The Christmas party had the effect of giving zest and impetus to the village gossip, of which Margaret was the favorite theme. It was scarcely in fallen human nature to have seen a girl of fifteen so exalted beyond what was considered common and proper to one of her age, and not to recollect and repeat all that could justly or unjustly be said to her disadvantage.
This newly-augmented slander resulted in an event very humiliating to the family at the Bluff.
Near the end of the Christmas holidays, Frank happened to be in the village upon some unimportant business. While loitering near a group of young men in one of the shops, he started on hearing the name of Margaret Helmstedt coupled with a light laugh. Frank’s eyes flashed as he advanced toward the group. He listened for a moment, to ascertain which of their number had thus taken the name of Miss Helmstedt upon irreverent lips; and when the culprit discovered himself, by again opening his mouth upon the same forbidden theme, without another word spoken on any side, Frank silently and coolly walked up, collared, and drew him struggling out from the group, and using the riding wand he held in his hand, proceeded to inflict upon him summary chastisement. When he considered the young man sufficiently punished, he spurned him away, threw his own card in the midst of the group, inviting whomsoever should list to take it up (with the quarrel), mounted his horse and rode home.
He said nothing of what had occurred to any member of the family.
But about the middle of the afternoon, he received a visit from the deputy sheriff of the county, who bore a pressing invitation from a justice of the peace, that “Franklin Pembroke Houston, of said county,” should appear before him to answer certain charges.
“Why, what is this?” inquired Colonel Houston, who was present when the warrant was served.
“Oh, nothing, nothing; only I heard a certain Craven Jenkins taking a lady’s name in vain, and gave him a lesson on reverence; and now, I suppose, I shall have to pay for the luxury, that is all,” replied Frank. And then, being further pressed, he explained the whole matter to his father.
“You did well, my boy, and just what I should have done in your place. Come! we will go to the village and settle up for this matter,” said the colonel, as he prepared to accompany his son.
The affair ended, with Frank, in his being fined one hundred dollars, which he declared to be cheap for the good done.
But not so unimportant was the result to the hapless girl, whom every event, whether festive or otherwise, seemed to plunge more deeply into trouble.