THE STEADFAST HEART
he hurried away to the post office, where he knew it would find a ready welcome.
It did find a welcome. Before noon Rainbow seethed with it, boiled with it, steamed and bubbled with it. Rainbow was scandalized, affronted, the more so that Henry G. Woodhouse had put this thing upon them. There was a feeling of helplessness in their expostulations, for they stood in fear of the banker. There was nothing they could do about it—not even withdraw their deposits. They felt that Mr. Woodhouse was not a man who would tolerate their withdrawing their deposits, so they grumbled and vapored.
As for its effect on Angus Burke—Rainbow decided, that, unable to vent its displeasure upon Henry G., it would concentrate on Angus. Sentiment against him crystallized, became malignant. The town charged him with pushing himself in deliberately where he was not wanted; with flaunting himself before its eyes. The thing which had been vague and incoherent became clear and malign…. Judge Crane played his part in this, and Judge Crane had a following. Two motives inspired him—jealousy of Craig Browning and petty malice toward Angus…. Also the unpleasant fear which always came to him when anybody formed a relationship with
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