News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1882-05-11

was full of resentment.
81 never heard anything finer in
Boston" said Professor st. Clair Smith,
coming to the rescue, sand I suppose
you know what that implies"
The night after the lecture was very
stormy one, and Mrs. Appledore was
slowly twisting her hair in crimping.
pins, when the door-bell rang.
81 could not endure the loneliness OF
the hotel, dear Mrs. Apple ore," said
Professor st. Clair Smith, making q
courtly bow, "and have come to beg for
just one song"
The Professor was, so far as outline
and coloring go, handsome man. His
head was what is commonly called
dome-shaped. His wavy hair and silky
beard were bright velvet red, and his
rather large eyes were blue. He sat
down in big rocking chair, and taking
twin on each knee, ST renew my
youth in children" he cried, giving
them squeeze. "Do you know the
song, 'The old times were the best
times when you and I were young?'"
"Oh, yes" said the widow, nervously
turning over her music, "but I can't
say that feel so very DID,"
"Dear me-" what blunderer I am, "
cried the Professor. 81 was thinking
of my boyhood. 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, for
getting that she was 35 when the event
occurred. "The twins were babes"
Song succeeded song till the Professor
proposed duets, and Mrs. APP
pledore enjoyed the music so much that
it was midnight before she knew it.
Two months passed away. The Pro-
lessor came almost every evening. He
had hired small house little out of
town that he might be undisturbed he
explained, and a relative had come to
keep house for him. He did not know
how long he should remain in Dixville.
He was preparing book for publica-
ton and writing several new lectures.
When his literary labors were over he
was going to take trip somewhere and
rest, though friends of his, influential
at Washington, were anxious to have
him accept consulship at an import
ant point.
The widows neat white cottage stood
by itself on the confines of the village.
Beacon Bliss's fields of dark green pep
perm int and nodding wheat stretching
along the country road for neerly mile
joined the garden. Before her abrupt
refusal of him, the Deacon had been &C
customed to drop in for little visit or
to bring a nei ghborly offering of apples
or fresh vegetables. But these calls had
ceased, and cut off from all her sources
of news and pleasure, Mrs. Appledore
stayed closer at home practiced her
music and entertained tn g Professor.
But one sunsniny afternoon Mrs.
Phlox came bustling up the prlm gray
eled walk.
Rosetta Appledore," she chirped
like an angry blue-iay as she opened the
door, "though a 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 aston
ished sister.
Yes the town talk" repeated Mrs.
Phlox, with wonderful emphasis.
"Anybody would be who has spent two
blessed months philanderin' with a
married man."
"Who is married ?"
"Your Professor Smith,"
81 don't believe it."
"I s'posed you wouldn't, but I've seen
his wife," said Mrs. P hlox with evident
satisfaction. "Miss Merrills, she twas
Pearly Ann Truesdale, wouldn't miss a
fndin' out anything if she had to walk
ten miles, an she called on her, an told
me. That night SEE to John, John,
SEE ], "a sisters sister, specially if
she's younger an wilder, an if be a
clod I'm goin' to the bottom of this :
an, SEE he, Emma Jane, 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'.
"Pm Mi Phlox, SEE I, AN come
to call THANK you,' sez she, I'm
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 seq l.
ga sort Of smile twinkled over her
mouth an she SEE, 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 husband, an of how
ambitious he is, an how he feels his
spear in public life, an how she is
willin' to do anything to help him. An
then she inquired if 1 thought she could
g1t SEWN in Dixville when she feels a
little better an is able to do it.
Tears of shame and anger gathered
in Mrs. Appledore's eyes as her sister
spokel sis Mrs. Smith good looking ?
Is she an interesting woman ?" she
asked.
81 can't say how interesting she is.
She seemed kind of trod on, so to
speak. AS for looks, she amt any pref
tern you'd be if you worked as hard
and didn't have half enough to eat, "
said Mrs. Phlox, calmly.
Mrs. Appledore sobbed aloud. "What
do people say about me? What shall 1
do?'' she cried.
"They don't say nothin' yet, on'y
that you're dreadful foolish" chirped
her sister, rising and putting on her
calash, for it was almost supper time.
81 can't say as know of anything for
you to do except to tell Mr.. Smith to
stay t'home. 'Tain't likely Deacon
Bliss will give you chance to say yes
a second time"
There had been good deal of pleas
urable excitement in receiving the visits
of the professor. To dress herself in
her best mourning and to sing her favor
lite songs to an appreciative listener,
had been something to look forward to
during the humdrum work of the day.
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