And when she reached home and throwing herself into a chair, covered her
face with her hands, her mother said:
"The Lord's will be done. You have failed."
"No, mother, I have not failed. Father will be released, but I had
liefer have borne the whipping for him."
But that was all she said, nor did she tell any one at what price she
had delivered him.
Desire had scarcely gone when the door opened and Hubbard and Abner
came in. Perez was sitting staring at the wall in a daze.
"Little Pete's come, and the people want to know when the whipping's
going to begin. Shall I bring em out?" said Hubbard.
"I've made up my mind that it will be better to have no whipping,"
replied Perez, quietly.
"The devil, you have!" exclaimed Hubbard, in high dudgeon.
"I knowd haow 'twoud be w'en I see that air Edwards gal goin in. Ef
I'd been on guard, she'd never a got in," said Abner, gloomily.
"Who'd have supposed Hamlin was such a milksop as to mind a girl's
bawling?" said Hubbard, scornfully.
"The fellers is kinder sot on seein the silk stockins licked, now
ye've got em inter the noshin on't, an I dunno haow they'll take it
ter be disappointed," continued Abner.
There was a shout of many voices from before the house.
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