"Personally, I make a point of standing up for the girl."
The voice this time was a shade gentler, but it was also flurried and apologetic.
"You know as well as I do, Mrs. Young, if a girl acts decent, men let her alone. You can tell me!"
Her face stony, her head held high, Nettie pushed the door open with her foot, and came in with the tray. She silently served them, but her glance flickered toward her mistress, who was leaning forward listening to the whispered words of Mrs. Peterson, cringing toward the rich cattleman's wife. For the first time since she had known her, Mrs. Langdon's voice sounded sharp and cold.
"I'll thank you not to repeat a nasty tale like that. Nettie Day has just as much right to have a child as you have."
"Why, I'm a married woman," blurted the outraged farm wife.
"How do you know Nettie isn't married?"
Chairs were hunched forward. The circle leaned with pricked-up ears toward the speaker.
"Is she, now?"
"Well, that accounts for it!"