Page:Stanwood Pier--The ancient grudge.djvu/386

Rh one had thrown a stone, breaking a window. Letty had opened the door and with the light from within streaming upon her confronted the mob. After a few cries they quieted down and she said in a voice tremulous with indignation,—

"My husband is not at home. You—"

"Where is he?" demanded voices in the crowd.

"You are frightening my little children and my mother," Letty said; and at that some one jeered,—"How about yourself?"

There was a laugh, and when it quieted down, Letty answered in her clear voice,—

"If you were brave men, I should n't be frightened. But I don't know what cowards may do."

The remark called forth an inarticulate cry of protest. Letty followed up her advantage.

"Will you please go away so that I can put my children to sleep?"

"We ain't hurting anybody's children," some one made sullen answer; and then there were exclamations, "Come on, fellows," "He ain't here," "Let her be." Gradually the crowd dispersed.

But the next afternoon Letty came in to the Avalon offices of the Halket Company and called on Floyd. She was agitated and determined and she wasted no time in stating her purpose.

"Mr. Halket," she said, "I know you thought you were doing Hugh and me a kindness. But I've got to ask you not to let Hugh have that promotion. Something will happen to him. I dread having him out of the house; there is such a feeling against him. It's against all of us. My little boy was called 'Scab' to-day by the neighbor's child—five years old. 'Scab! Scab!' she called at him across the fence. Down at the grocer's they don't like to wait on me. I don't mind that—but"—her eyes filled with tears and her face colored sensitively,—"oh, Mr. Halket, they're working up an awful feeling against