"Are those your ideas, Mr. Abercrombie, as to the sort of knowledge of natural history which should be conveyed to young children?" "Yes, I'd like to know, myself," added Mr. Dobson. Not a laugh, not a comment, not a sound came from the corner where sat Miss Frances Dobson. She was strictly an aside. Abercrombie pondered through swift seconds. He was in what, in his own mind--so much are we addicted to the pernicious habit of thinking in the vernacular--'in a hole'. But, the man at bay has frequently proved a hero in a plain North American way. Abercrombie arose to the occasion! "It may be," he said, "that in the telling to Erastus of these simple tales, I have not followed precisely the practices of those generally engaged in the teaching of youth. It may be that I have not instructed him in the manner in which I might have done had I allowed a few years to lapse and my beard to grow longer and had shaved my upper lip. It may be that in the tales I have told Erastus there are certain discrepancies, synchronisms, and anachronisms. My pictures may have possessed a shade too much of the impressionist character. But what of it? What I wanted to do was to give Erastus a general idea of Black Forests, Witches, and Boa Constrictors." Silence reigned again, and reigned very thoroughly for some time. Then up rose the modern young woman. No one in the room could see any one else, but all could hear. What the parents heard was the sound of light footsteps along the porch and then, after a pause; "You're a ridiculous gentleman,--Don't pull me so!" What they heard also was a thoughtful and generally commendatory remark from Erastus: "Say, old man, you're all right. You're the stuff!" They heard no more at the time. The next morning was a fine morning--there have been lots of them--and, as breakfast was about ending, there took place a conversation between her parents and Miss Dobson--a conversation inaugurated by them but ended, decidedly, by her. Given a young woman, the only one in the family and possessed of character, she can usually make her parents "know their place," though doing all this, of course, with kindness and consideration. Miss Dobson and Abercrombie are formally engaged. The fortunate but alarmed young man had not realized what would happen when the reinforcements came up. CHAPTER XXIII EVAN CUMMINGS' COURTSHIP