back to man again after long transmigration, or goes to a Happy Hunting Ground as our Indians, makes no difference with the fact that he enters this world with belief in after life of some kind.  We see material evidence in increase that man is not defeated in his desire to reproduce himself; we have advanced to something better than tom-toms and pow-wows for music and dance; these desires are fulfilled before us, now tell me why the very strongest of all, the most deeply rooted, the belief in after life, should come to nothing.  Why should the others be real, and that a dream?”

“I don’t think it is,” said Robert.

“It’s my biggest self-evident fact,” said Kate, conclusively.  “I never heard any one else say these things, but I think them, and they are provable.  I always believed there was something; but since I saw Mother go, I know there is.  She stood in full evening light, I looked straight in her face, and Robert, you know I’m no creature of fancies and delusions, I tell you I saw her soul pass.  I saw the life go from her and go on, and on.  I saw her body stand erect, long enough for me to reach her, and pick her up, after its passing.  That I know.”

“I shouldn’t think of questioning it, Kate,” said Robert.  “But don’t you think you are rather limiting man, when you narrow him to four primal instincts?”

“Oh, I don’t know,” said Kate.  “Air to breathe and food to sustain are presupposed.  Man learns to fight in self-defense, and to acquire what he covets.  He learns to covet by seeing stronger men, in better locations, surpass his achievements, so if he is strong enough he goes and robs them by force.  He learns the desire for the chase in food hunting; I think four are plenty to start with.”

“Probably you are right,” said the doctor, rising.  “I must go now.  Shall I take you home?”

Kate glanced at the sun and shook her head.  “I can stay half an hour longer.  I don’t mind the walk.  I need exercise to keep me in condition.  Good-bye!”

As he started his car he glanced back.  She was leaning over the flowers absorbed in their beauty.  Kate sat looking straight before her until time to help with the evening work, and prepare supper, then she arose.  She stood looking down a long time; finally she picked up a fine specimen of each of the roses and slowly dropped them on her father’s grave.

“There!  You may have that many,” she said.  “You look a little too lonely, lying here beside the others with not a single one, but if you could speak, I wonder whether you would say, ’Thank you!’ or ‘Take the damn weeds off me!’”

BLUE RIBBON CORN