rtless mother, engrossed in the pursuit of some victim of
sufficient credulity to easily fall into her snares, has spent her time,
and what money she could earn, in beautifying and displaying her
bold-looking face and unwieldy figure, totally regardless of this
unhappy being, who has never known a mother's love and care. I can
imagine the reason for her opening hostilities in this manner. Knowing
that we were perfectly familiar with every portion of her former
history, and judging by her own spiteful self that we would improve the
first opportunity to make the facts known, she thought to poison the
minds of the community, so that our story would not be believed.
However, this was all labor spent in vain. Mother and I mutually agreed,
that if the woman chose to reform, we would be the last to injure her in
the estimation of others."

"Can you prove this?" demanded Miss Pryor, gazing stolidly at the
animated speaker.

"I can, by producing the lady's own daughter, of whose very existence, I
doubt not, the pious Elder is at this moment in profound ignorance,"
said Mrs. Garnet.

"That alters the case materially, then," said Mrs. Wynn. "These facts
must be carefully investigated, and if they are true, it's very likely
our new minister will have occasion to resign before long. You don't
bear any hardness, I hope, neighbor. It's been a very tryin' task, but
somebody had to undertake it."

"Of course," was the reply. "Our object is to elicit the truth, and I am
willing to help probe this matter to the bottom."

"Now," said Betsey Pryor, when they were again upon the street, "we will
stir up some excitement, I guess. Let's go to the minister's as straight
as ever we can."

CHAPTER XVII.

Miss Pryor had never uttered a truer remark than the one at the close of
our last chapter. There _was_ an excitement in the little village,
before which the sensation created by the pretty schoolmistress, became
as nothing. The wordy war raged fiercely, and life-long enmities were
created between those who had been intimate friends, endeared to each
other by years of pleasant intercourse.

Meanwhile the offending Garnets were socially ostracized. Only little
Mrs. Swan resolutely defended them. It seemed that this determined lady
was destined to become the champion of all the persecuted of her own sex
in the tiny village.

Of course, this matter found its way before the dignitaries of the
church, over which the worthy Elder pre