The Highland weekly news. [volume] (Hillsborough [Hillsboro], Highland County, Ohio) 1853-1886, 1878-06-20

didn't surprise me-nOC DlC.
''You can't tell me one word against
Mary Linden that 1 will believe" said
Maggie Snow.
"YOu will admit that the minister
went North last Tuesday, won't your"
Seven wimmen spoke up to once, and
said, "Yes his mother was took sick,
and they telegraphted for him."
$50 he said" sneered Betsy Babbet,
$50 he said; I believe it's for good"
"Oh, dear!" shrieEed Ophelia Dobbs,
1T shall faint away; keteh hold of me,
"Ketch hold Of yourself, !" said I, Sc
7erely, and then sez I to Betsy, 81 don't
believe he's run away any more than I
believe 1 am the next President Of the
United States"
"Well, if he hain't, he'll wish he had"
,ez she. "His wife came night before
last on the cars"
Four wimmen said ibid she2" two
said, ''Do tel?" and three opened their
mouths and looked at her speeChlesS;
amongst the last was Miss Deacon
Graves. I spoke in a kOlected manner,
and sez /, "What of it2"
ayes, what Of itP" said she. 81 be-
Iieve the poor man mistTusted it all
out, and run away from trouble and
''How dare youl'' sez Maggie Snow,
.'speak the word disgrace in connection
with Mary Linden?"
"How dare II" sez Betsy Babbet.
ASK Jake Coleman, as it happened l
got it from his own mouth, it didn't
come through two or three"
Get what2' sez 1; ''if you can speak
the English language, Betsy Babbet,
and have got sense enuff to tell a
straight story, tell it and be done with
it, Il" sez I.
"WeH, jest as I come out the gate to
our house." sex she. "Jake Coleman
came along, and sez he, Betsy, I have
got something to tell yOu,' sez he; 4
want to tell somebody that can keep it;
it ought to be kept, sez he, and then he
went on and told; sez he, Miss Linden
has got home, and she didn't come
alone, neither SeZ 1, What do you
He looked as mysterious as a
ghost, and 8sz be, L mean what say,
sez he; 4 drove the carriage home from
the depot and Sez he, as sure as my
name is Jake Coleman, 1 heard her
talking to somebody she called Hugh
you know her husbands name is
1 heard her tell this Hugh
that she loved him, loved him better
than the whole world And then he
made me promise not to tell; BUT he
said he heard not only one kiss. but
fourteen or fifteen. Now" sez Betsy,
What do you think Of the minister's
wifeI"
"Good heavensl" cried Ophelia Dobbs,
''am I deceived2 is th;5 a phantagory Of
The brain. or have [ got ears2 Have ]
got earsY" sns KOnuInude, Wildly gIar'
ing at me.
"YOu can feel and see," said I,
shortly.
"Wi.l he live with the wretched crea-
turei" kontinude Opheiia. 'NO, he
will get j diYorcement from her; such
a tender-hearted man as he IS too. II
ever a man wanted a comforter in a
tryin' time he is the man, and tO-mOr-
row I will 60 and comfort him"
ST guess you will find him, first, " said
Betsy Babbet. "And I guess if he was
found, there is a certain person he would
be as glad to see as he would another
certain person"
''There is some mistake said Mag
gle Snow. Jake Coleman is always
joking"
''It was male, said LUcinder DObbs, -
"else why did she call him Hugh? You
have all heard the minister say his wife
hadn't a relative on earth except her
mother and a maiden aunt"
"I have thought something was OF
the minister's mind all the spring,
said the Widder Tubbs, 81 have spoken
to sister Ann about it a number of
times" Then she kinder rolled up her
eyes, jest as she does in class-meetin'r
and sez she, ut is an awful dispensa-
ton, but I hope he'll turn it into s
means Of grace; I hope his speritOoil
strength will be renewed. But" sez
she, IT have bOrryed a good deal o.
trouble about his bein' so'handsOme; !
have noticed that handsome ministers
don't turn out well, they most always
have somethin' happen to 'em sooner OF
later; but I hope he'll be led"
"Weu, I never thought that Miss
Linden was any too good" said Betsy
Babbet.
Neither did I, A." said LUcinder DObbs
"She has turned out jest as always
thought she would, +" said Ophelia, land
have Jest as good an opinion Of her as
have for them that stand up for her.
Maggie Snow spoke up then; jest as
clear as a bell her voice sounded; she
amt afraid Of anybody, for she is Law
yer Shows only child, and has been tC
Boston to school. Sez she, Aunt Al
len" (she is a little related to me on hel
mothers side), "Aunt Allen, why is II
that, as a general rule, the very worst
folks are the first ones to suspect Othel
folks Of being bad2"
Sez I, Maggie, they draw their pic
lures from memory" And sez 1
They want to pull down other folksei
regulations, for they feel as if theil
own goodness is in a tOtteTin' cOndi
ton, and if they fall, they want some
thing to fall on, 50 as to come dOwr
easier ike"
Maggie Snow laughed, and so dill Mis-
Edwards, and the JOneses, but Betsy
Babbet and the Dobbs' girls looked
black as ErObius. And, sez Betsy BAD
bet to me, sez she: Il shouldn't think
Josiah Aliens wife, that you woulC
counteuance such conduct"
Il will first know there is wrong coh
duct" sez l. Sez 1, Miss Linden
face is Jest as innocent as baby's, an,
1 amt a-gOin' to mistrust anV evil on
Of them pretty brown eyes till an
obleeged to-"
Jost ut this n,inute the hired cir