The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1886-06-25

AmOnR our vlllAge celebrities VI
reckon Miss Ebbitt, our talented organ
isl, " the guest had said. '.Really. Mrs
Gerrish. I must hasten to introduce you
- yOur husbands old fame"
odd fiame!' the coarse word
ranked. One moment the young wifi
would resolve to repeat them to hel
husband, the next she would shrinl
from abiding to them, feeling that i
he had once loved Miss Ebbitt, sha
would rather not be assured of the fact
She recalled the nervous headache pro
duced by that unpleasant visit. How
devoted Warren had been, SO grieved BY
her suffering, that for shame's sake she
could not have limited at its cause
Dear old fellow, of course he had loved
her then, and of course he loved hel
now! Uncle Jabez's distracting gossip
could be easily explained. To thinh
otherwise was absurd.
"Jehu! was satisfied heered some
thing smash" cried that simple indi
vidual, pushing the door ajar with hil
moccasined toe, and shutting in, his
arms full of wood. There, there,
ma am, wouldn't take on SO about the
clancy. Your husband won't feel get
ting you new sugar-dish. bein' he's in
the crockery line"
SIT breaks the set, you see." equivo-
Gated the proud little matron, humor.
ing his conceit. Better pass for ninny
than a jealous wife.
1--WE all have our posters" philoso-
phized Uncle Jabez, placing the sticks
in the wood-b box with fond deliberation.
"NOw you know how twas at my house
last spring. My wife was sick, and
had a narrow squeak to get along; but
now my wife's dead, and I'm out Of
debt, and l thank the Lord! Hullo!
here's Lunt's team"
The entering grocer NODDED affably to
Mrs. Gerrish as he dropped his parcels
upon the table. warm morning,
ma am. Shower brewing. Mr.. Gerrish
to be gone long?"
"Only till noon. He has run up to
Boston,"
"Oh. 1 supposed he was gone further.
Noticed he carried valise and got
checks for New York"
''Guess he was SEEM to jimmy Ebbitt' s
traps" volunteered Uncle Jabez, fol-
lowing the grocer out to beg a ride.
''She's started for New York. They're
tinkcrin' the meetin' house, and She
free to run of"
''And to stay off, for all me-" NUT
tered the little matron, sweeping up the
scattered sawdust with spiteful flirt of
her broom. "Why didn't Warren tell
me she was going? He's amazingly
coy about speaking of his old love-"
Old love in more senses than one.
Miss Ebbitt was thirty at the least, for
all she would persist in dressing as
youthfully as herself-nineteen this very
day! What ravishing bonnets this CO
quette did wear, and what airs she put
on in the choir, where she always sat
next Mr.. Gerrish! Often whispering to
him too. Was it necessary for organ
list and chorister everlastingly to confer
with each other? In that case, ag-
grieved Mrs. Gerrish wished that she
might be the organist herself. With
little more practice in the use of pedals,
she was sure she could play as well as
Miss Ebbitt. At all events she could
have played as well before she left her
fathers home and the dear piano. War
rem had praised her execution in those
days. He needn't trouble himself to
praise it again, if Jenny Ebbitt was
''every thing to him." What else had
he said to Miss Jenny that day? Had
she been in Uncle Jabez's place, Mrs.
Gerrish felt sure she could have heard
every word, had her husband whispered
moment holding Miss Jenny's shawl
about her in the cars, as he had held it
in the carriagep Didn't tie woman
possess shawl-pinP
Ten o'clock, and the dishes unwash-
ed! The belated little house-keeper
barred her dimpled arms and made a
feint at haste; but the stroke of eleven
found her hands still in soapsuds, and
her thoughts in Boston. Warren called
Miss Ebbitt superior woman. Pity he
hadn't married her! A lovely life they
might have led discussing protoplasm
and the correlation of forces, if she, the
gay girl-wife had not stepped in be-
tween them. Once she had told War
rem as much, and been silenced by a
kiss. Yet last Wednesday week. when
she got vexed at chess and threw the
queen across the room, he had called
her silly child, and soon after had
taken his hat and gone out. 1t was
evident enough now what he went for.
He went to invite Jenny Ebbitt to &C.
company him the next day to Boston.
Uncle Jabez had witnessed their return.
In plain English, Warren had become
weary of his foolish little wife, and had
preferred the society of a reasonable
woman. Twelve o'clock! Well, by
this time he had doubtless seen Miss
Jenny off to New York, and he must be
on the train for home. She would put
the pudding in to bake.
A. one, the usual hour of dining, the
pudding was dough, and the lamb not
half roasted. What allied the oven?
For once in his life her husband would
have to wait for his dinner. Mrs. Ger
IRISH said to herself that she didn't care.
He had been partaking of an intellec-
tual feast with Miss Jenny; he must
make that do. But when at two o clock
the dinner was smoking in the warming
oven, she chafed at his non-appearance.
Why should he delay on this Of all days,
while the heavens bewailed, furious
tempest? He knew her dread of light
nng. He hsd never before neglected
her so cruelty. What if-absurdf fancy
what if he had really gone on journey,
as the grocer had supposed! Gliding
herself for the thought, she rushed
up stairs to prove its fallacy. Through
gathering gloom she glided straight to
her husbands closet, suggestively open.
Where was the valise that had stood in
one corner? Where indeed? The