"

"How?"

Tess flushed. She could not tell Myra of the long bearded God in the
pine tree, nor of the stumbling prayers she had repeated night after
night. Myra understood that she could sing, so Tess said laconically:

"I sings for it sometimes, and that air a seekin'."

Myra grunted.

"I can't sing," and she frowned.

The babe whined in the cradle and Tessibel took him up. The glorious
voice hushed the child to sleep, Myra Longman bitterly scanning the
beautiful face. There were only two years between her and Tessibel, and
her own poor, ghastly wrinkled face looked years older. If she were only
pretty, Ben might love her. Tess had the splendid vigor of healthy
youth--Myra, the worn-out complexion of a bad digestion. Beans and bacon
had made the one beautiful--and destroyed the other.

Suddenly Myra leaned over with a new expression in her eyes.

"Tessibel, I tries to seek Ben Letts and his lovin's for me and the
brat."

Tessibel placed the small boy in the box, then she and Myra obeyed Mrs.
Longman's fretful demand that they draw up and eat.

CHAPTER XV

That evening Minister Graves came blustering in after his family were
seated at the table. What was this ridiculous thing that he had heard?
His home disgraced, his position ruined, his children ostracized. He
glanced at Teola and Frederick. His wife, fastening Babe's napkin under
the child's chin, remonstrated.

"Why, father, what's the trouble?"

"I was making a clerical call on Mrs. Robman to-day," fumed the Dominie,
"and that girl of hers, and a saucy one she is, too, burst into the
room, and, mother, what tale do you think she told--before us?"

Frederick glanced at his sister, but Teola's eyes were upon her empty
plate. Mrs. Graves shook her head.

"That that Skinner girl came here last night and in all her rags and
filth drank coffee from our daughter's cup! Madame, did you ever imagine
that such a disgrace could fall upon you?"

Mrs. Graves looked helplessly from her husband's distorted face to her
son and daughter.

"She came into your home," went on the minister, "and was asked to take
refreshments from your cups. Mrs. Robman said that she disliked to think
that such degraded guests were allowed in your home.... Do you
understand what that means, Mrs. Graves?"

"Let Frederick explain, father," pleaded the trembling wife; "he was
going to speak and you stopped him. What and how did it happen?"

"The girl came to the Rectory to