e more 'fore long.
That was a grand sermon ye gave us last Sunday, Mr. Telford. Reckon it
went home to some folks, judgin' from all I've heard. It was needed
and that's a fact. 'Live peaceably with all men'--that's what I lay
out to do. There ain't a house in the district but what I can drop
into and welcome. 'Tain't everybody in Rykman's Corner can say the
same."

Galletly squinted out of the corner of his eye to see if the minister
would open on the trail of this hint. Telford's passive face was
discouraging but Galletly was not to be baffled.

"I s'pose ye haven't heard about the row down at Palmers' last night?"

"No."

The monosyllable was curt. Telford was vainly seeking to nip
Galletly's gossip in the bud. The name of Palmer conveyed no especial
meaning to his ear. He knew where the Palmer homestead was, and that
the plaintive-faced, fair-haired woman, whose name was Mrs. Fuller and
who came to church occasionally, lived there. His knowledge went no
further. He had called three times and found nobody at home--at least,
to all appearances. Now he was fated to have the whole budget of some
vulgar quarrel forced on him by Galletly.

"No? Everyone's talkin' of it. The long and short of it is that Min
Palmer has had a regular up-and-down row with Rose Fuller and turned
her and her little gal out of doors. I believe the two women had an
awful time. Min's a Tartar when her temper's up--and that's pretty
often. Nobody knows how Rose managed to put up with her so long. But
she has had to go at last. Goodness knows what the poor critter'll do.
She hasn't a cent nor a relation--she was just an orphan girl that
Palmer brought up. She is at Rawlingses now. Maybe when Min cools off,
she'll let her go back but it's doubtful. Min hates her like p'isen."

To Telford this was all very unintelligible. But he understood that
Mrs. Fuller was in trouble of some kind and that it was his duty to
help her if possible, although he had an odd and unaccountable
aversion to the woman, for which he had often reproached himself.

"Who is this woman you call Min Palmer?" he said coldly. "What are the
family circumstances? I ought to know, perhaps, if I am to be of any
service--but I have no wish to hear idle gossip."

His concluding sentence was quite unheeded by Galletly.

"Min Palmer's the worst woman in Rykman's Corner--or out of it. She
always was an odd one. I mind her when she was a girl--a saucy,
black-eyed baggage she was! Ha