; so Mrs. Orville heard
the sad story of her daughter's shame from several different sources,
ere these good ladies, their hearts overflowing with the "milk of human
kindness," came to sympathize in her affliction.

She received them with her accustomed urbanity and politeness, while
they cast wondering glances toward each other; probably that they had
not found Mrs. Orville in hysterical tears. But Miss Sharpwell, nothing
daunted, and determined to sympathize, readily expressed her admiration
of Mrs. Orville's fortitude of mind, that she could support herself with
so much calmness, under so great an affliction.

"I do not know as I quite understand you, Miss Sharpwell," remarked Mrs.
Orville, in a calm tone, and fixing her clear eyes steadily on her
visitor's face. "I have experienced no severe affliction of late. I have
lost no sheep, as I had none to lose."

"La! then that was all a flyin' story about Dutton's stealing your
lamb," broke in Mrs. Sykes. "Well, I'm glad to find it so; but I wonder
where the poor critter _did_ get it?"

"I can enlighten you on that point," said Mrs. Orville; "Mrs. Milder
presented him with it for a Christmas dinner."

"_She_ did?" exclaimed Miss Sharpwell. "Why couldn't she have said
so at the sewing society, the other day, then, when we were talking
about it, and thus settled the matter in all our minds? I hate this sly,
underhanded work. But we must not forget our errand, sister Sykes."

"By no means," observed the latter. "Dear Mrs. Orville, we are come to
sympathize with you in a far greater affliction than the loss of a sheep
would prove--the loss of a daughter's fair fame."

"You grow more and more enigmatical," said Mrs. Orville, smiling; "my
daughter has lost neither her health nor fair fame, as you express it. I
received a letter from her last week. She was well, and purposes to
return home the coming summer."

"Why, goodness, is it so?" exclaimed Sykes; "we heard as how you had
awful news of Alice, and were well-nigh distracted about her."

"I heard a report to that effect," said Mrs. Orville; "but whence it
originated I cannot say. It has no foundation in truth."

"Well, what an awful wicked place this is getting to be! I declare it
makes my blood run cold to think of it," said Miss Jerusha, with a pious
horror depicted on her countenance.

"And religious prayer-meetings kept up, and a Christian sewing circle in
the place too," added Mrs. Sykes. "I declare wickedne