The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1882-12-06
a Curious Disposition.

Three ladies were seated in Agatha
Fosters parlor; Miss Fortescue, large,
dark and of uncertain age, who mon
opolized the most comfortable arm
chair Mrs. Becker, shrunken and
sandy, who was constantly sliding
off the sofa and reinstating herself
with jerk, and Miss Agatha herself,
who sat apart from the others, qlanc-
ing uneasily out of the window, as if
distressed by their garrulity. Miss
Agatha was fair young woman. with
a noble head and a countenance ex-
pressive OF all grace and goodness. Yet
at this moment she entertained feel
ings decidedly hostile to her callers,
who had run in, with the familiar free
dom Of fellow boarders in family hotel.
to chat away the afternoon. At heart
they'were immensely sorry that Miss
NannieF Foster hadnotyet returned from
a suburb, where she had gone the day
before. Miss Mamie, Agatha'scousin,
companion and chaperone in one. was
far more to their taste; she was more
attentive, more easily impressed, more
sympathetic, they thought. She never
sat looking out the window when they
were retailing their choicest hits Of
scandal for her especial benefit. But
then she was woman of years. How
ever, they still fingered; it was d
pleasant place. The Fosters had the
handsomest suite in the building-and
furnished with such tastel Such car
pets Such decorative artl And the
Fosters were tip-top people. There
were four of them, Miss Agatha, her
two bachelor brothers, ten and dozen
years her senior, and Miss Mamie, who,
since their parents death, had kept the
children together. The winter day
drew to close, the room grew duslSy,
and still the ladies' fingered.
Agatha could endure it no longer:
this OF all days, she was without pa
thence. She rose quickly.
Ladies' she said, with an indig-
nant culver in her sweet contralto
voice, ''you must excuse me. cannot
listen to such conversation p
There was silence moment; then
Miss Fortescue lifted her cumbrous
frame. "Oh, certainly. / quite un-
derstand. We viii withdraw. We
do not wish TO Offend"
"Oh, certainly" family echoed Mrs.
Becker, sliding from the sofa for the
last time and preparing to ofollow.
Agatha's impatience only increased.
And allow me to say" she ex-
claimed, with no compunction, "that l
think ladies might be.better employed
than with their neighbors' affairs"
"Good-afterno0n," said Miss Fortes-
cue, savagely.
"Good-afternoon," sneered Mrs.
Becker.
"Good riddancer' cried Agatha,
sharply, ere the door had closed.
"To-day Of all days." she said, as
she walked to and fro in the dusk.
Presently the door opened
" An in the dark, AgathaP" asked a
cheery voice.
st thought you would never come,
Mamie, was the swift, unnerved re-
ply
"whH what is the matter, my
dear ?''
A" i have just put Mrs. Fortescue and
Mrs. Becker out of the room, and it
has annoyed me-"
Dear Inc, what had they done?"
The same old sickening gossip.
Miss Bruce firts on the street; Mrs.
Gray holds her step-child to the fire to
burn it, and so on and SO on"
"They get their ideas from the
morning papers" said Mamie, calmly.
unclasping her fur-lined circular.
"The stepmother holding the child to
the fire is fayorite paragraph when
news is scarce. Sometimes she heats
the flat-iron. For my part 1 would
never go to that trouble"
But Agatha could not respond to her
staid humor. She helped put away the
wraps, and inquired after thesuburban
friends.
You look pale aren't you well?"
asked Miss Mamie when they were
seated.
The girl dropped her eyes. "Nannie,
l have some news for you," she said
with an effort. "I-last night
promised Mr.. Peters-to-to marry
him. Then she sighed as if relieved |
of great burden
The room was still, utterly still If
Miss Mamie We're surprised or shocked |
She gave no token. She only sat quietly |
looking al the girl and taking time to
collect. Agatha meyer lifted her eyes