The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1885-02-25
INTERESTING STORY.
THE FOXGLOVE MYSTERY.

THE F0XGLOVE MYSTERY.
dunno as we've got nothin' to give"
said Farmer Foxgloye, looking obviously
around the kitchen. I" Phileny, she DOM
believe in givin' much, unless it's through
the Church Benevolent Guild And Ser
| aphina isn't at home"
The Widow Waterman give little sniff
Of mingled depreciation and humility.
Times is very bad with me, Mr.. Fox
glove, said she. " havn't had no work
since August, and there amt nothin' to eat
in the house."
you don't tell me-" said the farmer
who was the softest-hearted of men. " Here
give me your basket Philenyll say I'm
Sn old fool; but don't care.n
There's them as has entertained angels
nnawares, !" whined the Widow Waterman
| as she sided into the room, and held out
her talon-hke fingers to the fire of good
pine logs which was cracking and sputter-
ing cheerfully on the hearth.
Anything less akin to the angelic tribe
than Mrs. Waterman could scarcely be i'm
agined as she sat there with bedraggled
gown, bonnet bent III one-sided fashion.
over her eyes, and a gauzy rag of shawl
pulled across her gaunt shoulders.
But Mr.. Foxglove, honest man, saw only
her poverty and restitution
With trepidation not unlike the sensa.
ton of a schoolboy who robs an orchard fol-
the first time, he went into the buttery and
helped himself to half cold roast fowl,
loaf of rye-bread, goodly wedge of yellow
butter out of a covered stone jar, and three.
quarters of juicy apple-pie.
It'll keep her for twenty-four hours o,
least. he thought. =e.=zzz=.=.===
And then he opened Mrs. Foxglove's es
pecial TIN tea-caddy, and filched handful
of the fragrant dried leaves, which he wrap.
ped up in brown paper and put beside the
others yiands.
u dunno What Phileny will say he
thought " but there | amt made of
stun, nor yet of east-iron and steel films.
And / can't stand by and see fellow
creetur starye, no matter how shiftless and
good-for- nothin' she is.
And, CHANGING to notice how thin and in
adequate the poor 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 Ind hung from time immemorial in
the back entry.
There ain't no more use in that old
dud,' he thought. " And it'll keep the cold
out, Aud il Philena makes q fuss. I'll give
her a new blanket shawl"
Mrs. Waterman weut off rejoicing.
And when the first glow of satisfaction
had faded out of Farmer Foxglove's soul, q
dreadful fear took possession of him.
'What will Philena think ?" said he. " /
guess, upon the whole, that l won't say
aothin' about it,
Presently, Mrs. Foxglove and Seraphina
came home from the weekly meeting of the
Society for the Helpers of the Heather, in
jubilant spirits.
George Peterson was there said Mrs.
Foxglove. . He said he came nfter his
aunt, but it was ny belief he wanted to
walk home with Seraphina. Just rs if our
gal was goin' to keep company with fellei
like that, as hasn't got penny in the
world, and works at the saw-mill for dol.
lar day Not if l know it ~
Certainly not" said the farmer in
conciliatory tone.
But Seraphina only hung down her head,
md said nothing. BINtA Gf
La, me-" said Mrs. Foxgloye, from
the kitchen What has come to thingsi
Here's the cold chicken and the apple-pi,
gone And the cover off the butter-ja
too ~
Yves. said the farmer, coughing. :" /
7 got sort o hungry, SO thought I'd jest
take n snack. q
Couldn't you have waited until-supper-
time" said Mrs. Foxglove, severely.
Her husband was silent. Was it not jus.
Angel might balance that ready falsehood
against his recent act of charity, so that hif
soul should be none the gamer by the com
pound transaction? It was so hard always
to tell what was right,
g was calculatin' on that chicken for
supper" said Mrs. Foxglove. "Now We
shall have to put up with cold billed pork
and mustard But don't s'pose, Nehemiah,
you'll want to eat much 2" .t
"No, of course not, :" said the poor man,
who was voraciously hungry.
"Where's the bombazine cloak, pa p said
Seraphina, after the somewhat frugal sup
per, as she took the milking-pail. " It's
raining little, and the cows haven't come
home from pasture yet"
"pn go after 'em, Phiny," said the far
mer, starting up with alacrity.
With your rheumatism d? No, indeed"
said Seraphina. "What can have become
of the cloak? I'm sure left it here this
morning." #I ttstk
81 If / had pair of eyes, I'd use EN-"
said Mrs. Foxglove, coming to the rescue
and viewing the row of empty pegs, with
an eagle glance. Well, I declare Nehe-
miah," turning to her husband, " that
comes o leavin' You to keep house. You
must ha' gone off and left the door open,
and some tramp has got in and robbed u.s."
81 did jest step out to the wood-pile for
some more logs" said the farmer, thankful
for the avenue of escape that was opened
for him. =" But wasn't gone long"
That's it, said Mrs. Foxglove, with
tone OF conviction--' that's it do won.
der ut you, Nehemiah Any four-year old
child would ha' known better. shall