church, and she's got to be dealt with; to save her soul, she's got to be
disciplined, for the sake of every one that heard her false and lying
tongue. I'll have her brought before the Session and showed the truth,
and she shall be saved. Tom Davis not in hell, indeed!"

Mr. Dean stopped for breath. Alfaretta's courage came back with a rush.

"Listen to me," cried the young woman, stamping her foot with excitement,
for she was as angry as the elder himself,--"listen to me! How can you
say such things about her? A saint and angel, if ever there was one. The
Lord don't send no one to hell, let alone such as her. An' any way, I'd
rather go to the bad place with her than stay with all the golden harps
and crowns in the best sort of a heaven with them as would keep her out,
so I would!"

Here Alfaretta broke down, and began to cry. Thaddeus could not stand
that; he edged up to her, murmuring, "I wouldn't cry, Retta,--I wouldn't
cry."

But she only gave the shoulder he touched a vicious shake, and cried
harder than ever, saying, "No--I--I bet you wouldn't--you'd never--care."

But Alfaretta's defense changed Mr. Dean's anger at the snub he received
from the preacher's wife into real alarm for his child's spiritual
welfare. A daughter of his to say the Lord did not send souls to hell!

"Alfaretta," he said, with solemn slowness, "you'd better get your bunnet
and go home. I'll see Mr. Ward about this; his wife's done harm enough.
You've got to leave her,--I mean it. I won't see her send my child to
hell before my very eyes."