le figure as she approached the house. But
to her surprise, her coming had evidently been anticipated by them,
and they were actually--and unexpectedly--awaiting her behind the low
whitewashed garden palings! As she neared them they burst into a
shrill, discordant laugh, so full of irony, gratified malice, and mean
exaltation that Cissy was for a moment startled. But only for a moment;
she had her father's reckless audacity, and bore them down with a
display of such pink cheeks and flashing eyes that their laughter was
checked, and they remained open-mouthed as she swept by them.

Perhaps this incident prevented her from noticing another but more
passive one. A group of men standing before the new mill--the same
men who had so solicitously challenged her attention with their bows a
couple of hours ago--turned as she approached and suddenly dispersed. It
was not until this was repeated by another group that its oddity forced
itself upon her still angry consciousness. Then the street seemed to
be full of those excited preoccupied groups who melted away as she
advanced. Only one man met her curious eyes,--the engineer,--yet she
missed the usual critical smile with which he was wont to greet her,
and he gave her a bow of such profound respect and gravity that for the
first time she felt really uneasy. Was there something wrong with her
hat? That dreadful, fateful hat! Was it too conspicuous? Did he think
it was vulgar? She was eager to cross the street on the next block where
there were large plate-glass windows which she and Piney--if Piney were
only with her now!--had often used as mirrors.

But there was a great crowd on the next block, congregated around the
bank,--her father's bank! A vague terror, she knew not what, now began
to creep over her. She would have turned into a side street, but mingled
with her fear was a resolution not to show it,--not to even THINK of
it,--to combat it as she had combated the horrid laugh of the Secamp
girls, and she kept her way with a beating heart but erect head, without
looking across the street.

There was another crowd before the newspaper office--also on the other
side--and a bulletin board, but she would not try to read it. Only one
idea was in her mind,--to reach home before any one should speak to her;
for the last intelligible sound that had reached her was the laugh of
the Secamp girls, and this was still ringing in her ears, seeming to
voice the hidden strangeness of all s