Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1873-05-10

mess? l can never look anybody in the
face again if you prosecute me for SLAM
der. A court trial is just horrid! Is
there no other way? 'i..# '' '"-
To see the miserable creature on her
knees imploring for mercy, and SO
thoroughly penitent for her sins, might
have won pardon from from anybody
but Margaret. Mounting her visitor
to a chair, she emptied upon her her
last vial Of wrath"
"Don't think for one mement, Mrs.
Sampson, that I supposed that anything
You might say would destroy my repn-
tation. 1t was your high-hnnded nu-
dacity in daring to set an insinuation
afoat that I so much objected to. It
is a great and shameful humiliation for
a woman to be forced to eat her own
words in public court; and because
of this, and your evident regret, I do
suggest another mode of reparation.
1t is this: Never again, so long as you
live, are you to speak slanderously of
an absent person, or allow such license
of speech in your house to pass unpro-
hibited and unrebuked. Do you prom
ise 2"
"I promise" she said.
Moreover" added Margaret, " if I
hear of your having broken this con-
tract, it shall not be too late to make
you suffer the other punishment. Your
tongue has been dipped in the poison
of slander and gossip, and it will be
hard work for You to clean it. You'll
need the grace of God to help you, but
if you gossip less you will have more
time to pray. You may go now"
She went. But although hating
Margaret thereafter, as it would be
quite in keeping with human nature to
suppose, she was both too proud and
too polite to allow her circle of friends
to know it. And to keep up the delu-
sion she made large party, and sent
Miss Dale an invitation. Margaret
dressed herself with the greatest care
and adornmcnt.
I only came for the sake of my rcry
dear friend, Mrs. Sampson, who knew
would feel so badly if did not Gomez
she said in reply to some comments
from the ladies of that Thursday after
noon sewing circle.
They appreciated the sarcasm, and
possibly protted by it. Margaret re-
manned at the party for an hour and
then left. Her acquaintance with Mrs.
Sampson thereafter consisted in con-
ventional bowling when they happened
to meet.
a year or two later Dr. McCroud
died. 1t was custom with Margaret
to carry flowers on certain days to place
OH the graves of friends in the country
mile or two from town. On one OF
these occasions it occurred to her that
her good old doctors widow-vixen as
she was--might like to visit his grave;
so stopping at her gate she invited her
to take Il seat in the carriage and ride
out with her, which the widow did.
When they had arrived at the doctor S
grave, the widow said, abruptly:
"NIiss Dale, I've an apology to make
to you"
"Oh, I think not,' said Margaret.
Won't YOU take some of these flowers
and arrange them yourself?"
He never liked me-" she went on
but thought he did you, more than
he ought, with his own grown up sons
and daughters every day as old as you
-"
"Oh, but you wronged him, my good
woman" Margaret exclaimed.
"Oh, know it now, Miss Dale,
know it, and that's why I thought 1
ought to apologize. But he was awful
trying. And here's his grave. Is'pose
l ought to get over all those old hateful
feelings now. l remember one time,
that going of sudden into his room,
found him fussing before the glass
He was vain as peacock. and it always
made me mad to see it, so I sung out:
you may pink and pink, and you've
got to DIE And sure enough he has.
All! WE'LL 1 think 1 uM put some of
those flowers on him. Do you know
Mrs. Sampson? Not much? Well, I
think twas her who first limited that
the old man was overland to you.
But it's been long long time since I've
heard her speak against any one. She
seems to have been converted from her