"Well, for God's sake!" Deforrest's voice was low, deep, and filled with disgust. "I hope you men didn't make a mess of yourselves.... What happened?... Some girl kissed her sweetheart under the pine trees?"
The elder glanced over the top of his brother-in-law's head.
"Worse than that!" said he. "Much worse than that!... We churched a Magdalene!"
It took an appreciable length of time for Young's tall figure to rise from the chair. He turned around and stood with his back to the fire.
"I didn't know we had a Magdalene in the church," he commented drily, and then more impetuously, "Oh, Lord, why don't you spit it out and not beat all around the bush telling me?"
There was something about Ebenezer's slow manner of approaching the point that made Young impatient. In the meantime his mind was rapidly running over the women in the Hayt's congregation.
Waldstricker got up, too, drawing his big frame to its full height.
"We churched—Well, the fact is,—We churched Tessibel Skinner."
When the name fell upon Deforrest Young's ears, every muscle in his body became rigid, making him taller by inches.
"Tessibel Skinner?" he repeated mechanically, as if he'd heard awry. "Did you say Tessibel Skinner?"