Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1883-07-31


her dress would be ready to try on, and
whether she had better get ball buttons
or fiat buttons for it, and if she thought
any more velvet was needed for it, and
she asked her if any one should see her
new dress, and ask what it cost, if she
wouldn't tell them it came from New York
and that it was very expensive.
Meantime my cooking was progressing
beautifully, and / was having full liberty
to work without interruption. when |
found that | needed two more eggs than
| had in the house, so I asked my visitor
excuse me while | went out to borrow
them. In my absence, as fate-good or
or bad-decreed, my own bell rang, and
as was not there, my guest answered.
The speaker proved to be my husband,
who, never doubling but that my ear
was at the instrument, said, recklessly I:
"How do you get along with the old
plague -
"What old plague ;" was my visitors
response.
"Why, Mrs. Hays, to be sure. Can't
you make out to get rid Of her: If you
do, let me know and will be up to din
ner; otherwise there is man wants to
see me at the hotel on very important
business
81 am Mrs. Hays" answered the now
aroused and irate woman. You can
come home, for shall not be here to-day
to dinner-no, nor any other day ever
again"
This remark greeted my ears as re-
entered my kitchen with my borrowed
eggs, and I hardly know whether l was
made more glad or astonished by it.
Then seeing me, she turned with great
asperity and said, " Mrs. Vance, have
felt for long time that you are false
friend to me. shall never darken your
doors again" and she began at once to
put on her wraps to go. This sight so
gratified me that made no attempt to
appease her, but assisted her on with her
garments, all the time hold my peace.
even had the sustaining grace to walk
with her to the door and to listen to her
last outburst without any further reply
than to wish her good morning as / closed
the door.
l thought in my simplicity that all my
tribulations were over, but realize now
that my sorrows had only begun when
she left, for she went straight to the
Joneses and told them about the plan
that Mr.. Burns had made to get away
soon after tea, and not liking TO tell her
real source of information, she told them
that | told her, and that said that Mr..
Burns told me, and that we had great
laugh over the affair as good joke, and
now none of the Joneses speak when they
see me, and besides they told Mr.. Burns
what Mrs. Hays said, and he came to
me about what he called my dishonorable
conduct, and expressed regret at having
such a person in his congregation. When
| told George what the minister said to
me, George simply stepped to the tele'
phone and calling for him remarked that
he needn't waste any further regrets over
us as we should not be members Of his
congregation after this date. And SO
there is a marked coldness between him
and us, and half of the church people
have called to inquire about the trouble,
and the matter has made no end of un-
pleasant talk.
Besides this scandal it happened that
Mrs. Hays went directly to Mrs. Greene''
to dinner (you see she had heard her or
der her dinner and knew it would be a
good one), and while the boarders were
all at the table to hear, she said, in a
very suggestive way, to sweet Jessie
Drew, who was sitting beside her stern
old father, "that the post-office was q
rather public place for lovers meeting
and the young girl blushed so violently
that her father took the alarm, and sent
her the next day to her grandmother in
Vermont to spend the summer on lone
ly farm. When l heard Of that hard
punishment for the poor punishment fol
the poor girl, l went down and told hel
father the whole story, omitting, howev'
er, the sweet passage of their conversa-
ton, but he, like Pharoah, only hardened
his heart and said she needed mother
too look after her, and now l hear thai
he is engaged to marry the dressmakel
Mrs. Esty. who everybody knows, is the
most designing creature in town, and
know poor Jessie will never have another
moment of happiness when that marriage
shall have been consummated.
Moreover, at that same dinner table
Mrs. Hays announced that James Stowe
the clerk in the insurance office, would
be married on the next Tuesday evening,