Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1862-02-18
dNOreester 9a1Ip Spp.
Why the Widow Jenkeus Didn,t Marry
DIR. Wells.
BY MARY GRACE HALPINE.


Improvement and Widows Relief Society,"
at one of their weekly meetings.
Now, DIR. Wells had been very attentive to
mrs. JenkenS for a number of month. lie in
varla6ly walked home with her from church.
had escorted her to a number of pic-nics, and
In many ways had evinced his partially And
as Tor the young and pretty widow, she did
not appear to be at all sdspleased with these
attentions; on the contrary, she received
them with evident pleasure, so their mar
rage was considered as a settled thing by
the inhabitants of GOssptown in general and
the members of the Ladies' Mutual I'm.
provement and Widows Relief Society" in
particular.
So, when they learned that ne had suddenly
disappeared, without telling them where he
was going, what he was going for when he
was coming back. &c, &C., all of which par
tlculars they felt they had an undsputed right
10 know, and without even bidding any of them
goodbye, their establishment and indignation
were intense.
Strange and conflicting were their coniec.
lures, and various were the rumors that were
thereby set afioat Some said that he had
Deen arrested Tor high treason, some that he
was spy from the confederate army; while
others did not hesitate to say that he was a
6igdmiSt-one OF those wandering gentry who
go from town to town, deceiving with their
perhdlous wies the susceptible hearts of that
conhding sex whose gulLi6ility has become
proverbial.
But, finally, after due elaboration and care.
tul consideration of all the pros and cons, the
why's and wherefores, by the directors of the
aforementioned society," to wit Miss Dorothy
NORWOOD, Miss Lovetalk, Mrs Pickdaw.
and Mrs. Makefuss, they came to the unani.
nous conclusion "that this mysterious dis.
appearance was occasioned by the rejection
OF Dr. Wells by the widow Jenkens TOR some
cause to them unknown but supposed to be
some terrible crime committed by the afore-
said doctor, and discovered by the aforesaid
widow, and that the aforesaid gentleman
had left Gossiptown clandestinely to hide
his discontinue and to avoid the shame of
disclosure.
Indeed, Miss Lovetalk testified, that one
day, as she was walking past the widows
house, she saw the doctor and Mrs Jenkens
together in the garden, and distinctly heard
the latter tell the former, "rhat she should
certainly expose his conduct" And that the
doctor replied, that he hoped she wouldn't as
it would be the ruin of him" Upon which
the widow gave a sort of dersive laugh.
Whereupon Mrs. Pickfiaw shook her head.
and said, chat she didn't know what strong
er proof they wanted than that. For her part
she was tree TO own that she never did like
DIR. Wells. She knew he was great favorte
with some folks, but his smooth, oily ways
didn't go down with her! She never had said
anything, because she didn't wish 10 iniure
the young mans prospects, but it had long
been her private opinion that he was nothing
but wolf in sleeps clothing Mothers
ought to be very CAREFUL she added, drawing
herself up with great dignity, "with whom
they allow their daughters to associate. l
took an early opportunity to warn mn daugh-
tiers against him; and it is very CRAFTY ing to
me to reflect that they had the wisdom to
profit by my advice" (MEM.-When Dr.
Welles first came to Gossiptown, this wise
and prudent matron was very assiduous in her
attentions, using every art in her power to en-.
trap him into marriage with one of her five
unmarried daughters.)
"And the widow .Jenkens is Of the same
piece, I'm Of the opinion" said the amiablo
Miss Dorothy Norwood. "!rhe airs that
that woman puts on are perfectly ridiculous
should think, after this, that she'd hold her
head little lower"
81 should think SO too" chimed in the
charitable Mrs. Maketuss. 81 guess if the
truth was known, it would be found out that
she's no better than she ought to be? To my
certain knowledge, she has been altogether
too free, not only with DIR. Wells, but with
other gentlemen l could mention. For my
part, should be glad if her conduct could be
considered only in the light OF inlprudences"
at seems that she wasn't imprudent enough
talk; though one could see, with half an
eye, that she was over head and ears in love
with him. What could have been the rea-
son :" This was re.echoed by the whole COM
pany, while deep perplexily sat upon all their
countenances.
And this brings us back to the commence.
ment of our story. Why didn't the widow
Jenkens marry DIR. Wells 1t was clear to
these astute minds that the widow herself was
the only person who could settle this question.
But with all her kindness of heart and affabil.
lty, there was gentle dignity in this lady's
manner that prevented any attempts at famil-
arity, so no one was bold enough TO ask her
point blank, and hints and nsinuations she
either could not or would not understand
Miss Lovetalk once ventured to ask her,
'fIf she expected to hear from the doctor %
to which she received decided negative
And they had each, respectively, expressed
their astonishment at his sudden disappear
ance, in the hope OF obtaining some clue to
the mystery, but the widow listened in grave
silence, giving them no intimation, by word
or look, that she knew more about it than
they so they were completely baffled.
"There is little Hattie Burns going by !"
said Mrs. Norwood, suddenly, as she hap.
pened to glance out of the window. ON
warrant she knows something about it, if she
was only mind to tell she is over TO the
widows more than half the time"
81 shouldn't wonder if she did," exclaimed
Miss Lovetalk II mean to call her in"
Hattie was called in accordingly; and no
important witness ever underwent sharper
cross.quesoning at the hands of the most
ingenious criminal lawyer than did the aston.
ished girl before this seIfconstituted court OF
inquiry" But they ELECTED nothing of i'm
portance. Hattie solemnly declared "that she
hadn't heard Mrs. Jenkens mention the doe
tors name though she had thought that she
seemed 10 be more sober than usual since lie
went away. AT last, by the dint OF tea and
fattery, with which they piled her literally,
Hattie, who was but young, giddy girl, and
not little elated at the idea OF being person
of so much importance, was induced TO prom
Use that she would ask Mrs Jenkens why she
refused DIR. " ellis, for that she had refused
him they were firmly convinced, and duly re-
port her reply.
Hattie had hardly left the house before she
heartily repented of the promise she had SO
thoughtlessly made, but as she had given her
word she determined to redeem it. So the
next morning she set out upon her Grand
The nearer she approached the house, the
more unpleasantly she felt for she was a
sensible though impulsive girl, and could not
but feel, upon reflection, that this inquiry was
impertinent, and one which their intimacy,
open and unreslraintd as il was, gave her no
right to make
When she reached the house the cloud upon
her usually sunny brow, and the uuwonted
constraint OF her manner, could not fail to he
notlcedby Mrs Jenkens, who though but a