River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1877-03-29

.sWal, he might have cool reason
| fort. As | told Brother Sam, when
he was prancin' round with the Wild
| der Pettee. when a mans got wife
| -"
1.-THE widow lifted up her hands and
eyes. '.Good gracious you don't
mean to say he's married !"
STEW be sure; and got three chill
dren."
"Of all things! Who on earth told
yer'
"Who told me! Why, was at the
weddin' myself. Is it anything sur
prism fer a man to get married :"
"Wal, no. Blu tew think that you
| never mentioned it,"
Il didn't s'pOse twas anythin that
| would interest you in partlc Ter, re-
| sponded Josh, as he put the last screw
1 into the face of the clock. 81 hadn't
no idee then that you was of SIGH .
| kind and charitable turn of mind.
guess it will go all right now. I'm
| goin' tew the Center this AFTERNOON,
but shall be back the first of the
week, an if there's any tronble jes'
| let me know.
1.-The sly, deceitful, good-for-nothin'
scamp - exclaimed the widow Pea
body, as she tied on her bonnet, pre-
paratory to spreading this delectable
bit of scandal through the village.
"Tew think of his havin' a wife an
three children, an he purtendin' to
be a sIngal man! III unmask the
vilyun -
The Widow Peabody was as good as
her word, succeeding so well in her
benevolent. self-denying efforts that
when Mr.. Brown returned to Barber
~ Green, as he did few days after,
| he was received with a mixture of
constraint and GOODNESS by his former
| friends and associates that surprised
and puzzled him. To complete his
vexation and bewilderment Mahitable
| Green, whose esteem and affection he
was so anxious to secure, actually re-
| fused to see him. The studious avoid
ance of him by everyone made it no
| easy thing to do, but he finally sue
| ceeded in tracing the matter to it's
source.
There was a quilting" at Squire
Teller's and such clatter of tongues
as there was in the ''square-room,"
where the fair quilters were congre-
gated. The Widow Peabody was there,
| of course she never failed to 'put in
an appearance" on such occasions.
Mahitable Green was there, too,
though she had much rather stayed
! at home, roor girl But she was
high-spirited, and wasn't going to
] have folks think she was wearing
the Willow" not she She sat among
a merry group of her own age, her
smiling face little in unison with her
heavy heart.
The widow Peabody was the center
and attraction of an interested, if not
| interesting group. Never was her
volu0le tongue more active and vene-
nous. She was repeating, for about
the hundretdh time, her accounted Mr..
Browns baseness and duplicity, and
to which she had given variety of
additions and embellishments, when
the door opened, and in came the
hero of it, followed by Josh Hard
wick. Without noticing the astonish-
ment on the faces of those present.
he marched up to where Mrs. Peabody
sat.
Good evening. ma am. hear that
you have been busying yourself with
my affairs good deal lately"
''Sir," said the widow, grimly, Il
consider it tew be my duty tew warn
folks ag'in them chat go about like
wolves in sleeps clothing. How did
you leave your wife! Ahem !''
Here Mrs. Peabody glanced around
with look of triumph. But, instead
of being overwhelmed with confusion
at this public exposure, as might pro-
perly be expected of him, Mr.. Brown
said quietly:
"My wife-that is to be, as l hope
is very well at present, as | am happy
to see."
Here the supposed culprit glanced at
Mahitable, who was an interested and
attentive listener to this.
Josh Hardwick now spoke:
sLook here, wilder, I've got ques-
tion tew ask you. don't often speak
but when | dew it's tew the pint !:
What dew you mean by sayin' as how
| | told We that Mr.. Brown had wife
and three children 2"
because you did tell me SOL" cried
the widow, sticking her elbows AKIN
DO, evidently considering her reputa-
tion as a reliable news-vender" TO be
at stake. ''You told me so the day
you fixed my clock, an you needn't go
fur tew deny it, nuther.''
81 didn't tell you nothin' of the sort.
l was speakin" bout Brother Sam, when
you bust in, askin' if he was married,
an | said yes. If you wasn't continu-
ally thinkin' evil of your nabors you'd
have knowed what l meant"
Mr.. Brown now interposed. Looking
around upon the eXpectant group,
whose faces evinced both surprise and
curiosity, he said:
MY good friends-as hope and be-
lieve you all to be-perhaps | owe you
an apology for my abrupt and uncere-
monious departure from your midst.
In order to explain it clearly ! shall
have to make a, for me, rather humil.
iating confession. But an open con-
fession, they say lis good for the soul. "
Here the speaker glanced slyly at
the widow Peabody, who had pricked
up her ears, thinking that she should
now hear something more to her liking
Mr.. Brown resumed:
al am reluctantly compelled to ac-
knowledge that, owing to the result of
fall, l have-not wife and three
children; am not so bleSt-but, hor-
rible to relate, three artificial teeth,
which, being, directly in front, are in
dispensable to the fair degree of good
looks which flatter myself possess.
Upon the night previous to my leav-
ing town returned home after having
spent a very pleasant evening"" Here
Mr.. Brown again glanced toward
Nathalie, whose conscious face was
the color of the roses in her hair and
bosom. ''While partaking of some re:
freshments, before retiring, l accid-
dentally loosened spring which kept
these teeth in place. There being no
experienced dentist here | left town
early the next morning, fully expect
ing to be able to return the following
day; but unforeseen hinderances pre-