Page:Caroline Lockhart--The full of the Moon.djvu/20

 married the sempstress," Nan reminded her coldly, rattling the family skeleton.

"She turned out—respectably," defended Mrs. Galbraith, taken somewhat aback.

"So will my adventure."

Mrs. Galbraith raised tearful eyes to her husband.

"Where does she get it? Certainly not from my side of the house, Eustace."

Mr. Galbraith looked guilty.

"Father ran away to Alaska and ate dog," reminded Nan.

"Wolf," corrected Mr. Galbraith hastily.

"Wolf, then, and made stews from his leather shoe-laces."

Mr. Galbraith checked a grin and said reprovingly:

"But you must remember, Nan, you are a girl—it's very different—there are some conventions you must observe."

"Conventions—conventions!" Nan cried impatiently. "I've heard nothing else all my life. I can't do anything I want to or know the people I want to or be what I want to because I'm Nan Galbraith and must