'sfootstoolthatyoucanbeathim。Youcan\'tbeathimlegislatingagainsthim。Youcan\'tbeathimboycottinghim。Youcan\'tbeathimwithanytricks。Heisasslyasacatandhehasgotawholebagfulloftricksofhisown，andhehasprovedrighthereinLosAngelesthathehasgotabrainthatishardtobeat。Allyoucando，andbeamancommendabletoyourownsoul，istotakehissubjectandputyourbrainonittosuchpurposethatyoucutpigeonwingsaroundhim。
Whatareyoustudyinginyourclasses，anyway？\"
\"Trigonometry，Rhetoric，AncientHistory，Astronomy，\"answeredDonald。
\"Andisyourcoursethesameashis？\"inquiredLinda。
\"Strangelyenoughitis，\"answeredDonald。\"Wehavebeeninthesameclassesallthroughhighschool。Ithinkthelittlemonkey——
\"
\"Man，youmean，\"interposedLinda。
\"\'Man，\'\"concededDonald。\"HaswaiteduntilIselectedmycourseallthewaythrough，andthenhehasannouncedwhathewouldtake。HeprobablyfiguredthatIhadsomebodywithbrainsbackofthecourseIselected，andthatwhateverIstudiedwouldbesuitableforhim。\"
\"Ihaven\'tadoubtofit，\"saidLinda。\"Theyarequick；oh！theyarequick；andtheyknowfromtheircradleswhatitisthattheyhaveinthebacksoftheirheads。WearenotgoingtobeatthemdrivingthemtoMexicoortoCanada，orlettingthemmonopolizeChina。Thatismerelytemporizing。Thatisgivingthemfertilesoilonwhichtotakethebestoftheirownandthelevelbestofours，andbyamalgamatingthetwo，buildhigherthanweeverhave。ThereisjustonewayinallthisworldthatwecanbeatEasterncivilizationandallthatitintendstodotouseventually。Thewhitemanhasdominatedbyhiscolorsofarinthehistoryoftheworld，butitiswrittenintheBooksthatwhenthemenofcoloracquireourcultureandcombineitwiththeirownmethodsoflivingandrateofproduction，theyaregoingtobringforthgreaternumbers，betterequippedforthebattleoflife，thanweare。Whentheyhavegotourlastsecret，constructiveorscientific，theywilltakeit，andlivinginawaythatwewouldnot，reproducinginnumberswedon\'t，theywillbeatusatanygamewestart，ifwedon\'ttakewarningwhileweareintheascendancy，andkeepthere。\"
\"Well，thereissomethingtothinkabout，\"saidDonaldWhiting，staringpastLindaatthesideofthecanyonasifhehadseenthesamehandwritingonthewallthatdismayedBelshazzaratthefeastthatprecededhisdownfall。
\"Iseewhatyou\'regettingat，\"hesaid。\"Ihadthoughtthattheremightbesomewaytocircumventhim。\"
\"Thereis！\"brokeinLindahastily。\"Thereis。Youcanbeathim，butyouhavegottobeathiminanhonorablewayandinawaythatisopentohimasitistoyou。\"
\"I\'lldoanythingintheworldifyouwillonlytellmehow，\"
saidDonald。\"Maybeyouthinkitisn\'tgrindingmeandhumiliatingmeproperly。MaybeyouthinkFatherandMotherhaven\'twarnedme。MaybeyouthinkMaryLouiseisn\'tsecretlyashamedofme。HowcanIbeathim，Linda？\"
Linda\'seyeswerenarrowedtoamereline。ShewasstaringatthewallbackofDonaldasifshehopedthatHeavenwouldintercedeinherfavorandwritethereonalinethatshemighttranslatetotheboy\'sbenefit。
\"Ihavebeenwatchingprettysharply，\"shesaid。\"Takethemasarace，asaunit——ofcoursethereareexceptions，therealwaysare——butthegreatbodyofthemaremechanical。Theyareimitative。
Theyarenotdevelopinganythinggreatoftheirownintheirowncountry。Theyarespreadingallovertheworldandcarryinghomesewingmachinesandthreshingmachinesandautomobilesandcantileverbridgesandsubmarinesandaeroplanes——anythingfromeggbeaterstotelescopes。Theyarenotcreatingonesinglething。Theyarenotmissingimitatingeverythingthatthewhitemancandoanywhereelseonearth。TheyarejustliketheGermanssofarasthatisconcerned。\"
\"Igetthat，allrightenough，\"saidDonald。\"Nowgoon。Whatisyourdeduction？HowthedevilamItobeatthebest？Heisperfect，rightstraightalongineverything。\"
TheredinLinda\'scheeksdeepened。Hereyesopenedtheirwidest。Sheleanedforward，andwithherclosedfist，poundedtheblanketbeforehim。
\"Then，bygracious，\"shesaidsternly，\"youhavegottodosomethingnew。Youhavegottobeperfect，PLUS。\"
\"\'Perfect，plus？\'\"gaspedDonald。
\"Yes，sir！\"saidLindaemphatically。\"Youhavegottobeperfect，plus。Ifhecantakehislittlemechanicalbrainandworkathingouttillhehasgotitabsolutelyright，youhavegottogofurtherthanthatanddiscoversomethingpertainingtoitnothithertothoughtofandstartsomethingNEW。Itellyouyoumustuseyourbrains。Youshouldbemorethananimitator。
Youmustbeacreator！\"
Donaldstartedupanddrewadeepbreath。
\"Well，somejobIcallthat，\"hesaid。\"WhodoyouthinkIam，theAlmighty？\"
\"No，\"saidLindaquietly，\"youarenot。YouaremerelyHisson，createdinHisownimage，likeHim，accordingtotheBook，andyouhavegottoyouradvantagethebenefitofallthathasbeenlearneddowntheages。Wehavegottotakeupeachsubjectinyourcourse，andtofindsomedifferentbookstreatingthissamesubject。Wehavegottogetatitfromanewangle。Wemustdigintohigherauthorities。Wehavegottocoachyoutill，whenyoureachthehighestnotepossiblefortheparrot，youcangoaheadandembellishitwithafewmocking-birdflourishes。AllOkaSayyeknowshowtodoistolearnthelessoninhisbookperfectly，andheis100percent。Ihavetoldyouwhatyoumustdotoaddtheplus，andyoucandoitifyouaretheboyItakeyoufor。Peoplehavetalkedaboutthe\'yellowperil\'tillit\'sgottobeameaninglessphrase。Somebodymustwakeuptotherealizationthatit\'sthedeadliestperilthateverhasmenacedwhitecivilization。Whyshouldn\'tyouhaveyourhandinsuchwonderfulwork？\"
\"Linda，\"saidtheboybreathlessly，\"doyourealizethatyouhavebeensaying\'we\'？Canyouhelpme？Willyouhelpme？\"
\"No，\"saidLinda，\"Ididn\'trealizethatIhadsaid\'we。\'I
didn\'tmeantwopeople，justyouandme。Imeantallthewhiteboysandgirlsofthehighschoolandthecityandthestateandthewholeworld。Ifwearegoingtocombatthe\'yellowperil\'wemustcombineagainstit。Wehavegottocurbourappetitesandtrainourbrainsandenlargeourheartstillwearesomethingbiggerandfinerandnumericallygreaterthanthisyellowperil。
Wecan\'ttakeitandpickitupandpushitintothesea。WearenotGermansandwearenotTurks。IneverwantedanythinginallthisworldworsethanIwanttoseeyougraduateaheadofOkaSayye。AndthenIwanttoseethewhiteboysandgirlsofCanadaandofEnglandandofNorwayandSwedenandAustralia，andofthewholeworlddoingexactlywhatIamrecommendingthatyoudoinyourclassandwhatIamdoingpersonallyinmyown。IhavehadJapsinmyclasseseversinceIhavebeeninschool，butFatheralwaystoldmetostudythem，toplaythegamefairly，buttoBEATtheminsomeway，insomefairway，tobeatthematthegametheyareundertaking。\"
\"Well，thereisonethingyoudon\'ttakeintoconsideration，\"
saidDonald。\"AllofusdidnothappentobefatheredbyAlexanderStrong。Maybewehaven\'tallgotyourbrains。\"
\"Oh，posher！\"saidLinda。\"IknowofacasewherealittleIndianwaspickedupfromatribalbattlefieldinSouthAmericaandbroughttothiscountryandputintoourschools，andtherewasnothingthatanywhitepupilintheschoolcoulddothathecouldn\'t，solongasitwasimitativework。Youhavegottobeconstructive。Youhavegottoworkoutsomewaytogetaheadofthem；andifyouwilltakethehistoryofthewhiteracesandgoovertheirgreatachievementsinmechanics，science，art，literature——anythingyouchoose——whenawhitemanisconstructive，whenhedoescreate，hecansimplycutcirclesaroundthecoloredraces。Thethingistogettheboysandgirlsoftodaytounderstandwhatisgoingonintheworld，whattheymustdoastheirshareinmakingtheworldsafefortheirgrandchildren。Lifeisastruggle。Italwayshasbeen。Italwayswillbe。Thereisnobetterstudythantogointothecanyonsorthedesertsandeffaceyourselfandwatchlife。It\'sanall-dayprocessofthestrongerannihilatingtheweaker。TheoneinexorablethingintheworldisNature。Theeagledominatesthehawk；thehawk，thefalcon；thefalcon，theraven；andsoondowntotheplacewherethehummingbirddrivesthemothfromhisparticulartrumpetflower。Thebigsnakeswallowsthelittleone。Thebigbearappropriatesthedesirablecave。\"
\"Andisthatwhatyouarerecommendingpeopletodo？\"
\"No，\"saidLinda，\"itisnot。Thatiswild。Wegoastepaheadofthewild，orweourselvesbecomewild。Wehavebrains，andwithourbrainswemustdoinascientificwaywhatNaturedoeswithtoothandclaw。Inotherwords，andtobeconcrete，putthesethingsinthecarwhileIfoldtheblanket。We\'llgatherourminers\'lettuceandthenwe\'llgohomeandsearchDaddy\'slibraryandseeifthereisanythingbearinginahigherwayonanysubjectyouaretaking，sothatyoucangetfromitsomenewideas，somedifferentangle，somehigherlight，somethingthatwillendinspeedilyprefacingOkaSayye\'sperfectwithyourpluperfect！\"
CHAPTERX。KatytotheRescueLindadeliveredDonaldWhitingathisdoorwithanarmloadofbooksandabundleofminers\'lettuceandthendrovetoherhomeinLilacValley——intheeyeofthebeholderonthefloor-levelmacadamroad；inherowneyeshescarcelygrazedit。Thesmooth，easymotionofthecar，thesoftlypurringenginewerethrilling。
Thespeedatwhichshewasgoingwaslikehavingwingsonherbody。ThementalstimulusshehadexperiencedinconcentratingherbrainonDonaldWhiting\'sproblemhadstimulatedherimagination。Theradiantcolorofspring；thechilled，perfumed，goldenair；thesuresenseofhavingfoundafriend，hadruffledtheplumesofherspirit。OnthehomeroadDonaldhadplainlyindicatedthathewouldenjoyspendingthemorrowwithher，andshehadadvisedhimtotakethebooksshehadprovidedandlockhimselfinhisroomandsweatoutsomeinformationaboutMonday\'slessonswhichwouldatleastarresthisprofessor\'sattention，andleadhismindtothefactthatsomethingwasbeginningtohappen。Andthenshehadlaughinglyadded:\"TomorrowisKaty\'sturn。ItoldtheolddearIwouldtakeherassoonasIfeltthecarwassafe。Everydayshedoesmanythingsthatshehopeswillgivemepleasure。ThisisonethingIcandothatIknowwilldelighther。\"
\"NextSaturday，then？\"questionedDonald。AndLindanodded。
\"Surething。I\'llbethinkingupsomeplaceextrainteresting。
Comeinthemorningifyouwant，andwe\'lltakealunchandgofortheday。Whichdoyoulikebest，mountainsorcanyonsordesertorsea？\"
\"Ilikeitbestwhereverwhatyou\'reinterestedintakesyou，\"
saidDonaldsimply。
\"Allright，then，\"answeredLinda，\"we\'llcombinebusinessandpleasure。\"
Sotheypartedwithanothermeetingarranged。
WhenshereachedhomeshefoundKatytearfullyrejoicing，plainlyrevealinghowintenselyanxiousshehadbeen。ButwhenLindatoldherthattheoldtireshadheld，thatthecarranwonderfully，thateverythingwasperfectlysafe，thatshedroveasunconsciouslyasshebreathed，andthattomorrowKatywastogoforalongride，herjoywasincoherent。
Lindalaughed。ShepattedKatyandstarteddownthehallway，whenshecalledback:\"Whatisthispackage？\"
\"Adeliveryboyleftitspecialonlyafewminutesago。MustbesomethingMissEileenboughtandthoughtshewouldwanttomorrow，andthenafterwardshegotthisinvitationandwentonasshewas。\"
Lindastoodgazingatthebox。Itdidlooksosuspiciouslylikeadressbox。
\"Katy，\"shesaid，\"Ihavejustaboutgotanirresistibleimpulsetopeep。IwastellingEileenlastnightofadressIsawthatI
thoughtperfect。ItsuitedmebetterthananyotherdressIeverdidsee。Itwasat\'TheMode。\'Thisboxisfrom\'TheMode。\'
Couldtherebeapossibilitythatshesentitupspeciallyforme？\"
\"Ithinkshewouldputyournameonitifshemeantitforye，\"
saidKaty。
\"Onepeepwouldshowmewhetheritismydressornot，\"saidLinda，\"andpeepI\'mgoingto。\"
Shebeganuntyingthestring。
\"There\'sonething，\"saidKaty，\"MissEileen\'ssizeswouldneverfitye。\"
\"Might，\"concededLinda。\"Iamtallerthansheis，butIcouldwearherwaistsifIwantedto，andshealwaysaltersherskirtsherselftosavethefees。Glorybe！Thisismydress，andthere\'sapetticoatandstockingstomatchit。Why，theniceoldthing！Isuggestedhardenough，butinmyheartIhardlythoughtshewoulddoit。Oh，dear，nowifIonlyhadsomeshoes，andahat。\"
Lindawasstandingholdingthejacketinonehand，thestockingsintheother，herfaceflaming。Katydrewherselftofullheight。ShereachedoverandpickedthethingsfromLinda\'sfingers。
\"Ifyeknowthatisyourdress，lambie，\"shesaidauthoritatively，\"yegorightoutandgetintothatcarandruntotownandbuyyeapairofshoes。\"
\"ButIhavenocreditanywhereandIhavenomoney，yet，\"saidLinda。
\"Well，Ihave，\"saidKaty，\"andthistimeye\'regoingtostopyourstubbornnessandtakeenoughtogetyewhatyouneed。YegotothebeststoreinLosAngelesandcomebackherewithapairofshoesthatjustmatchthosestockings，andyegofast，beforethestoresclose。Ifye\'vegottospeedalittle，doitinthecountryanddoitjudacious。\"
\"Katy，you\'rearriving！\"criedLinda。\"\'Judiciousspeeding\'isonethingIlearnedbetterthananyotherlessonaboutdrivingamotorcar。ThreefourthsofthedrivingFatherandIdidwewerespeedingjudiciously。\"
KatyheldtheskirttoLinda\'swaist。
\"Well，maybeit\'salittleshorterthananyyouhavebeenwearing，butitain\'tasshortasEileenandalltherestofthegirlsyouragehavethem，sothat\'sallright，honey。Sliponyourcoat。\"
Katy\'sfingerswereshakingassheliftedthejacketandLindaslippedintoit。
\"Oh，Lord，\"shegroaned，\"yecan\'tbewearingthat！Thesleevesdon\'tcomemuchbelowyourelbows。\"
\"Youwillpleasetoobserve，\"saidLinda，\"thattheyareflowingsleevesandtheyarenotintendedtocomebelowtheelbows；butit\'sapieceofluckItriediton，foritremindsmethatit\'sajacketsuitandImusthaveablouse。Whenyougettheshoemoney，makeitenoughforablouse——twoblouses，Katy，oneforschoolandonetofussupinalittle。\"
Withoutstoppingtochangeherclothing，Lindarantothegarageandhurriedbacktothecity。Itwaslessthananhour\'srun，butshemadeitinampletimetoparkhercarandbuytheshoes。
Sheselectedapairoflowoxfordsofbeautifulcolor，matchingthestockings。Thenshehurriedtooneofthebigdrygoodsstoresandboughtthetwowaistsandaninexpensivestrawhatthatwouldharmonizewiththesuit；ahatsmallenoughtostick，inthewind，withbrimenoughtoshadehereyes。InabouttwohoursshewasbackwithKatyandtheywereinherroomtryingonthenewclothing。
\"Itdumbfoundsme，\"saidLinda，\"tohaveEileendothisforme。\"
Shehadputontheshoesandstockings，aplaingeorgetteblouseofasoft，brownishwood-gray，withabitofheavybrownsilkembroiderydecoratingthefront，andthejacket。Thedresswasofsilkychangeabletricolette，theskirtplain。Whereafoldliftedandwasstronglylighted，itwasanexquisitesilver-gray；
whereashadowfelldeeplyitwasgray-brown。Thecoatreachedhalfwaytotheknees。Ithadaripplingskirtwitharowofbrownembroideryaroundit，adeepbeltwithdoublebuttoningatthewaistline，andcollarandsleevesinamoreelaboratepatternofthesameembroideryastheskirt。Lindaperchedthehatonherhead，pulleditdownsecurely，andfacedKaty。
\"Nowthen！\"shechallenged。
\"Andit\'saperfectdress！\"saidKatyproudly，\"andyou\'rejustthecolleentowearit。My，butIwishtyourfathercouldbeseeingyethenow。\"
WithalmostreverenthandsLindaremovedtheclothingandlaiditaway。ThenshereadaletterfromMarianthatwaswaitingforher，tellingKatyscrapsofitinrunningcommentasshescannedthesheets。
\"Shelikesherboardingplace。Therearenicepeopleinit。Shehasgotawonderfulviewfromthewindowsofherroom。Sheismakingfriends。ShethinksoneofthemenatNicholsonandSnow\'sisjustfine；heishelpingherallhecan，onthecoursesheistaking。Andshewantsustolookcarefullyeverywhereforanyscrapofpaperalongthehedgeoraroundtheshrubberyonthenorthsideofthehouse。Oneofherthreesheetsofplansismissing。Idon\'tseewhereintheworlditcouldhavegone，Katy。\"
Katyspreadoutherhandsindespair。
\"TherewasnotascrapofasheetofpaperintheroomwhenI
cleanedit，\"shesaid，\"notascrap。AndifIhadseenasheetflyingaroundtheyardIwouldhavepickeditup。Shejustmustbemistakenabouthavinglostithere。Shemusthaveopenedhercaseonthetrainandlostitthere。\"
Lindashookherhead。
\"Iputthatstuffinthecasemyself，\"shesaid，\"andtheclothesontopofit，andshewouldn\'thaveanyreasonfortakingthosethingsoutonthetrain。Ican\'tunderstand，butshedidhavethreeroughsketches。Shehadherheartsetonwinningthatprizeanditwouldbeagreathelptoher，andcertainlyitwasthemostcomprehensiveandconvenientplanforahouseofthatclassthatIeverhaveseen。IfIeverhaveahouse，sheisgoingtoplanit，evenifshedoesn\'tgettoplanJohnGilman\'sashealwaysusedtosaythatsheshould。Andbytheway，Katy，isn\'titkindoffunnyforEileentogoawayoverSundaywhenit\'shisonlyholiday？\"
\"Oh，she\'lltelephonehim，\"saidKaty，\"andverylike，he\'llgodown，ormaybeheiswithher。Yeneedn\'twasteanysympathyonhim。Eileenwilltakecarethatshehashimsolongasshethinksshewantshim。\"
LateritdevelopedthatEileenhadsecuredtheinvitationbecauseshewasabletoproducethreemosteligiblemen。NotonlywasJohnGilmanwiththeparty，butPeterMorrisonandHenryAndersonwerethereaswell。Itwasinthenatureofahastilyarrangedcelebration，becausethedealforthreeacresoflandthatPeterMorrisonmostcovetedonthesmallplateau，mountainwalled，inLilacValley，wasinescrow。Hehadmadeapaymentonit。Andersonwasworkingonhisplans。Contractorshadbeenengaged，andonMondayworkwouldbegin。Thehousewastobebuiltassoonaspossible，andPeterMorrisonhadarrangedthatthegaragewastobebuiltfirst。Thishemeanttooccupyasaresidencesothathecouldbeonhandtosuperintendtheconstructionofthenewhomeandtoprotect，asfaraspossible，thenaturalbeautyandthenaturalgrowthofthelocation。
EarlySundaymorningLindaandKaty，withafulllunchboxandafullgasolinetank，slidfromthedrivewayandrolleddownthemainstreetofLilacValleytowardthedesert。
\"We\'llswitchoverandstrikeSanFernandoRoad，\"saidLinda，\"andI\'llscoutaroundSunlandabitandseeifIcanfindanythingthatwillfurnishmaterialforanothernewdish。\"
ThatdaywaswonderfulforKaty。ShetrottedafterLindaoversandydesertreaches，alongtheseashore，upmountaintrails，andthroughcanyonsconnectedbylongstretchesofmotoringthatwasmorelikeflyingthanriding。Shewastiredbuthappywhenshewenttobed。MondaymorningshewasaninterestedspectatorasLindadressedforschool。
\"Sure，andhasn\'ttheoldchrysalisopenedupandletoutthenicestlittlelady-birdmoth，Katy？\'inquiredLindaasshesmoothedhergray-goldskirts。\"Ithinkmyselfthatthisdressisatrifletoogoodforschool。WhenIgetmyallowancenextweekIthinkI\'llbuymeaclothskirtandacoupleofwashwaistsandsavethisforbetter；butitreallywasgoodofEileentotakesomuchpainsandsendittome，whenshewasbusyplanningatrip。\"
KatywatchedLindago，andshenotedthenewlightinhereyes，thenewliftofherhead，andtheproudsurenessofherstep，andshewonderedifanewdresscoulddoallthatforagirl，shescarcelybelievedthatitcould。And，too，shehadveryseriousdoubtsaboutthedress。Shekeptthinkingofitduringtheday，andwhenEileencame，inthemiddleoftheafternoon，atthefirstwordsonherlips:\"Hasmydresscome？\"Katyfeltawaveofillnesssurgethroughher。ShelookedatEileensohelplesslythatthatastutereaderofhumannatureimmediatelySuspectedsomething。
\"Isentitspecial，\"shesaid，\"becauseIdidn\'tknowatthetimethatIwasgoingtoRiversideandIwantedtoworkonit。Isn\'tithereyet？\"
ThenKatypreparedtodobattleforthechildofherheart。
\"WasthedressyeorderedsenttheoneMissLindawastellingyeabout？\"sheaskedtersely。
\"Yes，itwas，\"saidEileen。\"Lindahasgotmightygoodtaste。
Anydresssheadmiredwassuretoberight。Shesaidtherewasabeautifuldressat\'TheMode\'。Iwentandlooked，andsureenoughtherewas，aperfectbeauty。\"
\"Butshewantedthedressforherself，\"saidKaty。
\"Itwasnotasuitabledressforschool，\"saidEileen。
\"Well，itstrikesme，\"saidKaty，\"thatitwasjustthespittin\'
imageoffiftydressesI\'veseenyeweartoschool。
\"Whatdoyouknowaboutit？\"demandedEileen。
\"Iknowjustthis，\"saidKatywithdetermination。\"Ye\'vehadonenewdressinthelastfewdaysandyou\'renotneedin\'another。
TheblessedVirginonlyknowswhenMissLinda\'shadadress。Shethoughtye\'ddoneyourselfproudandsentitforher，andsheputiton，andabecomingandaproperthingitwastoo！Iadvancedherthemoneymyselfandsenthertogetsomeshoestomatchitsinceshehadhercarfixedandcouldgoinahurry。Abeautifuldressitis，andonherbackthisminuteitis！\"
Eileenwasspeechlesswithanger。Herfacewasasicklywhiteandtherougespotsonhercheeksstoodaglaringadmission\"Doyoumeantotellme——\"shegasped。
\"Notagain，\"saidthedaughterofErinfirmly，\"becauseIhavealreadytoldyewance。Linda\'sgonelikearagbagsincetheLordknowswhen。Shehadarighttothedress，andshethoughtitwashers，andshetookit。Andifyeeverwantanymorerespectorobedienceorlovefromthekiddie，yebetterneverletherknowthatyedidn\'tintenditforher，fornothingwaseverquitesofairandrightasthatsheshouldhaveit；andwhileyou\'reaboutityou\'dbettergostraighttothestoreandgetherwhatsheisneedin\'togowithit，orbetterstill，yehadbettergiveherafairshareofthemoneyofwhichthereusedtobesuchaplenty，andlethergetherthingsherself，forshe\'sthattastynobodycanbeatherwhenshe\'sgotanythingtodowith。\"
EileenturnedonKatyinagustoffury。
\"KatherineO\'Donovan，\"shesaidshrilly，\"packyourtrunkandseehowquickyoucangetoutofthishouse。Ihavestoodyourinsolenceforyears，andIwon\'tendureitaminutelonger！\"
Katyfoldedherredarmsandliftedherredchin，andasteel-bluelightflashedfromhersteel-grayeyes。
\"Humph！\"shesaid，\"I\'lldonothingofthesort。Iain\'tworkingforyeandIneverhavebeennomorethanIeverworkedforyourmother。EverylickIeverdoneinthishouseIdoneforLindaandDoctorStrongandfornobodyelse。HalfofthishouseandeverythinginitbelongstoLinda，andit\'samortalshorttimetillshe\'sofagetoclaimit。Whicheverisherhalf，thathalfI\'llbestayingin，andifyemanagesoasshe\'sgotnothingtopayme，I\'lltakecareofherwithoutpaytillthedaycomeswhenshecantakecareofme。Gotowidye，yetriflin\'，lazy，self-possessedcreature。TenyearsIhaveitchedtotellyewhatIthoughtofye，andnowyeknowit。\"
AsKaty\'srageincreased，Eileenbecameintimidated。Likeeveryextremelyselfishpersonshewasacowardinhersoul。
\"Ifyourefusetogoonmyorders，\"shesaid，\"I\'llhaveJohnGilmanissuehis。\"
ThenKatysetherlefthandonherlefthip，herlowerjawshotpasttheupper，herdoubledrightfistshookpreciousnearthetipofEileen\'sexquisitelittlenose。
\"I\'mdarin\'ye，\"sheshouted。\"I\'mjustdarin\'yetosendJohnGilmaninthesoundofmyvoice。Ifyedo，I\'lltellhimeverymeanandselfishthingye\'vedonetomepoorlambiesincethedayoftheBlackShadow。Sendhimtome？HolyMither，Iwishyewould！IfeverIgetmychanceathim，don\'tyethinkIwon\'tbetellin\'himwhathehaslost，andwhathehasgot？Andasfortakingordersfromhim，IamtakingmyordersfromthepersonI
amworkingfor，andasItoldyebefore，that\'sMissLinda。Beoffwidye，andprimpupwhileIgetmysupper，andmindyethis，，ifyetellMissLindayedidn\'tmeanthatgownforherandspoilthehappydayshehashad，Iwon\'twaitforyetosendJohnGilmantome；I\'llmarchstraighttohim。Putthatinyourcigaretteandsmokeit！ThinkI\'velostmenoseaswellasmesense？\"
ThenKatystartedatriumphalmarchtothekitchenandcooleddownbythewell-knownprocessofslammingpotsandpansforhalfanhour。SoonherIrishsenseofhumorcametoherrescue。
\"Now，don\'tIhearmyselftellingMissLindaafewdaysagotokapehertemper，andtokapecool，andtogoaisy。LookattheaiseofmewhenIgotstarted。Bygracious，wasn\'tIjustitchingtowallopher？\"
TheneveryartthatKatypossessedwasbenttotheconsummationofpreparingaparticularlydeliciousdinnerforthenight。
Lindacameinsoftlyhummingsomethingtoherselfaboutthekindofshoesthatyoumightwearifyouchose。Shehadenteredthehighschoolthatmorningwithanunusuallybrilliantcolor。Twoorthreegirls，whoneverhadnoticedherbefore，hadnoddedtoherthatmorning，andoneortwohadsaid:\"Whataprettydressyouhave！\"ShehadcaughttheflashofapprovalintheeyesofDonaldWhiting，andshehadnotedtheflourishwithwhichheraisedhishatwhenhesawheratadistance，andsheknewwhathemeantwhenheheldupabook，pastthecoversofwhichshecouldseeprotrudingathickfoldofwhitepaper。HehadforeswornwhateverpleasurehemighthavethoughtofforSunday。
Hehadpreparednotesonsomesubjectthathethoughtwouldfurtherhim。Theliftofhishead，theflourishofhishat，andthebookalltoldLindathathehadstruggledandthathefeltthestrugglehadbroughtanexhilaratingdegreeofsuccess。ThathadmadethedayparticularlybrightforLinda。Shehadgonehomewithafeelingofupliftandexultationinherheart。Assheclosedthefrontdoorshecriedupthestairway:\"Eileen，areyouthere？\"
\"Yes，\"answeredarathersulkyvoicefromabove。
Lindaascended，twostepsatabound。
\"Thankyouoverandover，oldthing！\"shecriedassheraceddownthehallway。\"Beholdme！Ineverdidhaveamorebecomingdress，andKatyloanedmemoney，tillmyincomebegins，togetshoesandalittlescuffhattogowithit。Aren\'tIspiffy？\"
Shepirouettedinthedoorway。Eileengrippedthebrushshewaswielding，tight。
\"Youhavegoodtaste，\"shesaid。\"It\'saprettydress，butYou\'realwayshowlingaboutthingsbeingsuitable。Doyoucallthatsuitableforschool？\"
\"Itcertainlyisaninnovationforme，\"saidLinda，\"buttherearedozensofdressesofthesamematerial，onlydifferentcutandcolorsinthehighschooltoday。AssoonasIgetmymoneyI\'llbuyaskirtandsomeblousessoIwon\'thavetowearthisallthetime；butIsurelydothankyouverymuch，andIsurelyhavehadalovelyday。DidyouhaveanicetimeatRiverside？\"
EileenslammeddownthebrushandturnedalmostadistortedfacetoLinda。Shehadtempertovent。Inthehour\'sreflectionprevioustoLinda\'scoming，sherealizedthatshehadreachedthelimitwithKaty。Ifsheantagonizedherbywordorlook，shewouldgotoJohnGilman，andEileendarednotriskwhatshewouldsay。
\"No，Ididnothavealovelytime，\"shesaid。\"IfurnishedthemenforthepartyandIexpectedtohaveagrandtime，butthefirstthingwedidwastorunintothatinflatedegotistcallingherselfMaryLouiseWhiting，andlikeafool，JanieBrunsonintroducedhertoPeterMorrison。IhadpairedhimwithJanieonpurposetokeepmyeyeonhim。\"
Lindatriedhardbutshecouldnotsuppressachuckle:\"Ofcourseyouwould！\"shemurmuredsoftly。
Eileenturnedherback。ThathadbeenherfirstconfidencetoLinda。Shewassoaggrievedatthatmomentthatshecouldhavetoldunansweringwallshertribulations。Itwouldhavebeenbetterifshehaddoneso。Shemighthavebeenabletoconstruesilenceassympathy。Linda\'slaughtersheknewexactlyhowtointerpret。\"Servedyouright，\"waswhatitmeant。
\"Ihadn\'ttheleastnotionyouwouldtakeaninterestinanythingconcerningme，\"shesaid。\"PeoplecantalkalltheypleaseaboutMaryLouiseWhitingbeingaperfectladybutsheisaperfectbeast。Ihavemetherrepeatedlyandshehasalwaysignoredme，andyesterdayshesingledoutforherspecialattentionthemostdesirablemaninmyparty——\"
\"\'Mostdesirable，\'\"breathedLinda。\"PoorJohn！Iseehissecondfiasco。Lavendercrystals，please！\"
Eileencaughtherlipinmortification。Shehadnotintendedtosaywhatshethought。
\"Well，youcan\'tclaim，\"shehurriedontocoverherconfusion，\"thatitwasnotanill-bred，commontrickforhertotakepossessionofamanofmyparty，andutterlyignoreme。ShehaseverythingonearththatIwant；shetreatsmelikeadog，andshecouldgivemeaglorioustimebymerelynoddingherhead。\"
\"Iamquitesureyouaremistaken，\"saidLinda。\"FromwhatI\'veheardofher，shewouldn\'tmistreatanyone。Veryprobablywhatshedoesismerelytofeelthatsheisnotacquaintedwithyou。