But Cassi held
her and was kissing her cheek, and the other boys pressed forward for a
welcome. Forced thus to remain she received her brothers, as joyously as
her chilling heart would permit, gazing inquiringly the while at Parson
Lawrence, whom she had recognized. At last, released from her brothers'
embraces, she entered the house and went to the cradle, giving Gill an
appealing look for an explanation of it all as she passed him. He
stepped forward to speak to her, but Peter McAnay interrupted again.

"Lizzi, we'll have a great weddin' ter-night."

She had dropped on her knees by the cradle to soothe the infant,
petulant at being neglected. Without rising, she looked over her
shoulder at Gill, who went nearer to her and said:

"Lizzi, your father and brothers think we had better be married by a
preacher; then no one would question our relations."

Slowly she rose to her full height, the baby held to her bosom, and her
look defiant, uncompromising.

"No," she said, "married once to the same man is enough. If the first
time isn't right, the second can't make it so. No, I won't throw doubt
on my boy." Then she paused and kissed the child. "No"--something choked
her, but she gulped and continued bravely--"I won't marry you again,
John, for it would cast doubt on the boy."

There was a pathetic tenderness in her voice. Not yet had she given up
her husband.

"You were all right," exclaimed the impetuous Levi, "but your marriage
was not legal."

Gill turned to him in silent appeal. Lizzi listened with her lips apart,
gazing in mute inquiry from one to the other of the men before her.
Deliberately she tore open her dress and got the marriage-certificate
once so precious in her eyes. Holding it before them with a shaking
hand, she said:

"This is all I've got to keep my name clean and give my boy a right to
his father's name. Why isn't it legal?"

There was a wail in her unsteady voice that cut her hearers to the
heart.

"Because Squire Harker married you before he was commissioned, when he
had no right to issue writs or marry people."

Levi spoke in a lawyer-like way, and the terrible meaning of each word
was plain to her.

"John, did you know it?"

Her effort to be calm was great. Her voice indicated the measure of her
success, as in even cold tones she asked for the truth.

He hesitated.

The certificate fluttered to the floor.

As she turned her back upon them all, Blind Benner, led by Hunch, came