Father! You!"

Without replying, Mr. Fox glared ferociously at the minister. His hand
trembled on the head of his walking-stick. The blood surged into his
face. Elizabeth, growing alarmed, started toward her father. But the
Elder waved her back. Mr. McGowan broke the awful silence.

"We can't help it, Mr. Fox. I'm very sorry that this has come against
your will."

"So it is true. God help me!" The Elder's words came with surprising
calm, but his tone was harsh and hard. "So it is as I was warned. It is
hard to believe that my little Beth has proven untrue to me." He was
breathing hard. Pointing his stick in the direction of the minister, he
finished with savage calm, "My little girl here alone, and with a man
like you! God help me!"

"Be careful!" ordered Mr. McGowan. His words were sharp, as with blazing
eyes he met the glare of the Elder.

"Father, you must not talk and look like that."

"Alone with him!" repeated Mr. Fox. "I saw the whole shameless
proceeding through that window, and it is needless for you to deny what
has happened."

"We are not trying to deny it, Father. I'm proud of it. We tried so hard
not to love each other, too, when we found out how set you were against
it. But we couldn't help it. We did try, didn't we, Mack?"

"You tried!" sneered her father. "I suppose this man forced you to steal
from your home under cover of night, and come to him, over paths that
were dark and out of the way, against your will. Do you expect me to
believe that?"

Elizabeth came between the men as the minister took a step toward the
Elder.

"I've done nothing to be ashamed of. I came here of my own accord, and
you have no right to spy on me through those who are willing to do such
vulgar things because you pay them. I came here to see Uncle Josiah. He
wasn't in, and Mr. McGowan was--well, he was entertaining me."

"That will do! You shall not add perjury to your sin. You knew perfectly
well that Pott was not home. You knew he was in the city. Your stories
don't hang together."

"Father, you must not talk to me like that. Uncle Josiah came home this
morning, and I made arrangements to meet him here to-night."

"And he was conveniently out, I suppose, so you might meet this fellow
here alone."

"If you refuse to listen to reason, you may think what you like. I love
that man you've been maligning!" she cried, her eyes filling with angry
tears.

"You love him? Are you brazen enough to stand there and say t