The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1882-05-24

70 be most soulful and eloquent dissertA-
ton. but Mrs. AppledOre's attention wan
dered, and she only knew that the enter
tainment was about to be concluded by DIR.
Ollapod's sOnoroUs call for mOosic."
81 am delighted" said Professor st. Clair
bowling low before her, as soon as possible
after the .'mOosic." 81 never heard such q
delicious voice"
Mrs. Appledore eoughed behind to con-
ceal her haltered embarrassment, and turned
questioning look on Professor jackson
Jones, who stood near.
"You always sing splendidly," said that
gentleman, drawing himselfup. al dare say l
put you out That flute obligsto is a deuced
hard thing to do. didn't do myself justice
to night
you've always dragged" said Karl Leo
pold, who took every opportunity to criti-
else the Harmonicam doings-
Professor jackson Jones pulled at his era
vat, and Mrs. Appledore's lace was full OF
resentment.
81 never heard anything finer in Boston,
said Professor 81. 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 slow
ly twisting her hair in crimping-pins, when
the door bell rang. al could not endure
the lonliness of the hotel, dear Mrs. Apple
dore," said Professor St. Clair Smith, max
ing a courtly bow, sand have come to beg
for just one song
The Professor was, so far as outline and
coloring go, "A handsome man. His head
was what is commonly called dome-shaped
His wsvy hair and silky beard were bright
yellow red, and his rather large eyes were
blue He sat down in the big rocking-chair,
and taking a twin on each knee, 81 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 were youngP"
sob, yes" said the widow, Dervously
turning over her music, "but L can't say
that feel so very old"
"Oear me, what blunderer 1 am" cried
the Professor. II was thinking of my boy
hood. I've always hated being grown up.
A man has so much to fetter his imagina-
ton. You must have lost your husband In
the first flush of YOUTH"
! al did" murmured the widow, forgetting
that she was thirty. five when the event oc-
Cured.
"The twins were babes"
Song succeeded song till the Professor
proposed duets, and Mrs. AppledOre enjoy
ed the music so much that il was midnight
before she knew it.
Two months passed away. The Profess
sor came almost every evening. He had
hired q small house n little out of town,
that he might be undisturbed, he explained,
and relative had come to keep house for
him. He did not know how long he should
remain in Dixvilie. He was preparing a
hook for publication, and writing several
lectures. When his literary labors were
over he was going to take a trip somewhere
and rest, though friends of his, inAuenlial.in
Washington, were anxious for him to accept
eonsulship at an important point.
The widows neat white cottage stood by
itself on the confines of the village. Deacon
Bliss field 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 Dea
con had been accustomed 10 drop in for a
little visit or to bring neighborly offering
of apples or fresh vegetables. But these
calls had ceased, and, cut off from all her
sources of news and pleasure, Mrs. Apple
dore stayed closely at home, practiced her
music, and entertained the Professor.
But one sunshiny afternoon Mrs. Phlox
came bustling up the prime graveled walk.
Rosetta Anderson" she chirped, like an
angry bluej4y, as she opened the door,
though clvd, which there are folks that
think different, I've come to ask you if you
know you're the town TALK"
"The town tslk?" ecnoed her astonished
sister.
Eyes, the town talk, !" repeated Mrs. Phlox,
with wonderful emphasis. "Any body
would be who mad spent two blessed months
philsnderinS with a married man."
"Who ia marriedf"
"Your Professor Smith"
81 don't believe it,"
IL s'pose you wouldn't, but have seen
his wife" said Mrs. Phlox with evident sat-
isfaction. "Mss Merrills, she twas Pearly
Ann Truesdale, wouldn't miss fndin' out
anything if she had to walk ten miles, an
she called on her, and told me. That night
SEE to John, John SEE /, "a sisters a Sis
ter, specially if she's younger an wilder,
an If be ciod Pm goin' to the bottom of
this;' IAN" SEE ne, 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 Alferton's cottage. He wat
in, but she was, and she was washin'.
"'I'm Miss Phlox, SEE l, AN come to
CALI Thank you, SEE 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.s
'''Air you Miss St. Clair Smith, the wife
of Professor SEE 1.
"a sort of smile twinkled over her mouth
an she SEE. Yes, Miss st. Clair Smith,
though didn't know Mr.. Smith had adopt
ed 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 be feels his spear in public life, an how
she is willin' to do any thing to help him.
An then she inquired il / thought she could
get sewn' in ID. xville when she feels little
better an is able to do it."
Tears of shame and anger gathered in
Mrs Appledore's eyes AS her sister spoke.
lis Mrs Smith good looking2 Is she an in
teresting woman2" sne asked.
81 can't say how interesting she is. She
seemed kind of trod on, so to speak. As for
looks, she amt any prettier'n you'd be if
yon worked hard an didn't get half enough
to eat, said Mrs. Pnlox calmly.
Mrs. Appledore sobbed aloud. "What do
people say about me? What shall dor"
she cried.
"They don't say nothin' yet, on'y that
you're dreadful foolish" chirped her sister,
rising and putting on her cslssh, for it was
almost supper time. 81 can't say as know
of anything for you to do except to tell Mr..