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

noon, and on the previous day she re-
solved to run in at the Dale mansion
and invite Margaret to attend. Presum-
ing on her intimacy, she ran up stairs,
! tapped on Margaret's door, and hearing
no response, opened the door and en-
| tered.
No one was there, and sitting down
for q moment her attention was attracted
to some packages of papers lying in a
work-basket. She took them in her
hand and read OH the margin of one,
Compliments of DR.. McCroud," and
dallying a moment longer she went
away.
Margaret Dale was true scion Of an
old knickerbocker family, and had q
sense of pride and justice in about
equal measure. At this time she was
only convalescent from very severe
and dangerous illness, through which
she had been cared for by DR.. McCroud,
II sturdy old Scotchman, old enough to
be her father, with some extra years.
He took her on her first rides, and now
and then brought her English and
Scottish papers to read; and they were
these which Mrs. Sampson had seen in
Margarct's work basket
1t is quite unnecessary to analyze the
character of Mrs. Sampson. She has
her counterpart in nearly every neigh
borhood but hourishes best in small
villages. She possessed Il lively imagin-
alton, was fond of gossip, not from any
wrong motive, but indulged her tongue
in many careless, thoughtless remarks.
Gossip is always a patchwork busi-
ness, and nobody had n greater faculty
for putting this" and L" that together
than had dame Sampson, She knew,
everybody knew, that old DIR. Croud
lived very unhappily with very un-
happy wife. The respective families of
each came over from Scotland together,
with the Young rcople-then very young
-aflianced. The young man began
his battle with life bravelv, and after
much hard work and intercourse with
the world, and feeling the new develop
ing OF his powers and feelings, dscov-
cred that his tianccc was not Mt all the
woman to satisfy either his head or his
heart. But lie was honorable. He
told the girl that he no longer loved
her, but would keep his engagement
to marry her if she insisted upon his
SO doing.
The girl did insist, as we'll as her
parents, and they were married. So it
is not at all remarkable that Mrs. Nc
troud should lea very unhappy woman,
OF that people should talk about DR..
McCroud's domestic infelicities. But no
one could point to a single fact reflect
ing upon his honor as q man or phys
ician. Then Mrs. Sampson knew-as
did everybody clse-~th1t Margaret was
an hciNeSs, cared very little for men,
and had discarded would-be lovers by
the dozen. She had IL strong, vigorous
mind, with very little sentiment, which,
however, is an excellent thing in wom-
an; and the sturdy good sense and lack
of nonsense that characterized the
strais ishtforward Scotch doctor, made
him peculiarly acceptable to her, both
as physician and friend.
Putting what she knew of both to.
gether, and adding what her imagina-
ton contributed, Mrs. Sampson con-
cluded she had made social discovery,
and so on the afternoon of her sewing
party, led the conversation upon Mar
garet Dale, her illness, her wonderful
recovery, i'll which, of course, the other
ladies joined. After Margaret had been
pretty thoroughly discussed, Dame
Sampson, who had been watching for
u favorable opportunity to give vent to
her suspicious, said with sigh: "What
a pity it is that she is throwing herself
away on DR.. McCroudw 1t was equal
to the bursting of bombshell in the
social camp. The women, startled and
mystiiied, were eager with interroga-
tons, which led the way for the hostess
to detail hcr suspicious, in proof of
which she exhibited the fact of the
newspapers and the marginal pencil
ing. Thus were the seeds sown for a
tiist-class scandal, although not one of
the number entertained the slightest
doubt of the great good sense, honor
and integrity of Margaret Dale.
One little woman wanted, with all
her soul, to defend Margaret from such