e in from the kitchen. She had overheard
the conversation. Mrs. Dawson eyed her critically and slowly from head
to foot.

"This lady wants to stop with us," said Mrs. Floyd; "show her to the
little room upstairs."

Harriet took the carpet-bag. "Do you want to go up now?"

"I reckon I mought as well."

Harriet preceded her to a little room at the head of the stairs. The
girl was drawing up the window-shade to let light into the room when
the old woman spoke. "You are the gal that nussed John Westerfelt
through his spell, I reckon," she said.

Harriet turned to her in surprise. "Yes, he was with us," she replied.
"Do you know him?"

"A sight better 'n you do, I'm a-thinkin'," Mrs. Dawson seated herself,
took off her bonnet, and began nervously folding it on her knee. "But
not better 'n you _will_, ef you don't mind what yo're about."

Harriet flushed in mingled embarrassment and anger. Without replying,
she started to leave the room, but Mrs. Dawson caught the skirt of her
dress and detained her.

"You don't know who I am. I had a daughter--"

"I know all about it." Harriet jerked her skirt from the old woman's
hand and looked angrily into her face. "She drowned herself because he
didn't love her. I do know who you are; you are a devil disguised as a
woman! He may have caused your daughter's death, but he did not do it
intentionally, but you--you would murder him in cold blood if you
could. You have come all the way over here to drive him to
desperation. You--you are a bad woman. I mean it!"

For a moment Mrs. Dawson was thrown entirely off her guard by the
unexpected attack. She rose and stretched out a quivering hand for her
carpet-bag, which she had put on the bed. She shifted it excitedly
from one hand to the other, and looked towards the door.

"Yo're jest one more uv his fool victims, I kin see that," she gasped.
"He's the deepest, blackest scoundrel on the face of the earth!"

Harriet's eyes flashed. "He's the best man I ever saw, and has had
more to put up with. You've come over here to persecute him; but you
sha'n't stay in this house. Get right out; we don't want you!"

"Why, Harriet, what on _earth_ do you mean?" exclaimed Mrs. Floyd,
suddenly entering the room.

Harriet pointed at Mrs. Dawson. "This woman has come over here to
worry the life out of Mr. Westerfelt because he didn't marry her
daughter. She wrote threatening letters to him while he was at death's
door, and