The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1874-02-19
SCANDAL.

There is game which the young pco-
pie play on winter evenings that is called
scandal. Everybody is familiar with it.
One of their number whispers secret
into the ear of her neighbor, who straight
way repeats it privately to another, and
so on till it has made the tour of the circle.
The last report is often found, upon com.
pairing notes, to bear not even family
blance 10 the first. have some
times thought that the story of Rebecca
Gerrish was not unlike this interesting
game of scandal.
You see, had it in my lap just where
you had tossed it," said Mrs. Random,
speaking to her brother. II was at work
with Rebecca Gerrish on my gold colored
sikh was making a sleeve-for, you
know, when | have dressmaker, am
always economical of the time, and do all
the easy parts of the garment myself,
though I'm not used to work; when poor
Random was living never pu. stitch
into anything l wore, SO it takes me
great while to do a little-wealth is poor
apprenticeship for dependence-and l
was very careful and interested over nv
sleeve, and didn't take up the bill imme-
diately to put it into my pocket, as l in
tended; and when I heard Tommy fall
head first down the stairs of course for.
got that there was such thing as a fifty.
dollar bill in creation, and l jumped up,
and away went my work, thimDle, scis-
sors, spools, and what not, broadcast
And had enough to do, promise you,
for the next hour and half TO put bank
bills out of the head of aspeculator-w what
with applying buttercd brown paper to
Tommys bruises, and soothing and keep
ing him from falling asleep, which, you
know, is dangerous after children get a
blow; and then the second girl wanted to
GO out to a photographers, in order to
send a reflection of herself to Ireland /;
and Mrs. Tritle called to ask about that
girl we discharged last month for slap
ping Tommy, and the Whitewater came
in the thick of it, and the new Swede
dropped the pudding she was carrying to
the oven, and l was obliged to make
another-for she doesn't know a cup from
a milk-pan in English; and SO when I got
back to the sewing-room Rebecca had
picked up my work and finished it, and
the gown lust looked as if it was woven
out of sunbeams, and the bill never cross
ed my mind till she'd put on her bonnet.
Oh said then, wait minute. l want
TO settle with you for the work you've
done the last three months You see,
had reckOned it up, and the fifty dollars
would just cover it, for Rebecca's got a
conscience-at least used to think so
and put my hand into my pocket, and il
all came over me in flash. Dear, dear {!
said |. 4 must have dropped it when
ran out to Tommy. How l hate to hum
for anything on a carpet, and mistake
every figure and shadow!'
"What is it, said she, as innocent as
my canary.
".Irs the tifty-dollar bill was going
10 pay you,' 1 answered. 1t was in my
lap when L heard Tommy fall. YOU
didn't see anything of it when you picked
up the sleeve.'
"No, said she; but of course it isn't fal
off, And then we got down on our hand.
and knees, and burrowed into every hol,
and corner. l don't think there's squar,
inch of that floor haven't been over; ane
l must say if it's as disagreeable to her t.
look after anything on the floor as it is Il
me, if it mar es her back ache and hel
head swim as it does mine, think sh,
earned it!'
"What do you mean ?" asked Martin
Langstrath, her brother.
81 mean that we didn't find the bili-a
least I didn't" returned his sister, sig
nificantly.
"Well!"
"I'm not so easy as you, Martin.
didn't like the look of it."
swell, as far as I can understand
you're not obliged to look at it."
"You won't take my meaning. In fact
don't like to say ii myself, but to tn
best of my belief the bill is in Rebecc,
Gerrish's pocket!'
Mr.. Langstrath started, and frowne,
angrily.
taken"
II hope so, for l have been really fon,
of Rebecca; I raised her wages myself
I've brought her customers.
"And the servants"
''Not one has entered the dressing room
and locked the door after Rebecc
left"
mo doubt it will turn up. It ha
fallen down q crack, or you've mixed
up with your fallals. / can believe Il
anything sooner than that which you sue
gest:"
"Well, time will show"
Mrs. Random was . widow, living wit
her brother, Mr.. Langstrath, . single ger
tleman, who kept his own establishment
and supported his sister and her childre
in no niggardly fashion. Rebecca Gel
IRISH was the only surviving member Of
family that had "seen better days." as he
customers put il, partly because 1t SCENE
more genteel to have their dresses mad
by gentlewoman to whom the romano
ID IT, ~