The National tribune., 1882-05-13

cravat, and Mrs. Appledore's face was full
of resentment
a never heard anything finer in Boston,"
! said Professor st. Clair Smith, coming to the
rescue, and l suppose you know what that
| implies"
The night after the lecture was a very
stormy one and Mrs. Appledore was slowly
! twisting her hair in crimp-pins, when the
! door-bell rang. II could not endure the
| loneliness of the hotel, dear Mrs. Appledore,h
said Professor st. Clair Smith, making a
| courtly bow, and have come to beg for just
| one song
The Professor was, so far as outline and
coloring 90, a handsome man. His head was
what is commonly called dome-shaped. His
wavy hair and silky beard were q bright
yellow red, and his rather large eyes were
blue. He SAT down in the big rocking-chair,
and taking twin on each knee, . renew
my youth in Children he cried, giving them
a squeeze. "Do you know the song, The
| old times were the best times when you and
l were young?'"
"Oh, yes" said the widow, nervously turn
IilS5 ONSI IitI Duj CdL say tItiI
feel so very Old
Dear me, what blunderer / am" cried
the Professor. II was thinking of nay boy
hood. I've always hated being grown up
A man has so much to fetter his imagination
You must have lost your husband in the first
flush of your youth ?"
81 did," murmured the widow, forgetting
that she was 81 when the event occurred"
THE twins were babes"
Song succeeded song till the Professor pro-
posed duets, and Mrs. Appledore enjoyed the
music so much that it was midnight before
she knew it.
Two months passed away. The Professor
came almost every evening He had hired
small house a little out of town, that he
might be updisturbed, he explained, and
relative had come to keep house for him.
He did not know how long he should remain
in DiXville. He was preparing a book for
publication and writing several new lectures.
When his literary labors were over he was
going to take a trip somewhere and rest,
though friends of his, influential at Wash
ington, were anxious for him to accept q
consulship at an important point.
The widows neat white cottage stood by
itself on the confines of the village. Deacon
Bliss fields of dark green peppermint and
nodding wheat stretching along the country
road for nearly mile joined the garden.
Before her abrupt refusal of him, the Deacon
had been accustomed to drop in for a little
visit or to bring q neighborly offering of ap-
pies or fresh vegetables. But these calls had
ceased, and cut off from all her sources of
news and pleasure, Mrs. Appledore stayed
closely at home, practiced her music and
entertained the Professor.
But one sunshiny afternoon Mrs. Phlox
came bustling up The prim graveled walk.
"Rosetta Appledore," she chirped, like an
angry blue.jay, as she opened the door,
though clod, which there are folks that
think different, I've come to ask you if you
know you're the town talk?"
"The town talk?" echoed her, astonished
sister.
ayes; the town talk, !" repeated Mrs. Phlox,
with wonderful emphasis. Anybody would
be who had spent two blessed months phi
landerin' with married man"
"Who is married ?"
Your Professor Smith"
"I don't believe it."
Il s'posed you wouldn't, but I've seen his
wife," said Mrs. Phlox with evident satisfac-
ton. Miss Merrills, she twas Pearly Ann
Truesdale, wouldn't miss a ffndin' out any
thing if she had to walk ten miles, an she
called on her, an told me. That night | sez
to John, John sez /, q sisters a sister,
specially if she's younger an a widder, an
if be clod I'm goin' to the bottom of this
an sez he, Emma Jane, l think you'd
better an the first thing he did the next
mornin' was to hitch up an take me over on
the mile-strip where that fellow lives in
Tony Allerton's cottage. He want in, but
she was, an she was washin'.
"'Tm Miss Phlox,' sez /, AN come to
CALL Thank you,' sez she, Pm Miss Smith,
an she set out the only chair there was in
the room for me, an set down herself on the
wash bench
"'Air you Miss ST. Clair Smith, the wife of
the Professor scz I.
"a sort of smile twinkled over her mouth
an she sez Yes, Miss ST. Clair Smith,
though / didn't know Mr. Smith had adopted
the st. Clair name. That's my family name
An then she went on an spoke of her hus-
hand, an of how ambitious he is, an how he
feels his spear is public life, an how she is
willin' to do anything to help him. An
then she inquired if thought she could get
| sewin' in Dixville when she feels little
better an is able to do it."
Tears Of shame and anger gathered in Mrs
! Appledore's eyes rs her sister spoke. as
Mrs. Smith good looking? Is she an inter-
esting woman?" she asked.
a can't say how interesting she is She
seemed kind of trod on, so to speak. As for
looks, she amt any prettiern you'd be if you
worked hard an din't have half enough to
eat" said Mrs. PhlOX calmly.
Mrs. Appledore sobbed aloud. "What do
people say about meP What shall / do?"
she cried.
"They don't say nothin' yet, only that
you're dreadful foolish" chirped her sister,
rising and putting On her calash, for it was
almost supper time. II can't say as l know
of anything for you to do except to tell Mr.
1