The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1875-02-24
ALL A MISTAKE.


mesdames and half a score of MIR.
danes, gratified at somebody's version
of something that did not happen,
rolled the tit-bit under and off their
tongues with the gusto Of gourmands.
1t all happened in the quiet town
Of Carlton, where the people mean to
be, and are, good and kind, as the
world goes; bat 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 Of our wives"
"To think" said Mrs. Denton, "that
Fanny Howard, the daughter of con-
yicted felon. should come here to teach
our children, and put on such airs i
never liked the girl; / always thought
there was something wrong about her.
The brand of shame is plainly to be
seen behind her smiling face"
Mrs. Denton's ideas of right and
wrong hinged entirely upon what Mrs.
Williams, Mrs. Tracy and Mrs. Smith
might think, AID that social conclave
had already convened, and decided.
"As for me-" said Mrs. Smith, ~
shall never speak to her again; shall
take Benny from school at once, and
1 think we should ignore her entirely"
Mrs. Smith was the wife of that
veSy important funotionary, the vii.
lage justice. The counterpart of her
phelgmatic husband, she was tall and
angular, sharp in feature and sharp in
tongue. Her house in the outskirts
of the city was the rendezvous of that
| female-I had almost said feline--in-
quest which seems to pertain to small
communicates. 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
fore impossible to estimate just what
part Benny had played in the soften
ing process.
Twelve months prior to the matters
related, Fanny Howard had come to
the village of Carlton, in answer to an
advertisement for a school teacher
bringing letters of recommendation
which had secured her the place
sought. For a year Fanny had
taught the school with much satisfac.
J ton; her sweet face and gentle ways
had won the hearts of the children
while her zeal and conscientious dis
charge of duties had won the approba'
, ton of the parents. As the last quar-
ter was drawing to close, a stranger
J staying for night at the inn, hsd
| seen the school mistress on the street
and upon being informed who she was
, remarked: II thought / was not mis-
taken; l have seen her before hel
: father is in the State prison at N
, Upon all the invisible wires of sociaI
intercourse the news flew; the very
D birds of the air seemed to whisper ii
D that concentrated battery of pent VI
, country life expended its force in cir
} culating the news. AS Fanny passed
inquisitive groups gathered at thu
/ street corners; the women watched
l her from the windows; the children
! even, silent and shy, seemed TO avoiC
her.
"What can all this meanf" though
Fanny, her eyes filling with unsheC
tears, and the spectre of pain haunt
ing her face. "Oh, that Mrs. CarltoI
were here she would not desert me.
Mrs. Carlton was the widow of~th,
i late Col. Henry Carlton, after whom
0 the town had been named. The Carl
Q ton estate extended for ten miles il
s every direction its broad acres stretch
2 ed from mountain to mountain, EN-
9 bracing the entire valley its flock
Z and herds fed upon hundred hills
s The family mansion was situated tw'
4 miles from the town, in the midst o
3 charming grounds, beautifully planted
8 aud laid out. 1t was plain, substan
5 tial, comfortable house, with broaC
porches, wide halls and ample rooms
wonderfully suggestive of hospitality
From the first Mrs. Carlton hat
, liked Fanny; frequent invitations ha'
a been extended for her to pass the week
8 ly holidays at "The Grange"-as tn
! place was called-while Harry, th
o only son and heir, a stout, mani,
young fellow of twenty. FIVE, helpe,
h amazinaiy 10 make the hours pas
pleasantly; there were walks, an'
drives, and dinners, and croquet par
ties under the trees, and music an,
dancing in the moonlight. Now
alas Mrs. Carl.on and Harry wer
: absent, and our heroine, depressed b
the weight of an intangible something
wearily bore the burden.
: 1t was the last day of the term o.