"Yes, and now she's gone nobody knows where, day before yesterday.

Jacob, her father, was rough and violent with her, but only from grief,

and she forgave all that. I'm troubled sorely, for she is gentle, and

not one to fight the world alone. She must have gone to the city, the

good Lord help her!"

"He will--He is," I answered quickly, then stopped because I knew I must

not tell what I had overheard--should I say in the confessional?

"Praise God! to hear you speak such words. Sometimes a body's faith gets

out of her heart past her mind and proclaims itself before the higher

criticism gets a chance to throttle it," the invincible old warrior

exclaimed with a delighted twinkle in her young blue eyes at having

caught me with religious goods on me. "He will, He will take care of

us all, not that He doesn't expect us to put in about sixteen hours of

the day helping Him to do it for ourselves and others. That reminds me

that I seem to be growing to this chair. Luella May Spain has got a nice

place to work in the telegraph station with Mr. Pate, and if she's to

look neat she needs a few white shirt waists. I could get them in this

bundle. If I get too many things from you and Harriet this morning to

carry myself, Hampton will take me down the hill in his car when he goes

to lunch, not that I wouldn't be frightened to death to ride with him

except on the Lord's mission."

"Do you think that fact would keep Hampton from being run down by

Harriet when she cuts corners bias, as she insists on doing?" I asked,

as I started in the door to procure the toilet necessaries to Luella

May's telegraphic career, whether it devastated my supply of tennis

clothes or not. Nothing that any woman or any member of her family in

Goodloets wears or eats is secure from Mother Spurlock, and we have all

submitted to the fact with the greatest docility.

"I know it does; and three shirt waists will be enough if you add a neat

black belt," was the answer that followed me through the hall. "Bless

my life, Nickols Powers, I was glad to see you at prayer meeting last

week, even if you and William Cockrell were just caught up out at your

Club in your chess game," I heard her exclaim, to draw a laughing answer

in father's most genial rumble. Then I heard him call loudly for Dabney,

and when Sallie descended with my bundle, that contained a complete

telegraphic outfit for Luella May which showed a decided leaning to

tennis style, she met Dabney on the front threshold with a rough parcel

from which I saw a shirt sleeve and a blue serge trouser leg protrude.




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