The Bedford gazette. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1805-current, 1868-11-20
SCANDAL.
a Story for Suspicious People.

4 lady purchased home in q beau
/ tiful village, about forty miles from a
well known city. She Ionged for fresh
/ air and quiet scenes, and doubtless she
would have found ali the happiness
which she sought in this pleasant re-
I treat had not the place been haunted
/ By that terrible spcctre-.ScaHdW.
"Uave you seen the new arrival ?''-
asked Mrs. Thomas, of her ncighbor,
/ Mrs. Lawrence, about week after the
/ stranger took possession of Maple Cot
( tage. as the little place she had pur-
/ chased was called.
4 curl Of the lip and a shrug of the
shoulders was all the reply made by
Mrs Lawrence; but in the gestures
Mrs. Thomas saw, or supposed she
SAW, "A sufficient reason for stunning
the acquaintance Of the stranger.
Had Mrs. Lawrence, who was a great
-tickler for ari-tocratic society, answer
ed the question in words; had she eX-
pressed her real opinion of her new
neighbor in tangible form, no very
great results would have occurred, for
she would have said Eyes, l have seen
her; she had on a cheap deIaine dress,
and I hear she does her own Washing"
no very serious charges, but accord
ing 10 Mrs. I.awrence's ideas Of good
society" quite sufficient to deprive her
Of ali claim to the little Of Gladly
hence her curled lip and shrlg Of dis
gust.
Mrs. Thomas, who was very jealous
and ) slicious, translated this sign Of
language in her own way. Being eX-
tremely sensitive as to what Mrs.
Grupdy should say, she was always on
the watch, lest accidentally, she shouId
he seen speaking to persons of low
character; therefore she caught at this
straw. and turned It over in her mind
until she made out very serious case
for the stranger.
II have no doubt" ," she said to her
husband at night, "that she has bad
reputation In the city. She has come
here dressed in deep mourning, but
vino knows whether she ever had q
husband? An if she had her wearing
black j. no sion be,. dread in nv onjn-
ion, and Mis-. Thomas drew her mouth
into most sanctimOni0us expression
a look which almost ALWAYS indicates
the pharisaical. II am better than
thour'
The next dav quite a crowd had
gathered i'm the store of Mr.. Thomas.
waiting for the arrival of the daily
mail. which was due about this hour.
The stranger came i'm to make some
trjGiug purchases and was started at
by the Dpp,Ip. a- strangers ALWAYS are.
,r.a,...r,..l,ft ro-toro .or,o r,.,,,.r..
,,.ro ,,a5a connnr,fno her l.5v.ril.o
appearance. Mr.. Thomas Immediately
rcjoincd, YES, she appears enough
like a lady, but my wife thinks her
rrputation none the best"
C,,.+a,,,.r. co,,in,, :, ,otbi,o r,,ro
~. I'D ,t ,h,t ti,nn h,t the fire of
sandal v.a- Lir,jlnd-tba story sn,ead
r,nfdIv each one teIIfnp if in his
own way. mill there was not a family
i, the Mace bpt heard and believed the
lving run,or
,v..,.-....,....l .,, .,,,,, .,,o i,,.,,,.o -
,r.,,1a ca!t,.,.. f.lt tbat for son,a ra.s.
~, -. I,ol,ad ,,n,p with p,uch srs-
,.i.f.,, ,,d l;-.l;l,o ,rhoro ,,,,s -, h,.,
IiIirv. nothing said or done. for which
she could demand an exclamation. She
tired TO remember some act or word
which could have given offence: but
in vain did She call to mind every
word she Lad ever spoken to the viii
| igers-she could remember nothing
i'm her conduct to warrant such neglect.
and she could only suffer in silence.
Every dav seemed to increase the