Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1882-05-20
"POOR PHEBE PlDGEON.'
BY HELEN FORREST GRAVES.

the latest quarrel between Mrs. Squire
Allen and her sister, the parsons wife
He liked the Personal column of the.
newspaper, and took the liYelieSt inter-
est in the list of tax sales.
"a meddleSome baboonw said pref
" Alice Dexter, when she caught Mr.
Duckett peering into her window one
day, to see whether the tall young man
by the chimney piece was Henry
Lake or Walter Fitzwater.
"a most intelligent person. said
Mr.. MOuntmorris, when Mr.. Duckett
nnm11sptially informed him that be bad
overheard, behind the stable door, an
active Irritation between Betsey, the
maid, and Artemus, the hired man.
al don't believe in all this kissing
and hugging," said MIR. Duckett.
"And thought perhaps you would
like to know"
So that the public opinion of Stand
ale was pretty equally divided on the
subject ofold MIR. Duckett.
He had been up nearly all night, with
q telescope, looking for a new comet,
and consequently was breakfasting
rather later than usual, with Mrs.
Hopkins, his landlady, waiting on him,
in her best cap and apron.
"Yes," said Mrs. Hopkins, as she
brought in fresh fried egg on piece of
toast, "it is really true this time-to Mr..
Paysley And they do say that Dolly
DuttOn is ferociouS enough to kill her,
for every one knows that Paysley has
been playing fast and loose with Dolly
these three years, and has only thrown
her over now because Miss Pidgeon's
old uncle has left her thousand dollars
and set of silver spoons"
alum, hum! hum" said Mr..
Duckett, between his sips of coffee.
Every eXtraordinary-very, indeedW
Though, for my part" said Mrs.
Hopkins, al never could see what
there was About Alphonso Paysley to
take the fancy of the girls. But l
shouldn't wonder if Dolly sued him for
breach Ofpromise yet"
Mr.. Duckett was very much interest
ed in all this. He had seen Miss PidgeOn
Once-a tall, pale, lean female in specta-
cles, of some fOur-and-thirty sunless
summers; and he knew that Alphonso
Palsy was the clerk in the village store,
a sort of "gay LOthariO' on small
scale. And pretty Dolly Button often
came in TO help Mrs. Hopkins with her
churning, preserving, and household
saturnaiias of that nature q rosy,
pink-checked young damsel, with a
mis chieyOus gleam under her pearly
lahes, and a mortal fear of the dodgers
telescope, which in her own mind,
she could not altogether dissOciate from
q camera.
miss Pidgeon engagedp repeated
Mr.. Duckett, as he ate up the last red
raspberry, and pushed his plate away.
''Then there's hope for the oldest and
ugliest of us all-eh, Mrs. Hopkins?
Even me?"
la, sir" said the landlady. "there
amt any reason you shouldn't have
your pick and choose of the finest ladies
of the landw
ado you know of any pretty girl that
would take pity on an ugly old bache-
lor like me-" chuckled Mr.. Duckett.
"Plenty of 'em, sir" said Mrs. Hop
kins.
'Then," said Mr.. Duckett, suddenly
changing the subject, 'pack my bag,
Mrs. Hopkins, if you please. am GO
ing up INTO the woods to follow the
course of the geological strata that I'M
derlies this locality"
"Dear me, sir" said Mrs. Hopkins.
al shall be gone two days. said the
philosopher.
VERY well, sir" said Mrs. Hopkins.
And when the sage was gone, she sat
down to her household mending with q
sigh.
II really do miss that dear old gen.
tleman when he's gone" said she. Its
rather hard to be left even without cat
to talk to-"
1t was three days before Mr.. Duckett
satisfied himself whether the continual
ton of the Standale geological STRATA
was gray sandstone or red quartz; and
when he did come home he
bounced into the sittng-room
in manner which Mrs.
Hopkins afterwards remarked nearly
frightened her out of a years growth"
Mrs. Hopkins" he cried, grasping
for breath, "where is the constable
hOuse"'
1.-THE constable, sirw repeated Mrs.
Hopkins. "It's on the corner Of the
Old Mill Road-the red brick cottage
with the trumpet creeper all over it.
But, begging your pardon, sin! what
can you possibly want with the consta-
ble:"
"Woman," Kissed Mr.. Duckett, be-
tween his teeth, there has been terri
bic tradgedy! 1t must be investigated
"Sir?" said Mrs. Hopkins, more be-
wildered than ever. :.
ais il possible that you haven't
heard?n said Mr.. Duckett impress
siyely.
"Heard what SIR" said Mrs. Hop
kins.
"Of the-marderm
i'Bless and save usw said Mrs. Hop
kins, jumping up. What are you talk
ing about?"
Mr.. Duckett looked intently at her.
woman" said he, "have you seen
Misc Pidgeon lately?n
"Nell, now that you mention it, l
haven't" said Mrs. Hopkins, wonder
ing greatly. "But I'm told she's gone
TO Lowell, s-visitin'."
Mr.. Duckett uttered groan.
"Look at thatm he saba piece of
crumpled paper which found beside q
trout brook, a few miles north of here.
Evidently as Mrs. Hopkins fumbled
nervously for her spectacles, "a portion
of the guilty correspondence. You will
perceive that it is not the calligraphy of
y cultivated person.
And Mrs. Hopkins read, on torn
and stained piece of note paper the fol-
lowing words:
poor phebe pidgeon is poy-
soned. Dolly Dutton did it with Raft
Poyson, don't Tel amy one, she is
berried out under the willow Tree"
All the rest was torn away, but Mrs.
Hopkins had alreaey read more than
enough.
sit amt possiblew said she, turning
very pale.
L EairknA lnLko, .....,ll I. . -. 80,