nist and her habit of thought had made her world an antagonistic
one.

York was curious to see how Jerry would meet her Waterloo, for that was
what this encounter would become, and he was glad that she had asked him
to go with her instead of running off alone, as she had done when she
wanted to see her estate.

Seated in the little front parlor, Jerry took her time to survey the
place before she came to her errand. It was a very humble home, with a
rag carpet, windows without draperies, but with heavy blinds; chairs
that became unsettled if one rocked in them; cheap, unframed chromos
tacked up on the walls; an old parlor organ; and a stand with a
crazy-quilt style of cover on which rested a dusty Bible. York saw a
look of pity in Jerry's eyes where three months before he felt sure
there would have been only disdain.

Very simply and frankly the girl told the purpose of her call, ending
with what might have been a command, but it was spoken in the clear,
soft voice that had always won her point in any argument.

"Whether these stories came from you or not you will be sure not to
repeat them."

Stella Bahrr bristled with anger. Whatever might have been said behind
her back, nobody except York Macpherson and Junius Brutus Ponk had ever
spoken so plainly to her face before. And they had never spoken in the
presence of a third party. And here comes a pretty, silly young thing
with a child's Sunday-school talk to her, right in York's presence, in
her own house. Jerry Swaim would pay well for her rudeness.

"I don't know as it's up to me to keep still when everybody's talkin'. I
won't promise nothin'. An' I 'ain't got nothin' to be afraid of." Mrs.
Bahrr hooked her eyes viciously into her caller.

"I'm afraid of a good many things, but I'm not so very much afraid of
people. I was a little afraid of you the first time I saw you. You
remember where that was, of course."

Jerry looked straight at Mrs. Bahrr with wide-open eyes. Something in
her face recalled Jim Swaim's face to York Macpherson, and he forgot the
girl's words as he stared at her.

"When I was a child," Jerry continued, "they used to say to me, 'The
goblins 'll git you ef you don't watch out.' Now I know it is the Teddy
Bear that gits you ef you don't watch out."

Mrs. Bahrr's lips seemed to snap together and her eyes tore their way
out of Jerry and turned to the window. Jerry stepped softly across to
her chair and, laying a hand on her shoulder, said,