her. A shudder passed over her. He mistook her manner for fear, and
was convinced she had deceived him. Taking one step forward, he lifted
his hand to strike her and huskily exclaimed:

"You hussy!"

A spasm passed over her face, then she calmly awaited the blow. The look
in her eyes checked it. When his hand fell to his side, she spoke:

"I forgive you, father, for the dead mother's sake."

Her tones were deep and tender, and he bowed before the majesty of
unsullied womanhood. He knew without further assurance that she was
pure.

"Call the boys," she said in quiet command. He obeyed her, and her
brothers promptly responded. For a moment she gazed upon them tenderly
as they stood mutely expectant behind their father; and then, with one
of her royal gestures, put her hand to her neck and tore open her dress,
exposing her bosom.

"My heart's white as that," she said, tapping with her finger-tips the
fair skin, "and there's the proof of it."

She handed her marriage-certificate to her father with manner as stately
as if it were the title to a throne. His hands trembled so he could not
grasp it, and it fell to the floor. Levi picked it up.

"Read it to us, Lizzi," he requested.

"No, I want you to see it and read it for yourselves."

Then he read it aloud. They were overjoyed at this confirmation of their
faith in her. Peter fell on his daughter's neck and begged her
forgiveness. With a kiss she sealed it, already granted.

When she could control her voice she said: "John's mother was opposed to
our marriage, and threatened to cut him out of her property. John is
dead, or he would have come back to me."

Lizzi had schooled herself, and was able to utter that sentence as she
would have told a bit of ordinary news.

"So I never told you, and let mother die without knowin' I wasn't bad,
because I don't want John's mother to know he left a wife, for she would
cut me off without anything, and after a while I might want to claim her
property for John's child."

"Oh!" said Cassi, a vision of wealth gleaming before him.

"Oh!" echoed Matthi, glad of Lizzi's prospects.

"Ah!" ejaculated Levi, seeing ahead a sensational lawsuit that would
likely come on by the time he was admitted to practice and make him
famous.

But the father said:

"I hope Gill's money will come ter yer, Lizzi; but I'm gladder of thet
writin' than if yer had the wealth of Nebuchadnezzar. I'd a great deal
rather see you eatin' grass and know