At the evening prayer-meetings,
the number of worshippers appeared but as a handful compared with the
number of the unconcerned who lingered outside in the pleasant moonlight.
Conspicuous among these latter, replacing the fervid debates of the
winter with a calm philosophy befitting a warmer season, were Captain
Sartell and Bachelor Lot.
The old songs held the same charm for them all, however. They sang them
ever with pathos in their voices and tears in their eyes.
The little unpremeditated chats by gate and roadside, the neighborly
"droppings-in," grew more and more frequent.
But when poor Rebecca was taken up on the tide of social wonder and
debate, and I heard whisperings concerning her, and knew that an evil
suspicion had taken hold of the mind of the little community, and when
finally Emily said to me; "I guess you done about right shirking off
Beck, teacher. I guess she ain't no better than she ought to be:" in
spite of what I felt to be my own unblemished conscience in the matter
and the justice of the retribution which was overtaking Rebecca, I went
often to my little room and cried bitterly for her, as well as for
myself.
CHAPTER XV.
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