d Miss Beryl and tell Mars Lennox: 'If you help to
hang my friend's child, you shan't marry my daughter!' Your ma had
pluck enuff to stop him. Mark what I say; that poor child is innercent,
and the Lord will clear up everything some day, and then He will
require the blood of them that condemned the innercent. Suppos'n
appearances are agin her? Wasn't appearances all agin Joseph's bruthren
when the money and the silver cup was found in their bags, and them
afleein home? And if the 'Gyptian lie-yers could have got their claws
on that case, don't you know they would have proved them innercent boys
guilty, and a hung em? Oh, I am afeerd of Mars Lennox, for he favors
his pa mightily; he has got the keenest scent of all the pack; and he
went up yonder, and 'cused, and 'bused, and browbeat and aggervated and
tormented that poor, helpless young creetur,'till she fell down in a
dead faint on the jail floor; and sence then, the Doctor says her mind
is done clean gone. Don't get mad with me, Miss Leo; I am bound to
clare my conscience, and now I have done all I could, I am gwine to
leave my poor young mistiss' child in God's hands, and in yourn, Miss
Leo; and when I come back, you must gim'me an account of your
stewudship. You are enuff like Miss Marcia, not to shirk your duty; and
as you do, by that pussecuted child, I pray the Lord to do by you."

She seized Leo's hand, kissed it, and left the room.

For some moments Leo sat, with one finger between the creamy leaves of
her favorite book, but the charm was broken; her thoughts wandered far
from the stories of Apuleius, and the oration of Aurelius, and after
mature deliberation, she put aside the volume and rang the library bell.

"Justine, is Mrs. Graham here?"

"She is coming now; I see the carriage at the gate."

"Do not invite her into Aunt Patty's room, until I have seen her. Tell
Andrew to harness Gypsy, and bring my phaeton to the door; and Justine,
carry my felt hat, driving gloves and fur jacket to Aunt Patty's room."

Confined to her bed by a severe attack of her chronic foe, inflammatory
rheumatism, Miss Dent had sent for her dearest friend and faithful
colleague in church work, Mrs. Graham, who came to spend a day and
night, and discuss the affairs of the parish.

"Aunt Patty, Mrs. Graham is in the parlor, and as I am well aware you
can both cheerfully dispense with my society for the present, I am
going into town. Dyce Darrington has been here, and I have promi