"I only meant that you would be humiliated if that pretty Liane stole Devereaux's heart from you and married him. The other night I beat Liane for walking with him on the beach by moonlight!"
"Heavens! It is worse even than I thought!" cried Roma, springing to her feet, pale with passion.
She advanced toward granny, adding:
"Will you take her away by to-morrow, and never let him see her face again if I grant your wish?"
"I swear it, honey!"
"There, then!" and Roma held up her fresh, rosy lips, shuddering with disgust as the old crone gave her an affectionate kiss that smacked very strongly of an old pipe.
"Be sure that you keep your promise!" she cried, hastening from the house.
Granny watched her until she was out of sight, clasping her skinny arms across her breast, after the fashion of one fondling a beloved child.
"How proud, how beautiful!" she kept saying over to herself in delight. Then she went in and closed the door, while she sat down to make her plans for gratifying Roma's wish.
Not a breath of last night's happenings had reached her, for she seldom held communication with any one, being feared and hated by the whole community, as much as Liane was loved and pitied. She knew nothing of the popular beauty contest, and that Liane had won the prize of a hundred dollars. If she had known, she would have managed to get possession of the money ere now. Liane, having spent the night with Mary Lang, had gone to her work from there, and was having an ovation from her girl friends, who put self aside and rejoiced with her over her triumph.