e been cryin' about something, too. I want to know what
'tis."

"Nothing. I wish you wouldn't, mother."

"Did you see William Berry over to the store?"

"I told you I did once."

"Well, you needn't bite my head off. Did he say anything to you?"

"He weighed out the sugar. I know one thing: I'll never set my foot
inside that store again as long as I live!"

"I'd like to know what you mean, Rebecca Thayer."

"I ain't going to have folks think I'm running after William Berry."

"I'd like to know who thinks you are. If it's Hannah Berry, she
needn't talk, after the way her daughter has chased over here. Mebbe
it's all you Rose Berry has been to see, but I've had my doubts. What
did Hannah Berry say to you?"

"She didn't say anything. I haven't seen her."

"What was it, then?"

But Rebecca would not tell her mother what the trouble had been; she
could not bring herself to reveal how William had been urged to walk
home with her and how coldly he had refused, and finally Deborah, in
spite of baffled interest, turned upon her. "Well, I hope you didn't
do anything unbecoming," said she.

"Mother, you know better."

"Well, I hope you didn't."

"Mother, I won't stand being talked to so!"

"I rather think I shall talk to you all I think I ought to for your
own good," said Deborah, with fierce persistency. "I ain't goin' to
have any daughter of mine doin' anything bold and forward, if I know
it."

Rebecca was weeping quite openly now. "Mother, you know you sent me
down to the store yourself; there wasn't anybody else to go," she
sobbed out.

"Your goin' to the store wa'n't anything. I guess you can go to the
store to trade off some eggs for sugar when I'm makin' cake without
William Berry thinkin' you're runnin' after him, or Hannah Berry
thinkin' so either. But there wa'n't any need of your makin' any
special talk with him, or lookin' as if you was tickled to death to
see him."

"I didn't. I wouldn't go across the room to see William Berry. You
haven't any right to say such things to me, mother."

"I guess I've got a right to talk to my own daughter. I should think
things had come to a pretty pass if I can't speak when I see you
doin' out of the way. I know one thing, you won't go to that store
again. I'll go myself next time. Have you got that butter an' sugar
mixed up?"

"I hope you will go, I'm sure. I don't want to," returned Rebecca.
She had stopped crying, but her face was burning; she hit the spoo