The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1874-10-29
ALL A MISTAKE.

Mrs. Alvord said cit was q shame.
Mrs. Denton wondered how she dar.
ed thus TO impose upon people, while
q score of mesdames and half score
| of Mr.. DANES, gratifiea at somebody
version of something that did not hap
pen, rolled the tit-bit under and of
their tongues with the gusto of gOur-
mands.
1t all happened in the quiet town OF
Carlton, where the people mean to be,
and are, good and kind as the world
goes, but somehow mistakes will occur,
and human nature is prone to accept
the wrong version of things, and then
it is so pleasant to
"Put horns on the heads of our friends,
Put intrigues in the heads oftheir wives"
"To think" said Mrs. Denton, "that
Fanny Howard, the daughter of q con-
Victed feIon, should come here to
teach our chiIdred, and put on such
airs! never liked the girl; always
thought there was something wrong
about her. The brand of shame is
plainly to be seen behind her smiling
lace" -a sssra .
Mrs. Denton's ideas of right and
wrong hinged entirely upon what
Mira. Smi b, Mrs. Tracy and Mrs. Will
liams might think. and that social con-
claYe had already convened aud de-
cided.
GAS for me-" said Mrs, Smith, 81
shall never speak to her again. shall
take Benny from the school at once,
and think we should ignore her en-
tirely."
Mrs. Smith was the wife of that very
important tunctiOnary, the village JUS
tice. The counterpart of her phleg-
matte husband, she was tall and angu-
lar, sharp in feature and sharp III
tongue. Her house, in the outskirts
OF the city. was the rendezvous of that
femaie-l had almost said feline-in-
quest, which seems to pertain to small
communities. God, in His goodness,
had given her one child-the afore-
said Benny-as if thereby to soften.
the asperities of her nature. What
she might have been without the gift,
we can only conjecture. 1t is there
fol e impossible to estimate just what
part Benny had played in the soften
ing process.
Twelve months prior to the matter
related, Fanny Howard had come to
the village of Carlton, in answer to an
advertisement for q school teacher,
bringing letters and commendations
which had secured for her the place
sought. For one year Fanny had
taught the school with much satisfae-
ton; her sweet face and gentle ways
won the hearts of the children, while
her zeal and conscientious discharge
of duties had won the appreciation of
the parents. AS the last quarter was
drawing to close, q stranger, staying
for night at the lnn, had seen the
school-mistress on the street. and up
on being informed who she was, had
repliedi II thought was not mistak-
en- 1 have seen her before her father
is in the States prison at N"
Upon all the invisible wires of
social intercourse the news flew; the
very birds OF the air seemed to Whis-
per it that concentrated battery of
pent-up country life expended its
force in circulating the fact. As Fan
ny passed, inquisitive groups gathered
at the street corners, the women
watched for her from the windows,
the children even, silent and shy,
seemed to avoid her.
~What can all this mean ?" said
Fanny, her eyes filling with unshed
tears, and the specter OF pain haunting
her face. sOh, that Mrs. Carlton was
here she would not desert me-"
Mrs. Carlton was the widow of the
late Colonel Henry Carlton, after
whom the town had been named. The
Carlton estate extended over ten
miles in every direction Its broad
acres stretched from mountain to
mountain, embracing the entire VAL
l.. "a, nd hands fa6
hundred hills. The family mansion
was situated two miles from the town,
in the midst of charming grounds,
beautifully planted and laid out. 1t
was plain, substantial, comfortable
home, with broad porches, wide halls,
and annie rooms, wonderfully sug-
gestiVe of hospitality. Is fsf .ss
From the first, Mrs. Carlton had
taken to Fanny; frequent invitations
had been extended to her to pass the
weekly holidays at fsThe Grange as
the place was entitled, while Harry,
the only son and heir. q stout, manly
young fellow of twenty-five helped
amazingly. to make the hours pass
pleasantly. There were walks aud
drives and dinners and crOqnet par
ties under the trees, and music and
dancing in the moonlight, Now alas /
Mrs. Carlton aud Harry we're absent,
and our heroine, depressed by the
weight of an intangible something,
wearily bore the new burden.
1t was the last day of the term; on
the following Monday, the first of
May, was to be held the annual picnic,
an old country feat, revived by Col.
Carlton for his people, as he was won't
TO call them. Delightful grounds in
the hills, TWO miles away, had been set
apart for this purpose; there were
groves of trees, plats OF green sWard
and charming bits of scenery q noun
tain stream came tumbling down
from the hills in succession of water
falls, forming at their base tiny lake,
where the fern and flowers seemed
most to luxuriate. ~ 1iHe ssh
The May-day sun broke bright and
Gear, as it always does in this Area
dia, tinging the mountain peaks with
crimson, and filling the valley with
yellow amber. There was an early
and unwonted stir in the village and
farm houses troops of merry children
were congregated in the streets and
lanes, happy as the birds which gave
them greeting. Vehicles of all des.
criptiOns were to be seen vending
their way to the grounds. Tables had
been spread, booths had been con-
structed, a May-pole, garlanded with
| flowers, had been erected. There was
to be dinner, poem, songs and
dancing, and some one was to be
! crowned "Queen of Atay@
The farmora far milaa apaund thu