“Well, no, though I don’t want to set in no jedgment on nobody; but I don’t see as how as he kin be good and wear all of them costly apparels that’s so forbid in the Bible, to say nothing of the Dis_cip_line.  The Bible says you must know a tree by its fruits, and I ’low his’n is mostly watch-seals.  I think a good sound conversion at the mourners’ bench would make him strip off some of them things, and put them into the missionary collection.  Though maybe he a’n’t so bad arter all, fer Jonas says that liker’n not the things a’n’t gold, but pewter washed over.  But I’m afeard he’s wor’ly-minded.  But I don’t want to be too hard on a feller-creatur’.”

[Illustration:  CYNTHY ANN HAD OFTEN SAID IN CLASS-MEETING THAT TEMPTATIONS ABOUNDED ON EVERY HAND.]

“Cynthy, I drempt just now I was a fly and he was a spider, and that he had me all wrapped up in his web, and that just then you came along with a broom.”

“That must be a sign,” said Cynthy Ann.  “It’s good you didn’t dream after daylight.  Then ’twould a come true.  But what about him? I thought you loved Gus Wehle, and though I’m afeard you’re makin’ a idol out o’ him, and though I’m afeard he’s a onbeliever, and I don’t noways like marryin’ with onbelievers, yet I did want to help you, and I brought a note from him wunst and put it under the head of your bed.  I was afeard then I was doin’ what Timothy forbids, when he says not to be pertakers in other folks’s sins, but, you see, how could I help doin’ it, when you was lookin’ so woebegone like, and Jonas, he axed me to do it.  It’s awful hard to say you won’t to Jonas, you know.  So I put the letter there, and I don’t doubt your ma mistrusted it, and got a holt on it.”

“Did he write to me?  A’n’t he going with that Betsey Malcolm?”

“Can’t be, I ‘low.  On’y this evenin’ Jonas said to me, says he, when I tole him you was engaged to Mr. Humphreys, says he, in his way, ’The hawk’s lit, has he?  That’ll be the death of two,’ says he, ’fer she’ll die on it, an’ so’ll poor Gus,’ says he.  And then he went on to tell as how as Gus is all ready to leave, and had axed him to tell him of any news; but he said he wouldn’t tell him that.  He’d leave him some hope.  Fer he says Gus was mighty nigh distracted to-day, that is yisterday, fer its most mornin’ I ’low.”

Now this speech did Julia a world of good.  It showed her that Gus was not faithless, that she might count on Cynthy, and that Jonas was her friend, and that he did not like Humphreys.  Jonas called him a hawk.  That agreed with her dream.  He was a hawk and a spider.

“But, Cynthy Ann, I got a letter night before last; ma threw it in the window.  In it Gus said he released me.  I hadn’t asked any release.  What did he mean?”