Page:Between Two Loves.djvu/92

Rh for her daughter as could leave her a hundred pounds or so. Lotta Asketh was pleased enough, she bought t' child a varry fine christening dress, and as she's a Church of England woman, she wanted it made a Christian of in t' parish church. That pleased Joyce, too; she said she always thought the Methodys were a little low."

"Why didn't Steve speak up like a man?"

"Thou would hev spoken up, I hev no doubt," answered Jane, with a queer look at Ben, "but Steve isn't thee. He is varry much under his wife, and when she wouldn't ask Sarah to t' christening, he had no way to pay Joyce back but to leave his work and go off on t' tramp for a couple o' days."

"Not ask Sarah to t' christening? Why, thou art mistaken, sure—ly!"

"Nay, I'm not mistaken. Sarah spoke up once to Joyce and told her she didn't care much for hersen, but that Steve hed made up his mind that t' child should be called after his mother; 'and, Joyce,' said she, 'thou ought to do anything and give up anything, rather than drive Steve away from his work, and into t' habit of wandering about t' woods again.' And Joyce