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 long silence. His intakes of breath were deep and spasmodic. To Lida the news was appalling also. It likewise took her breath. But she soon recovered and there filled her heart a happiness that almost forced her to scream. Before she could speak, Elvin recovered himself and spoke.

"Woman, you lie. You came here last year to taunt my father when he kicked you off his place. You come again to taunt him. If you were a man I'd kill you. I'd make you eat those words."

"You might kill me," Mrs. Gorton hurled back, "but you can't make me eat true words for the records will tell. You go to the Courthouse and look over the old records. You'll see where, in one branch of the family way back, one member married a half breed slave woman, ran away with her, and raised a family, perfectly respectable. An offshoot of that family came back years after to claim his part of the estate and married into the Lauriston line. Out of that union came Park's father and out of that union came you, Elvin and Lida. Put that in your pipe. Go see the records and believe."

Elvin wheeled, with an oath on his lips and went into the house.

Mrs. Gorton continued: "Now if you've murdered that boy and made off with his body I'll have the law on you all, Such a good manly boy. Much like my Ben. If you all have murdered that boy I'll hound you to jail."

Despite her former dislike for the woman, Lida could have hugged her for her interest in Bennet, and her dis-