The Tiffin tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1868-1887, 1876-04-27
The GOssIp's Mistake.

| y Dare-IoOIeu GIRL picking IaspOeFIlei
10 her fathers field"
''She has grown up very pretty"
said gentle Widow Markham, in her
mild way.
Engaged to young Hazel, is she %
repeated Miss AddertOngue, with q
vicious look in her cOal-black eyes.
al can put a spoke in her wheel, ]
think. Tall young chap, amt he,
with black hair curling close 10 his
head, and mustaehe as black as ink?"
"Yes," said wondering Mrs. Mark
ham. 81 didn't know you knew
him."
"Oh, 1 knew him." said Miss Ad-
dertongue, with toss OF her head /;
'aGd knew one or two things about
him that Millville society don't seem
to be up i'm
"You don't say so ?'' said the wild
ow, curiously.
81 do say so, and / mean it. You
see, Mrs. Markham, have ways and
means of getting behind the scenes
that no one else has. My sister,
Phoebe Ann, that married Slatterly,
and was left a widow six years ago
come next March, she's housekeepsrs
at the H hotel. And was visit
ing her there last month, and that's
how L came to see Mr.. Hazel"
"My 20 calculated the widow.
"With nay own eyes," said Miss
Addertongue, rolling up those organs
until there was some danger OF their
retiring altogether into her head.
"Harold Hazel, tall and dark, and al
ways full of his fun ?"
Exactly" cried Mrs. Markham.
"He was there" remarked Miss
Felicia, "witm bis wife"
"His wife !" echoed Mrs. Markham.
sit can't be possible 7"
"But it is, though" asserted Miss
Felicia, with gloomy relish. 81 saw
'em myself. 1 heard him introdu ce
her as Mrs. Hazel, and tell somebody
as how she was q great heiress. Older
than him, but still not what you'd
cali an old maid, though of course
he married her for her money. No
kind of doubt about that. Such dia-
mond5 as she wore-and such silk
gowns and overskirts of point lace as
you might cover over with bank
notes, and still not come up to its val
Ge."
"But," cried out bewildered Mrs.
Markham, "he's engaged to Juliet
Reed, for I've seen the engaged ring
she wears"
"And he's married to the Black
eyed lady," said Miss AddsrtOngue,
with equal emphasis, because, saw
the wedding ring"
"Then what does he mean by max
ing love to Farmer Reeds daughter?"
Indignantly cried Mrs. Markham.
"Humph "said Miss Felicia, purs-
ing up her lips viciously. "Fhat's q
question 1 can't pretend to answer.
their pranks Just to have a little
fun, suppose, and amuse themselves
for the time being"
"It's cruel, wicked thing" said
Mrs. Markham "and Juliet is such a
pretty girl"
TASTES differ" said Mrs. Adder
tongue. "For my part, never fam
cied them big blue eyes, and hair as
looks as if it had been bleached.
Juliet Reed always did feel above the
rest of the Millville folks"
Some one ought to tell her." said
Mrs. Markham.
"Of course they ought" said Miss
AddertOngue.
81 couldn' do it," said the gentle
hearted widow.
"I could" said Miss Addertongue.
"I can mostly do anything when /
feel it to be my Christian duty"
Pretty Juliet Reed was sewing in
the cool perch, where the shadow of
the great elm trees made green oasis
in the desert of sunshine around the
qaiut, one-storie1 farm house. She
grew pale as death as Miss Adder
tongue unfolded her tale.
"Harold married 2" she cried. Har-
old with another wife? do not be-
lieve it. It is false"
81 seen her with my own eyes, /"
said Miss Felicia, secretly enjoying
Juliet's agonIzed terror. "A great
heiress-and of course a man will
strike for money"
"But il must be a mistake" persist
ed Juliet, the color coming and going
on her face like a rosy aurora borea-
/ lis.
"AIas % grOaned Miss AddertoDgue,
sit is but too true. or course 1t is a
great disappointment to you, Juliet
Reed, but maybe it's, meant by all
wise Providence as a lesson to lower
your pride and teach you that we're
all poor worms, and"
"Miss AddertOngue," said Juliet,
drawing herself up and fixing her
blue eyes with dignity on the mali.
eious old gossip, ''pray be silent. 1t
is not your place TO preach a..discourss
to me, nor dictate in matters which
pertain to me alone. Will you excuse
me if ask you to leave me ?p
80, certainly, certainly" said Miss
Addertongue, rather disconnected, but
venomous as ever. "But it amt no
use trying to conceal the truth. He's
played you mean trick and Tilted
you, just for his own amusement,
when he had q wife living already,
and"
But to Miss Addertongue's amaze
menS she was left standing alone in
the porch. Juliet Reed had quietly
walked into the house and shut the
door in her face.
"What does it mean ?" Juliet asked
herself, in a sort of dizzy bewilder-
ment. "He was going away-he had
not written for week. Oh surely,
surely it cannot be possible that there
mOnstrOus story ?'i And, with her
flushed face buried in her hands, Ju-
liet Reed tried to fancy what the world
would be with Harold Hazei's love
and constaney out of it,.
81 told you so,n croaked Miss Adj
dertongue, dragging the Widow
Markham to the windog an hour or
so latter. That's him a setting back
in the carriage, as proud as Lucifer.
Aud that's the lady with the yellow
silk parssol, covered with white lace.
Now will you say 1 was mistaken ?'
fsDear, dear" said Mrs. Markham,
adjusting her spectacles on the bridge
OF her nose. 81 couldn't have be-
lieved it, if hadn't seen it with my
own eyes"
"And they're driving straight to
Farmer Reeds" added Miss Adder
tongue, diligently flsttening her nose
against the panes. "WelI, well, it's
clear she's charged him with it, and
he's determined to brazen it out. Get
your hat, Mrs. Markham. Let's walk
that way. need skein of darning
cotton, and the way to Perkins store
leads right past Mr.. Reeds door,
But to Miss Ad6ertougue's infinite
astonishment-perhaps We may sdd
disappOintment-there was no sound
of violent Mysteries, no sign of family
dissension or tragical debate, as they
sauntered by the farm house gate.
"Mym CALCULATED Miss Felicia, "if
they amt all a-setting together in the
porch, rs loving as so many turtle
doves, Well, now shall believe that
Juliet Reed is going over to Mormon
ism, and believes in a mans bavin'
as many wives as he pleases."
Juliet Reed, however, had seen
them as they SUNK by, and raising
from her seat, beekoned them to ad-
vance.
"Mrs. Markham said she, "snd
Miss Addertongue, allow me TO pre-
sent to you Mr.. Hazel"
The widow dropped little curt
sey.
sey.
Miss Felicia stiffiy inclined hel