"How could it be our Jud? He has a wife," said the minister, severely.
"Well, such things do happen, parson," said Boswell, somewhat defiantly. "You hear of them every day; papers are full of them."
"You may rest assured that Jud Sherrod is not that sort of a boy. I married him and Justine Van, and I know them both," said Mr. Marks, with final scorn, and went away.
"These darn-fool preachers think they know everything," muttered Boswell.
When the Grimeses set Justine down at her gate just before midnight, 'Gene Crawley, who stood unseen in the shadow of the lilac bush, waited breathlessly for the sign that might tell him how she had fared among the Philistines.
All the evening he had been anxious. He could not put away the fear that she might be mistreated or slighted in some way up at Harbaugh's. But his heart jumped with joy when he heard her voice.
"Good-night," called Justine, as she sprang lightly to the ground. "I've had such a good time, Mrs. Grimes. And it was good of you to take me over with you."
There was no mistaking the ring in her voice. Crawley's deep breath of relief seemed to himself almost audible.
"I thought you was having a right good time, Justine," said Martin Grimes, with a laugh. "You cut in pretty free."
"Well, it was an awfully nice party," said Mrs. Grimes. "Everybody seemed to enjoy it."