The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1877-01-03
MISCELLANY.
WHICH WAS THE aoss1P.
BY HELEN FOREST GRAVES.

BY HELEN FOREST GRAVES.
Mrs. Severance had been taking tea with
Mrs. Trelyon. That was nothing new. Mrs.
/ Severance often took tea with the Trelyons.
Mrs. Treyon was a hospitable little body, and
Mrs. Severance had quite discrimination
enough to know where she got the lightest
sponge-calSe, the c!earest preserves and the
best quality of Bohea.
But the unusual part of the combination
of circumstances was that Mr.. Trelyon
CHANGED to be at home, with spfained anlSle,
upon this special afternoon. 81 ~
The ladies sat in the parlor, with their sew
ing Mrs. Trelyon was hemming white
apron for her little girl, gold-haired elf of
five, or thereabout, and Mrs. Severance was
engaged in piecing octagonal bits of satin
together to make chair cushion.
Mr.. Treylon lay on the sofa in the library
beyond with a newspaper, and perfect drift
of books and magazines on table by his
side.
When Mrs. Severance had gone home
Louis rrelyon hobbled into the room with a
comical face.
Il wouldn't have believed it If hadn't
heard it with my own ears said he.
Believe what p asked Mrs. Trelyon.
THAT women were such gossips.'
Nonsense said Mrs. Trelyon, a little
sharply.
If You haven't torn your Leighbors to
pieces by the wholesale, this blessed after
noon, went Oh Mr. Trelyon, sitting down in
his wife's work basket, and sending the spools,
reels and scissors spinning about in various
directions-'if you haven't aired all their
fail:ngs, laid bare the sanctuaries Of their
secret faults, and dissected their whole being,
am destitute Of the power of hearing My
dear, I'm ashamed Of you.
Mrs. Trelyon colored angrily.
Louis, cried she, you are too bad. If
you could have heard yourself and old Major
Fernleaf gossipping about the Seventh Regi-
ment last week.
sPshaw, my dear said Mr.. Trelyon,
coolly. Men never gossip.
Oh, don't they though p said Mrs. Trely
on, maliciously. Didn't you and Charles
Fortesene gossip yesterday about Mary Hay
Wafu NlTtdliOu Will MI 0ofuou
Mr. Treylon looked little awkward.
Well, we might have said a word or two;
butt 1854 a5
oh, word or two = bitterly echoed his
wife.
Now Pauline, there's no use in quarreling
bumor Wen put the matter to the test.
Do you see Charles savings bank up there
on the mantle?' -
'Of course / see it ? said Mrs. Trelyon
much marveing what was coming next.
We'll, look here. Every time l hear you
utter a word of gossip about your neghbors,
Til say Remember! and you're to put ten
cent stamp into it. Every time you here me
talking uncharitably about anybody, sing out
Remember = and I'll put in a quarter
But it isn't fair that you should pay more
forfeit than L. said Mrs. Trelyon.
I'm quite willing to risk it, said Mr..
Trelyon, calmly. Il don't mean to get caught
very often. And at the weeks end, we'll
open the bank, and the one who has the big
gest lot of forfeits shall invest the whole sum
in sort of memorial present for the other
But where are you going to get so many
ten cent pieces and quarters? asked Mrs.
Trelyon, still incredulous.
Oh, that's easily settled. I'll send down
to the drug store, on the corner, and get a
five dollar bill changed into small currency
triumphantly answered Trelyon.
We'll, don't send Molly" said Mrs.
Tfelyon. She'll be sure to stop half an
hour gggling with the drug clerk, and
Remember cried Mr.. .Trelyon, holding
up his finger Ten cents, Mrs. Trelyon, if
you please
ooh, but that isn't fair said Mrs. Trel-
yon. Molly's only my maid
sMolly's fellow creature, for all that,
said Mr. Trelyon.
And, besides, we haven't begun?'
Haven't we? II strikes me that's rather
an ignominious way out of the difficulty.
However, as you say--one, two, three, and
beginl There's little Tom Bafiey-pll send
him.
Tom Bailey in the street again cried
Mrs. Trslyon. Why, | thought be bad
place in Carvsrs store."
so he had, said Trelyon but believe