The Portland daily press., 1885-11-28


said it was too public for her to need to re-
peat it, I should think with momentary
twinkle of his eye, ''by the fuss she made
that it must be pretty bad, either murder or
arson or burglary at least.
The deacon was mild-mannered man, OF
great propriety of conduct and speech, but
after moments pause he exclaimed:
"Hang it all, | wish they would go, then
maybe could have a little peace of my life.
Only last winter there was row because
Mrs. Spence took her little boy out OF Almlra
Sophia's Sunday school class into her own,
and had to get that Strengthened out; and
not months ago / had to go the new minister
and tell him that Sister Hatch saw him go to
Harvey Apps twas all on business too an
she felt very much hurt and didn't know
what she'd done, that the new minister
should go right past her to call on the other
church members"
And as the deacon's feelings rsoe with the
retrospect, he exclaimed with added empha-
sis 81 hope they will go, dumbed if
don'tr'
Algonac was little country village, where
when any pebble of incident dropped into its
quiet surface, the resulting agitation quickly
reached its outer border. So it was soon
known the Widow Hatch and Almira Sophia
had stopped attending church, and were go
ing to withdraw from it, because they had
been slandered by the members, and that the
widow had been CONTINUOUSLY heard to remark
that 'af some people didn't look out they'd
have the law taken to them"
The SANDER formed the center of postoffice
gossip, and furnished the principal topic at
the sewing society; indeed, one or two tea
parties were given on the strength of it, and
any number of afternoon and evening calls
were made.
A leading member of the opposite church
for Algonac boosted only two denomina-
tions, commonly known from the color of
their edifices, as the Brown" and white
Church, between whom existed the bitter
rivalry too often seen in small villages was
reported to have said that she was not bit
surprised; had always had her opinion
about some of those white church, people,
if they did act as though they thought them
selves saints. And the ''Brown church"
minister publicly thanked the Lord that
| "peace and harmony reigned among them,
| and that the voice of false accusation was
| not heard in their tent of Zion" To which
| the ''White church, people retorted that
| they hoped they would never be guilty of
| the narrow, sectarian, self-g clarifying spirit
| which characterized the Brown church."
And as the result, union prayer-meeting,
which had been started and was promising
to bring the two churches into a closer bond
| of unity, was broken up and the old root of
l.o+x =
orous growth
The adolescent lawyer who had hung out
| his sign in Algonac, and was by no means
| overwhelmed with clients, perceptibly bright
| ened at the mention of a libel suit, and not
| only read up the law on such cases, but went
| so far as to stroll out past the widows house
and on his return to call at the door, ostensi-
| bly, to ask for glass of water, with the idea
| of introducing the interesting subject.
But the stern glare of the widows pale
| eyes, the GOODNESS of her demeanor, and the
| awful unresponsiveness of her tone, were
| too much for his youthful audacity, and he
| hastily beat retreat.
| But during this time the strangest of it all
| was that nobody knew what the SANDER was,
or who had perpetrated it. Almira Sophia
| remained invisible, and Mrs. Hatch, when
| approached on the matter by those of suffi-
| cient tenierity of spirit, had assumed to con-
| slider it universally known, and had content
| ed herself with some fearful illusions to
| their condition as "lone wimmen to be put
upon by everybody" and vague nts that
folks had better be careful what they say if
| they don't want trouble
/ - 11- oil +bn
| of piquancy to the gossip, and gave wide
play of fancy for conjecture. The shoema-
ker entertained knot of loungers in his
shop, with the opinion that the scandal was
that the widow had caused her husbands
| death by petrlfying him by look, and one
| Of the listeners, after the laugh had died
| away had hazarded the guess that '"twas
that the widow or Almira Sophia was going
| to be married. a witticism which elected
| another roar.
Nearly every one held different opinion,
| and each held to his own with the greatest
| tenacity, so that disputes were not only nu-
| merous and frequent, but were carried to
| such heights that Mrs Slice and Miss Crumb
| did not speak to each other for six months,
and Parsons & Whitbeck, the butchers, be-
came so angry that they dissolved their bust
ness connection on the spot.
In one thing, however, all agreed: that it
must be decidedly grave and affecting the
moral character of the accused. AS to the
accuser, that was equally difficult to fix upon
Suspicion rested upon several, who in turn
resented the imputation angrily, while the
feeling of mistrust peryading the air, and
likely to fall at any time on none knew whom
gave to the community a general sense of
restless suspicion.
There is no knowing how long the mystic
rious SANDER would have continued to dis
turb Algonac, or in what further complica-
tions its people would have become involved
because of it, had it not been for Aunt Par
mel Bassit, who was wont to boast that she
''meant to see as fur into a milstun as any
body could, and who had the courage and
perseverance to probe the matter to the bot
tom.
'Well," she triumphantly announced one
day, stopping on her homeward way where
| Deacon Hall and his wife sat on their porch,
"Pve found out what there is to that scandal
business"
'You have? Do tell us!' they both ex-
claimed:
'That's just what L stopped for, though I
ought to be hum this minute skimmin' the
milk for the calves; but knew you'd be
proper glad to hear about it. Well, got
tired of hearin' folks say first one thing an
then another, and told Benajah l was goin'
to know the rights of the story; so after
done up my dinner work and baked some
pies for supper and breakfast, clapped on
my things an run over to Mis- Hatches' an
says l.
We'll, sister Hatch, I'm glad to see you
around. hadn't seen you nor Almira So
phia to meetin' lately, an / didn't know but
you might be havin' spell of your rheuma-
tism.'
I'm well enough says she, pretty short
like.
'Almira Sophia hain't been havin' another
touch of that weakness in her back?' saysI.
No, she hasn't says she.
Well, then, if you amt sick, hope you
amt fell from grace, or are havin' doubts in
your mind about the doctrine?'
I don't think we've fallen from grace as
much as some other people, says she, as stiff |
as steel-yards, an if you want to know why |