The Sumter watchman. [volume] (Sumterville, S.C.) 1855-1881, 1871-03-15

"I1ave you heard that scandalous
story about Judge Courtenay's youngest
daughter ?"
aNor quietly replied Miss Rose, to
whom the question was addressed. 81
am very fortunate in that respect. No
body ever tells me scandalous stories" !"
Mrs. Bush, the first speaker, looked
Just q little sstaken back" Miss Rose
was no: one of those people who are
alwats stsudiug on their dignity. New.
ertheless. abe could be very digui6ed if
she chose.
sWhat story :" asked Mra. Holly.
81 thought the Courtenays were very
far aboye scandal"
20 dear me - said Mrs. Bush, de-
lighted to have found a listener, "they
wont hold their heads quite so high
hereafter. understand Judge Courte-
nay is quite overwhelmed, aud says he
will never appear iu court again, and
her sisters are broken-hearted. No
wonder, poor things Though, after all,
nobody can blame them"
"But what is the story ?" persisted
Mss. Holly. 81 haven't heard any
thing"
"Well, I do wonder at that. tits all
over townw And Mrs. Bush proceed
ed to relate terrible tale Of sin aud
shame; certainly enough, if it were
true, to destroy any girls fair fame for
eyer.
~ don't believe one single word Of
it," said Miss Rose.
"Oh, but, my dear, I assure you it is
all true. EVERYBODY knows it. They
took her away of. to California /; but the
matter leaked out, as such things will,
your know. and now it is perfectly no.
torious."
81 don't believe one word ofit!" re-
peated Miss Rose. "Mabel CourteDay is
as respectable and-goed-a girl as ever
lived, aud very aimablesnd kind heart
ed beside. I will never believe such a
tale, without better evidence than they
say"
"I agree with you, Blanche" said
Nrs. John Barnaby. 81 don't believe
one word Of it,"
Cob, we'll, ofcourse you can do as
you please about believing it," said
Mrs. Bush, considerably offended. ~
know it is so. Why, it is perfectly no.
to,;or, a, e,;d -
"It is great pity ifit is true," re-
marked Mrs. Holly. "Such scandal
in such good, religious, respectable
family. The Courteuays are all members
of our Church"
"Upfortuuately, the fact that people
are members of our church does not
make them all right" said Mrs. Bush,
contemptuously.
"Perhaps it ought to do something
toward preventing US, their fellow
church. members, from publishing abroad
:heir faults" said Miss Rose, mildly.
"Why, there is Mrs. Pease-the
doctors wife, you know"-contiuued
sIrs. Bush, disregardiug the interrup-
ton. "She comes TO the communion
as regularly as the communion Sunday
comes, and is forward in the Sunday
school and all sorts Of things; and yet
every one knows how shamefully extra
VACANT she is, and how negligent Of her
family. Why,you know that illness
she had last spring, wheL she was con-
fined to her bed SO long and saw nobody;
we'll, to my certain knowledge, all the
slime that they pretended she was con-
6ned 10 her bed she was shut up in the
insane asylum, to keep her out of worse
places.
ain tho insane asylumw repeated
Dulice Bnrnaby and Miss Rose in a
breath. and in tones of the utmost
amazemens.
eyes, 10 the insane asylum aud, af-
ter all, she goes on in just the same
way, only worse"
"Aud you pretend to say t',at you
know this from your own information 7"
said Miss Rose.
"Yes-that is-no, not exsetly. You
know, MIR. Pease Is connected with our
family. His sister married Bush, and
they are related to Us through the Roots;
| and Mrs. Bush's washwoman told Mrs.
Root. That is coming pretty straight,
you see."
"Very straighs!" said Dulice Barna.
by. not taking much paius to conceal
her contempt. "Nevertheless, Mrs
Bush, che story is false from beginning
| 10 end. There we're not three days
eertaialy not one week-from the be
ginning Of Mrs. Pease's illness 20 the
end Of Il, that Blanche Rose or myself
were not with her part Of the day. !
might safely say that one or the other
Of % saw her every sshsr day during
the whole time of her sickness. She
suffered dreadfully most Of the time, and
certainly never saw ary human being
more gentle and patient than sh' was.
Dr.. Wilson can tell you the same, for be
visited she house very constantly"
sWell, I declare, one never knows
what to believed Why, I have heard
that story over and over again. Haven't
you, Mrs. Holly p"
81 never heard it from anybody but
you," returned Mrs. Holly somewha,
sharply; aand I never repeated it eth
eF. Even If such stories ere true, l
never san see the use in spreading
then." 9,
aBut I heard this on such good an,
| thority. I never thought Of doubling