ast of March, Mrs. Peters confided the whole story to
her surprised and sympathizing husband.

"I never heard anything to ekal it!" he declared, indignantly; adding:
"I wish sumpin' could be done to git that poor young wife her rights,
and I'm willin' to spend time and money helpin' ef I only knew which end
to begin at! Them wimmen at Ellsworth ought to be tarred and feathered
and rid on a fence rail, I swow! But likely they'll make it hot for any
one as tries to bring home their sins to 'em."

The next day he rode over to the station at sunset on his old gray mare
Stonewall, for some groceries from the store, and the supper things
being cleared away, mammy took her black pipe and sat down by the
roadside to smoke, just outside the front gate.

By and by, through the cloud of smoke and the purple haze of twilight,
she saw him returning with his bundles, and, sitting behind him on old
Stonewall's back was a woman, whom he presently lifted down, exclaiming,
cheerfully:

"Git up, mammy. Come out to the gate, Sairy Ann! I've brought you gran'
company from the train, and you must spread a feast and rejoice! Come
in, and welcome, Mrs. Ellsworth!"

"Oh, mammy! I've come back to you to die!" sobbed Dainty, falling
wearily on the old woman's ample breast.

CHAPTER XXXVI.

"ONLY TO SEE YOU, MY DARLING."

Oh, what a welcome Dainty received from the true hearts in that humble
home!

They treated her like a queen, but so warm was their devotion, and so
eager their interest, they soon drew from her lips all that had happened
to her in Richmond.

The women's tears fell copiously, and even Hiram Peters could not help
drawing the backs of his horny hands now and then across his kind, moist
eyes, while he groaned:

"I swow you had troubles fit to kill you!"

"At the last I could bear my shame and misery no longer. I made up my
mind to come back to West Virginia, and try to find some evidence of my
marriage, that my child should not be born under a cloud of shame," said
Dainty, sorrowfully.

"Poor lamb!" groaned mammy; and the others sighed in concert, for when
they had heard all she could tell about her marriage, Mr. Peters was
fain to confess that her prospects looked very dark.

"You see, Mrs. Ellsworth, madame," he said, proudly giving her her true
name, bringing a flash of pleasure to her eyes, "that old man, the
county clerk that must have issued the license, died soon after, and
likewise the preacher of t