The Cass County Republican. [volume] (Dowagiac, Mich.) 18??-1880, 1859-07-14

re, Win q Laughing ugnt In ner eyes
"Why, it is only the other day she was
talking about you, Mrs. Dane, and she
said you ought to be boiled in oil-tha,
it was the only way to make decent
member of society of you.'
"Boiled IN oilp'
The two worthless held up their hands
and fell back with gasp of horror
that made Carrie laugh till she
choked
know it was rather a singular
wish," she added, maliciously, 6but
then, there is no accounting for tastes
as the old lady said when she kissed
her cow. However, Mrs. Dane, l must
say that l am very much obliged to you
for the information you have given me.
just come up to my house tomorrow
evening, both of you, at half past seven
III have Miss Hetherton there, and you
see If l don't give her something to
make her remember that evening by
as long as she lives. Will you be
sure and come ?'
Yes -yes," they anwered in 9
breath.
"All right. Mind and be punctuaI
and above all, don't let a single soul
know anything about it. Remember
that
| Carrie stuffed her handkerchief into
her pretty mouth, and hurried away
shaking her plump sides over her pro-
jected plan and the two tale-bearers.
after looking a moment at each other
and calculating, severely, "Boiled in
Oil" descended the steps of the store,
and went together towards their homes
secretly rejoicing at the public dis.
grace which was about to fall upon the
head of tie audacious Helen Hether-
ton.
Lenteith was little country village,
with one tavern, one store, one meeting
house, and blacksmith's shop. Plen-
ty of shoe shops were scattered up and
down the single street, where the men
| (?) might congregate to talk scandal,
and make remarks about thepasser-by;
plenty of women, young and old, were
ready to sally forth at any time from
the wooden houses, with their aprons
thrown over their heads, to rehearse
some choice lie which had just been
fabricated by one of their number. If
you sneezed on one of the mountains
twenty miles this side of Lenteith, eve
ry one who lived in the place could
swear that he heard you, before night
fall. With some few exceptions, a set
of prying, malicious, imper.inent liars
and busy-bodies made up the population
and the place and busted themselves in
attending to other persons affairs, and
In rearing up another generation exact
ly as bad, if not worse than them
selves.
Mrs. Dane and Mrs. Gill, with few
bosom friends, who tried hard to be
exact counterparts, and did not bun ole
very badly at the business, led on this
swarm. They were first and foremost
in all mischief, and were as much to be
dreaded as the approach of pestiIence.
Every one dispised them-every one
hated them-yet almost feared them.
Carrie Stanley. and a clique of her
friends, who were the onlyrefned peo-
pie IN the place, were notable excep-
tions to the general rule, and rarely let
chace escape for harrassing, frighten-
ing, or shocking them in some way by
their malicious carelessness.
Carries handsome parlors were
crammed to their utmost capacity on
the eventful Thursday night. Every
one present had received a special and
secret invitation-every one knew that
something was to be done to Helen
Betherton, whose crimes were that she
was rich, and attended steadily to her
affairs, only laughing at their frantic
attempts at assisting her in her under
taking-and every one was on the qui
rive when the parlor doors were thrown
open, and party entered that made
them stare with alnazement.
Foremost walked the worthy minis
ter of the village, with his prayer-book
and Bible yin his hand. After him
came Carrie, dressed in white, and
looking mischieviously around as she
leaned upon her husbands arm; then
the long array of ladies and gentlemen,
magnificently dressed, and evidently
from the city, then Carries friends who
resided in Lenteith /; and last, not least
the culprit, Helen Hetherton, dressed,
in white satin, with orange flowers in
her hair, and leaning upon the arm of
a gentlemen, who was the exact count
erpart of DR.. Stanley, in form and fea-
lures, air and manner. The wondering
villagers stared, rubbed their eyes, and
nudged each other, but before they
were half over their wonder, the gaily-
dressed crowd had managed to secure
a place in the centre of the room, and
the minister, opening his book, began
the solemn and beautiful service which
was to unite two fond and loving hearts
in one To-
When once the congratulations were
over, Carrie stepped up to the bride,
and clasped a bracelet of Jewels upon
her arm. Then turning to the compa-
ny she said sarcastically:
"Ladies and gentlemen, assured
you if you would come tonight, / would
give Miss Hetherton something she
would never forget. / have done so.
Not only the little trinket 1 have just
clasped upon her arm, but the love and
respect of myself and my husband; the
admiration of those friends: and the
lifelong devotion of her husband-the
tscafa brother of DIR. St0nJev-who was