She looked at her mother with angry shame.

"I don't believe a word of it," said she; "not a word of it." "I walked home from meetin' with Mrs.Allen this evenin'," said her mother, "an' she says it's all over town.

She says Rebecca's been stealin' out, an' goin' to walk with him unbeknownst to her mother all summer.

You know her mother wouldn't let him come to the house." "I don't believe one word of it," repeated Charlotte.
"Mis' Allen says it's so," said Sarah.

"She says Mis' Thayer has had to stay home from evenin' meetin' on account of Ephraim--she don't like to leave him alone, he ain't been quite so well lately--an' Rebecca has made believe go to meetin' when she's been off with William.