Marthy loved few things as she did an interested audience. It was her

meat and drink.

"Well, she didn't call herself Moore in Belden, though that was her

mother's name--she called herself Lennox," Marthy grinned. "She was

one of those married ladies who forgot their wedding rings."

The Squire knit his brows and his jaws came together with a snap; there

were tears in Mrs. Bartlett's eyes. The gossip looked from one to the

other to see the impression her words were making.

It spurred her on to new efforts. She positively rolled the words

about in delight before she could utter them.

"Well, the girl's mother, who had been looking worried out of her skin,

took sick and died all of a sudden, and the girl took sick herself very

soon afterwards--and what do you think? A girl baby was born to Mrs.

Lennox, but her husband never came near her. Fortunately, the baby did

not live to embarrass her. It died, and she packed up and left Belden.

That's when she came here.

"And now," continued the village inquisitor, summing up her terrible

evidence, "what are we to think of a girl called Miss Moore in one town

and Mrs. Lennox in the other, with no sign of a wedding ring and no

sign of a husband? And what are we going to think of that baby? It

seems to me scandalous." And she leaned back in her chair and rocked

furiously.

The Squire brought his hand down or the table with terrible force, his

pleasant face, was distorted with rage and indignation.

"Just what I always said would come of taking in strange creatures that

we knew nothing about. Do you think that I will have a creature like

that in my house with my wife and my niece, polluting them with her

very presence?--out she goes this minute!"

He strode over to the door through which Anna had passed a few moments

before, he flung it open and was about to call when he felt his wife

cling frantically to his arm.

"Father, don't do anything in anger that you'll repent of later. How

do you know this is true? Look how well the girl has acted since she

has been here"--and in a lower voice, "you know that Marthy's given to

talking."

The hand on the knob relaxed, a kindly light replaced the anger in his

eyes.

"You are right, Looizy, what we've heard is only hearsay, I'll not say

a word to the girl till I know; but to-morrow I am going to Belden and

find out the whole story from beginning to end."




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