Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1874-08-15
JUDGE WETTEMORE'S SECRET.
BY EMILY R. sTEINESTEL.

"The twentieth year is well nigh past
Since first our sky was overcast:
All would that this might be the last
My Mary!'
Our village was not unlike other
villages. 1t had its old folks, and
young folks, its Mrs. Grundys and
Mrs. Peacemaker, its gossip, and its
facts, its churches and its societies, its
judge and its old maid.
That these two last mentioned had a
history whose threads were interwov-
en-, even somewhat tangled, had be-
come a theme of every guarded con-
lecture, and much dissatisfied whisper
ing, only recently, and by the merest
accident.
The ladies of our town had formed
sewing society called 1.-The Work
ers," and rather prided themselves on
the amount of work accomplished at
their meetings without the usual char
acter plundering, said by the male por-
tion of the community to be proven
bal at such meetings.
True, the members made it rule to
be prompt to the moment; the tempta
ton was thus avoided of discussing
the peculiarities of an absent member,
had any one ventured to display such
a weakness, which is doubtful.
Miss Harrington, or the Village
maid, was one of the most energetic
and untiring workers" ever silent,
when words were useless. unsympa-
thetic and stern in appearance. going
her way unquestione, for her acts were
like her character, above questioning.
A most remarkable thing occurred at
one of these meetings. Miss Harring-
ton was late the society was alarmed
-fretted-tongues began to wag, the
ladies forgot themselves.
Widow Menken had the floor.
They do say it nearly killed him.
When his mother died she made him
promise to marry the poor thing, If
only for the sake of the child. | dare
say the gloom and remorse in the
judges heart is blacker than the face
he has been wearing all these years !"
Yes" added another worker, "and
he engaged to Ollie Harrington at the
time
Its lie ~
'Oh. Lord p exclaimed the forget
full ones.
There stood the old maid, picture
of scornful anger. One moment she
gazed at them in silence more eloquent
than language, then turning on her
heels she left the house, saying be-
tween half closed lips:
Poor gossip skimmers u
To say that this was not confrma-
ton, would be doing injustice to the
Judgment of the workers.
1t decided the matter, indeed there
was something in it. A secret in the
community all these years horrible
Widow Menken remembered, now
she came to think of it, although she
was only a slip of girl then, and
Charley Menken was only beginning tC
think of courting her.. that Wette-
more and ollie" Harrington were
considered ''pair" although he was al
awful gay young fellow, and Ollie the
widest ''harem-scarem" girl in the
village. But somehow they quit going
together after awhile, then George
went away and awful stories were
afoat about some college scrape ht
got irto. Well, boys will be boys |
hope l shant carry such a broker
heart to the grave as that mother o
his did, though.
How lightly we can talk of othel
peoples sins and sorrows, how easil!
dipose of them, how thoughtlessl!
probe tender spot, idly jostle bruis
ed place supposed to be healed or cal
loused.
Miss Harrington walked home will
the same quiet dignity, the same meas
ured tread, as if no storm was whirl
ing the blood through her veins, as i
had not done for years as if nothinI