Page:Further Chronicles of Avonlea (1920).djvu/185

Rh and run him down the minute he’s in trouble. If there’s another word said here against Lige Baxter I'll leave the room and the house till you’re gone, every one of you.”

She flashed a glance around the quilt that cowed the gossips. Even Mrs. George Pye’s eyes flickered and waned and quailed. Nothing more was said until Sara had picked up her glasses and marched from the room. Even then they dared not speak above a whisper. Mrs. Pye, alone, smarting from her snub, ventured to ejaculate, “Pity save us!” as Sara slammed the door.

For the next fortnight gossip and rumor held high carnival in Avonlea and Newbridge, and Mrs. Eben grew to dread the sight of a visitor.

“They’re bound to talk about the Baxter failure and criticize Lige,” she deplored to Mrs. Jonas. “And it riles Sara up so terrible. She used to declare that she hated Lige, and now she won’t listen to a word against him. Not that I say any, myself. I’m sorry for him, and I believe he’s done his best. But I can’t stop other people from talking.”

One evening Harmon Andrews came in with a fresh budget of news.

“The Baxter business is pretty near wound up at last,” he said, as he lighted his pipe. “Peter has got his lawsuits settled and has hushed up the talk about swindling, somehow. Trust him for slipping