The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1878-04-20
A POSTAL CARD.

/ I" Good morning, Miss Laura said Mrs
Bender stopping at the gate. Glow are
the folks to-day?''
All well, thank you, Mrs. Bender
81 didn't see any light in the best parlor
last night, Miss Laura; how's thate ANY
unpleasantness ?'
" None in the weather, surely" laughed
Laura.
All! I'm going down to the post office ;
shall look in your box? | suppose you
want your letters early, and one likes to be
neighborly."
." Yes, thank you, Mrs. Bender | shall
be in school till noon, and love to find a
letter under my dinner plate, and there'l
be no one to go to the office, as Miss Frill
is here, cutting and basting. Yes, | would
be glad to have you look in our box, not
that l expect much of anything"
Any thing in Box 297?" she asked,
having reached the office and secured her
own mail. GA postal card! well, never"
as the clerk surrendered it. Miss
Laura Vaughn she read, as she trudged
homeward. 'GTacious. who's writing to
her on IA postal card? wouldn't thank
my folks to write in that public way
Every body reads them, of course: Just as
much common property as a poster
Ahem. You can hardly help reading one;
he who runs may ad--you see every
Nd hnf,,
be at the Studio Building by II A. NJ. on
Wednesday. Nuns the word. Jack
jack! Who's Jack, should like to know?
Pretty work, Miss Laura, for a deacons
daughter And there's poor Devens, too,
He ought to be told of these goings on, and
put on his guard. It's a duty not to allow
the young man to remain in the dark.
shall have to manage it somehow"
Mrs. Bender left the postal card with the
servant at Laura's door, and proceeded
homeward Mr.. Devens, as fate had or.
dered it, boarded with Mrs. Bender, and
had been making himself too agreeable to
her young neighbour, when she had other
views for him-when there was Prudence
Bender sitting at home at the piano, in her
black silk and clicked stockings, waiting
for something to happen. Mrs. Bender
had somewhere read that the fate of future
generations had been decided by the toss
OF curl or the waving of ribbon, and
sue was determined that neither curl nor
ribbon should be spared to favor her case.
Have you seen anything of our neigh
bors lately?" she asked Mr.. Devens at
dinner.
Il met Miss Nell Newcomb this morn
ing and walked to the mail with her, he
answered, evasively.
"Oh, | mean those on the other side of
the house" Miss Nell was engaged, and
man might safely walk to Jericho with
her. Miss Vaughn and you don't see so
much of each other as you did, Ell?
"Oh, don't We? May trouble you for
the paper Miss Prue?'
Law, no trouble, Mr.. Dsvens If
you're going into the city to morrow would
you mind matching some fringe for me ?"
I" wouldn't mind matching anything
for you, Miss Prue; but I've no more iGea
of going into to the city to morrow than of
going 10 the NOON
"Oh, | understood that Miss Laura was
going, and / supposed-I didn't know
but
" Miss Vaughn hasn't mentioned the ex-
curSion to the. Aren't you mistaken -
off his guard.
Would she be likely to mention it if
she were going to meet somebody in par
ticular?' put in Mrs. Bender.
Law ma: don't worry Mr.. Devens."
6 only said 'supposing.' 1t is well to
be prepared for the worst, isn't it, Mr..
Devens?"
g am not in the least anxious assure
you, averred that gentleman; but it struck
him little oddly that he should have heard
nothing of the projected journey, since
trip to Boston was n holiday affair to Laura,
which she openly discussed for weeks be-
fore and after. To be sure, there had been
little GOODNESS between them, dating from
the time when he brought her letter from
the mail, directed in fine masculine hand,
and size had refused to crafty his curiosity
about it. He had spent the next evening
playing euchre with Miss King, and Laura
had seen him go'in for that purpose One
tritie after another had helped to widen
the little riff within the lutte, and he had
not been near Laura's door for three whole
days Hadn't he better step over this
evening and see how she was enduring it
he asked himself. And about this trip to
Boston. How could she leave her district
school? 1t was only some nonsense of
Mrs. Bender's, no doubt. But delaying in
the hall on Wednesday evening to brush
his hat, he overheard Miss Prue saying to
her mother: ELLEN Dow taught school for
Laura Vaughn to-day. | wonder the COM
mlttee don't complain. 1t is very odd
about her going up to Boston. She asked
Ellen Dow not to mention it, too. And
Ellen told me not to say word about ii.
either, so don't you let it out 10 Mr.. Devens,
ma, just to tease him. | wonder if she
met Jack? Her father doesn't approve Of
him, and so she meets him on the sly
pursued Prue, weaving her romance from
the meagre material in hand. Il wish
you would forbid somebody coming to see
me; and then" But then Mr.. Devens
entered.
HIS Laura suspected of meeting another
man on the sly! 1t gave him a cold chill.
He had fondly believed that she only waited
his beck and call; it had never occurred to
him as possible that she could console her
self with another lover. And who was
this Jack about whom Miss Prue iiscoursed
so volubly? Should he go to Laura and beg
for reconciliation-he had fully made up
his mind to this step before entering the
houSe-or should he give her a lesson?
Did Miss Laura match your fringe to-
day >" he asked, rouchalantly.
81 didn't like to ask her." said Prne.
9 | reckon she had other fish to fry
Wv hen young lady goes to the city to
meet sweetheart, she can't attend to