While Miss Perry held up her hands and raised her eyes in silent horror, and said, "I'm going to W— to-morrow. My aunt belongs to Mr. Barton's church. What will she think of him when I tell her what a rascal he is! Why, the state prison is too good a place for him!"
Alice's cheeks burned like fire.
"Remember," she said, "that all I have told you about Mr. Barton or Squire Morrison's family was in strict confidence. I would not have my name connected with such scandal for the world."
"Oh, certainly," remarked Miss Perry.
"I have a doubt whether such iniquity ought to be covered up," rejoined Mrs. Mark.
Three months after her visit to W—, Mr. Saunders pointed out to Alice a paragraph in the paper. It read as follows:
"On the 8th inst., by the Rev. Giles Moody, Rev. Charles Barton to Ada, only daughter of Squire Morrison, of W—."
The young lady read the notice with vexation that her friend had married the man in whom she was interested, and pleasure that her falsehoods troubled her not as she feared they would. Mechanically she ran her eye over the paper, when it fell on the following:—
"We regret to say that Rev. Charles Barton has asked a dismission from his people in W—. This unhappy result has been brought about by slanderous reports concerning the gentleman's moral and clerical character, put in circulation by some evil-minded person. On the first intimation of these, he called a meeting of the church, when he told them frankly of the slanders current in the community, and requested them to co-operate with him in searching out the author, or examining the proof of such statements. He told them he knew nothing how they, individually, or collectively, felt regarding his innocence or guilt; he asked nothing but justice, and justice, with the help of God, he would have.
"A council of the neighboring churches was therefore called, which most thoroughly examined the grave charges. Mr. Barton urged the investigation. The result contained these resolutions:—
"'Resolved, that our beloved brother has been foully and wickedly slandered, but has come forth from this trying ordeal like silver refined in a furnace.
"'Resolved, that we have no terms in which to express our cordial and unqualified approval of Mr. Barton's course during the whole examination. We commend him anew to the love and confidence of his church and congregation, with the hope that his useful labors among them may long be continued.'
"Yet Mr. Barton immediately proffered a request to his people for a dissolution of their connection, giving it as a reason, that a pastor's name should be above reproach; that, however unjustly, his name, both as a gentleman and Christian, had been connected with crimes at which his soul revolted; and that he never again could labor here in the cause of his Master. If the event was to any a sorrowful one, it must be charged to the person or persons who originated the slander."
Alice scarcely breathed until she had read every word. Her hot blood burned like fire. Seizing the paper, she rushed to her own room, locked the door, and threw herself in a chair, covering her face with her hands. Conscience was aroused, and set before her the effects of her own lies.