She forced them back and met the Squire with a smile that was all the

sweeter for the effort.

"Here's your chair, Squire, all ready waiting for you, and the only

thing you want to make you perfectly happy--is--guess?" She held out

his old corncob pipe, filled to perfection.

"I declare, Anna, you are just spoiling me, and some day you'll be

going off and getting married to some of these young fellows 'round

here, and where will I be then?"

"You need have no fears on that score," she said, struggling to

maintain a smile.

"Well, well, that's what girls always say, but I don't know what we'll

do without you. How long have you been with us, now?"

"Let me see," counting on her fingers: "just six months."

"So it is, my dear. Well, I hope it will be six years before you think

of leaving us. And, Anna, while we are talking, I like to say to you

that I have felt pretty mean more than once about the way I treated you

that first day you come."

"Pray, do not mention it, Squire. Your kindness since has quite made

me forget that you hesitated to take an utter stranger into your

household."

"That was it, my dear--an utter stranger--and you cannot really blame

me; here was Looizy and Kate and I was asked to take into the house

with them a young woman whom I had never set eyes on before; it seemed

to me a trifle risky, but you've proved that I was wrong, my dear, and

I'll admit it."

The girl dropped the stocking she was mending; her trembling hand

refused to support even the pretense of work. Outside the snow was

falling just as it was falling, perhaps, on the little grave where all

her youth and hope were buried.

The thought gave her courage to speak, though the pale lips struggled

pitifully to frame the words.

"Squire, suppose that when I came to you that day last June you had

been right--I am only saying this for the sake of argument, Squire--but

suppose that I had been a deceived girl, that I had come here to begin

all over again; to live down the injustice, the scandal and all the

other things that unfortunate woman have to live down, would you still

have felt the same?"

"Why, Anna, I never heard you talk like this before; of course I should

have felt the same; if a commandment is broke, it's broke; nothing can

alter that, can it?"




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