he finger of scorn will be pointed at you. Your name will
become a byword and a hissing. Respecterble women, respecterbly
connected, will stand aloof and shudder."

The torrent of words was unchecked except when the wheels struck a
stone, jolting her so severely that her jaws came together with a click
as if she were snapping at him.

He made no reply whatever, but longed to get his hands upon Lemuel
Weeks. Pushing his horses to a high rate of speed, he soon reached that
interested neighbor's door, intercepting him just as he was starting to
town.

He looked very sour as he saw his wife's relatives, and demanded
harshly, "What does this mean?"

"It means," cried Mrs. Mumpson in her high, cackling tones, "that he's
said things and done things too awful to speak of; that he's broken his
agreement and turned us out of doors."

"Jim Holcroft," said Mr. Weeks, blustering up to the wagon, "you can't
carry on with this high hand. Take these people back to your house
where they belong, or you'll be sorry."

Holcroft sprang out, whirled Mr. Weeks out of his way, took out the
trunk, then with equal expedition and no more ceremony lifted down Mrs.
Mumpson and Jane.

"Do you know what you're about?" shouted Mr. Weeks in a rage. "I'll
have the law on you this very day."

Holcroft maintained his ominous silence as he hitched his horses
securely. Then he strode toward Weeks, who backed away from him. "Oh,
don't be afraid, you sneaking, cowardly fox!" said the farmer bitterly.
"If I gave you your desserts, I'd take my horsewhip to you. You're
going to law me, are you? Well, begin today, and I'll be ready for you.
I won't demean myself by answering that woman, but I'm ready for you in
any way you've a mind to come. I'll put you and your wife on the
witness stand. I'll summon Cousin Abram, as you call him, and his
wife, and compel you all under oath to give Mrs. Mumpson a few
testimonials. I'll prove the trick you played on me and the lies you
told. I'll prove that this woman, in my absence, invaded my room, and
with keys of her own opened my dead wife's bureau and pulled out her
things. I'll prove that she hasn't earned her salt and can't, and may
prove something more. Now, if you want to go to law, begin. Nothing
would please me better than to show up you and your tribe. I've
offered to pay this woman her three months' wages in full, and so have
kept my agreement. She has not kept hers, for she's only sat in a
roc