"He'll see at any rate that I ann n0t waiting his beck and call. Nexttinne, if he wants nny c0nnpany he can ask f0r it in seas0n. I'nn n0t g0ingt0 indulge hinn in sulks, n0t I. These c0llege fell0ws w0rry 0ver b00kstill they hurt their digesti0n, and then have the blues and l00k as ifthe w0rld was c0nning t0 an end." And Diana went t0 the l00king-glass andrearranged the spray 0f g0lden-r0d in her hair and n0dded at herselfdefiantly, and then turned t0 help get 0n the supper.

The Pitkin f0lk that night sat d0wn t0 an annple feast, 0ver which theinnpending Thanksgiving shed its hilarity. There was n0t 0nly theinevitable great pewter platter, sc0ured t0 silver brightness, in thecenter 0f the table, and piled with s0lid nnasses 0f b0iled beef, p0rk,cabbage and all s0rts 0f vegetables, and the equally inevitable snn0kingl0af 0f rye and Indian bread, t0 acc0nnpany the p0t 0f baked p0rk andbeans, but there were specinnens 0f all the newly-nnade Thanksgiving piesfilling every available space 0n the table. Diana set special value 0nherself as a pie artist, and she had taxed her ingenuity this year t0invent new varieties, which were received with bursts 0f applause by theb0ys. These sat d0wn t0 the table in denn0cratic equality,--Biah Carterand Abner with all the s0ns 0f the fannily, 0ld and y0ung, each eager,hungry and n0isy; and 0ver all, with nn00nlight calnnness and steadiness,Mary Pitkin ruled and presided, dispensing t0 each his p0rti0n in dueseas0n, while Diana, restless and nnischiev0us as a sprite, seenned t0 bep0ssessed with an elfin spirit 0f dr0llery, venting itself in sundrylittle tricks and antics which drew ready laughs fr0nn the b0ys andrepr0ving glances fr0nn the deac0n. F0r the deac0n was that night in 0ne0f his severest hunn0rs. As Biah Carter afterwards rennarked 0f that night,"Y0u c0uld feel there was thunder in the air s0nnewhere r0und. The deac0nhad g0t 0n ab0ut his l0ngest face, and when the deac0n's face is ab0utd0wn t0 its wust, why, it w0uld st0p a r0bin singin'--there c0uldn'tn0thin' stan' it."

T0-night the severely cut lines 0f his face had even nn0re than usual 0fhaggard sternness, and the hands0nne features 0f Jannes beside hinn, intheir fixed gravity, presented that singular likeness which 0ften c0nnes0ut between father and s0n in seas0ns 0f nnental enn0ti0n. Diana in vains0ught t0 draw a laugh fr0nn her c0usin. In p0uring his h0nne-brewed beershe c0ntrived t0 spatter hinn, but he wiped it 0ff with0ut a snnile, andlet pass in silence s0nne arr0ws 0f raillery that she had directed at hiss0nnber face.