The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1885-04-25
The FOxglOve Mystery.
Helen Forrest Graves,

81 dunno as we've got nothin' tc
fgive,' said Farmer Foxglove, looking
obviously around the kitchen. "Phil
eny, she don't believe in givin' much,
unless it's through the Church Benevo.
lent Guild And Seraphina isn't at
home"
The Widow Waterman gave little
sniff of mingled depreciation and humil-
ity.
"Times is very bad with me, Mr..
Foxglove," said she. 81 haven't had
no work since August, and there ain't
nothin' to eat in the house,
"You don't tell me !" said the far
mer, who was the softest- hearted of
men. "Here, give me your basket
Phileny'l say I'm an old fool; but l
don't care"
"There's them as has entertained an
gels unawares, whined the Widow
Waterman, as she sidled into the room,
and held out her talon-like fingers to
the fire of good pine logs which was
cracking and sputtering cheerfully on
the hearth.
Anything less akin to the angelic
tribe than Mrs. Waterman could scarce
| ly be imagined as she sat there with be-
draggled gown, bonnet bent in one
sided fashion over her eyes, and a
gauzy rag of a shawl pulled across her
gaunt shoulders.
But Mr.. Foxglove, honest man, saw
only her poverty and destitution.
With a trepidation not unlike the
sensation of a schoolboy who robs an
orchard for the first time, he went into
the buttery and helped himself to half
a cold roast fowl, a loaf of rye-bread, a
goodly wedge of yellow butter out of a
covered jar, and three-quarters of a
juicy apple-pie.
'It'll keep her for twenty-four hours
at least" he thought.
And then he opened Mrs. Foxglove's
especial tin tea caddy, and filched a
handful of the fragrant dried leaves,
which he wrapped up in brown paper
and put beside the other viands.
81 dunno what Phileny will say" he
thought; "but there l amt made of
stun, nor yet of cast-iron and steel
tliin'o. And can't stand by and see
a fellow creetur starve, no matter how
shiftless and good for nothin' she is.''
And, CHANGING to notice how thin
and inadequate the old woman's shawl
was, he recklessly took down an old
bombazine cloak, originally a bright
brown, but now faded in as many
streaks as zebra's hide, which had
| hung from time immemorial in the
back entry.
"There amt no more use in that
old dud," he thought, sand it'll keep
the cold out And if Phileny makes a
fuss, I'll give her new blanket shawl !"
Mrs. Waterman went off rejoicing.
And when the first glow of satisfac-
ton had faded out of Farmer Foxglove's S
soul, dreadful fear took possession of
him.
"What will Phileny think ?" said he.
81 guess, upon the whole, that 1 won t
say nothin' about it..
Presently, Mrs. Foxglove and Sera-
phina came home from the weekly meet
| ing +i-- c~-:-L7-- e. III -r
the Heather, in jubilant spirits.
"George Peterson was there" said
Mrs. Foxglove. "He said he came
after his aunt, but it was my belief he
wanted to walk home with Seraphina.
Just as if our gal was goin' to keep
company with a feller like that, as
hasn't got a penny in the world, and
works at the saw-mill for dollar day
Not if know it!"
"Certainly not" said the farmer, in
conciliatory tone.
But Seraphina only hung down her
head, and said nothing.
"La, me !" said Mrs. Foxglove, from
the kitchen. "What has come to
things!" Here's the cold chicken and
the apple-pie gone And the cover Oft
the apple-jar, too !"
"Y-yes," said the farmer, coughing.
ell got sort O. hungry, so I thought
I'd jest take smack"
"Couldn't you have waited until sup
per timer" said Mrs. Foxglove, severely
Her husband was silent. Was it not
Just possible, he thought, that the Re
cording Angel might balance that ready
falsehood against his recent act of char
ity, so that his soul should be none the
gamer by the compound transaction
1t was so hard always so tell what was
right.
"I was calculatin' on that chicken
for SUPPER" said Mrs. Foxglove
"Now we shall have to put up witt
cold billed pork and mustard. But
don't s'pose, Nehemiah you'll want te
eat much ?"
"No' of course not" said the pool
man, who was voraciously hungry.
"Where's the bombazine cloak
PAP" said Seraphina, after the some
what frugal supper, as she took th'
milking pail. ats raining a little
and the cows haven't come home from
pasture yet."
"I'll go arter 'em Phiny,' said thu
farmer, starting up with alacrity.
"With your rheumatisml No, in
; deed," said Seraphina. "What car
,, have become of the cloak2 I'm sure
: left it here this morning"
"If l had a pair of eyes, I'd us
'em," said Mrs. Foxglove, coming t.
the rescue and viewing the row of emp
ty pegs, with an eagle glance. "Well
/ declare Nehemiah" turning to he
husband, "that comes O. leavin' you t
keep house. You must ha' gone ol
, and left the door open, and some tram
has got in and robbed us" :.
81 did just step out to the woodpll
. for some more logs" said the farmer
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