The Portland daily press., 1886-08-03
MRS. cERRIsH's cRlEv'
ANCE.
BY PENN SHIRLEY.
Harper's Bazaar.

rem, if urged" said young Mrs. Gerrish, arch
ly, standing on tiptoe to smooth down her
husbands nodding scalp lock. -. "a.
cts too late to think Of lt--too late alto
gether" cried Mr. Gerrish, in haste, rushing
to his desk and scattering the papers like, q
Dakota blizzard. where's my bank book
Seen it, MabelT'
thought that it would be safer behind the
%Safer behind the fiddlesticksl' cogitated
the annoyed husband, as he tipped over the
time-piece in laying hold of the missing prop
erty; but, being gentleman, he merely re-
marked impressively that ten to one he
should lose the train.
"It's only eight, Warren. You've half an
hour"
"But Twelve something to attend to be-
fore going to the station" he stammered, OBJ
viously embarrassed:
"Ohl,' Mrs. Gerrish dropped her ques-
tioning brown eyes, flushing hotly. Why did
her husband reject her proffered company
And what was this mysterious errand that
he would not tell of?
"Good-bye, wifekin. Take care of yourself
till [ see YOU" he added In friendlier tone,
as he jumped into his carriage. ,
ssWell. must sayp' calculated the little,
lady, frowning after the retreating vehicle.
But she did not say it. Instead, she set the
clock on its legs again, and then fell to mus
ing.
She was sorry she had veXed Warren by
meddling with his handbook, but he need
not have been so cross. What did he want
of the book, anyway? Had he not, only yes
terday, told her that he didn't owe cent in
the world?
And why-this was a vital query-why had
he gone off without her, too pre-occupied to
snatch goodbye kiss? Last week he had
left her behind in the same way. She would
not have minded the neglect so much, II IL
had not afterward come to her ears that he
had gone straight from her to Miss Ebbitt,
and escorted that young lady to the city. lie
never had limited word about it. Mrs. Ger
IRISH secretly hoped the rumor wasn't true,
but it was shocking to have the nelghDors
talking. And now to think that, after hum
bling herself to ask her husband to take her,
she should have met with fiat refusal;
The stroke of nine surprised her just TINS
side of tears. Was it possible she had ldled
away a whole hour in arranging the writing
desk. and Bridget gone for the week?
Hurrving into the kitchen to wash the
breakfast dishes, her eyes rested on quaint
looking man in the doorway.
''MoTnin', Mis- Gerrish," said he. doffing
his hat for GOODNESS rather than courtesy.
M"Good-morning, Uncle Jabez" responded
she, kindly. Have you come to split some
kindlings for me?"
sSartfn. ma'am. | suspicioned you must
be about OUT said the village factotum, WHIP
ing his bald knob of a crown, which rose
above its encircling red fringe like the seed
81 knew your husband wasn't here to do 1T
for you,' he continued, putting his hat on
again with screwing motion, as II It were
the cover of fruit jar. I'D been clearing
out the Wilder Ebbitts pipes, ana l was
drove up for jimmy. He didn't have to, wait.
On the flat of her foot jimmy is with all her
fuss and feathers"
"Did they catch the train?" faltered the
young wife, her face averted.
bo,. b,,cb hon d. On for Miss Ehhitt !
Uncle Jabez should not know that he was
telling her news.
Eyes, ma'am they catched it. l asked
Hiram Blodgett when he fetched your horse
back to the store, answered Uncle Jabez
his eonfding blue eyes fixed on the sky. Il
am Jealous of a shower, ma'am. Remember
that peeler we had the last time your nus
banp took jimmy to Boston,"
Last Thursday, do you meant! queried
Mrs. Gerrsh, anXiously. She was ready to
believe anything.
ut strikes me 'taoes Thursday. Yes,
ma'am, twas week ago to-day. for was IN
the Widder Ebbitt's stable mendln' her GRID,
when your husband drove In with jimmy.
The water was a-streakin' it of O. the ker-
ridge. but he'd wropped jimmy complete, SOL
She skipped out as dry as a grasshOpper.
She told him she was no end grateful Tor MS
care And faith she'd orter been, for II ne
hadn't held her shawl round her SO, her silk
gownd would "a been all spotted hitherty
yender."
''What did he say to that, Uncle?"
HOh, he was even with her, ma am. i M
the one obleeged, Miss jimmy says he.
you know you re everything to me- L lost
the rest he spoke so low"
eyes. certainly" murmured tpe daze1 ~
tie wife, absently shutting Uncle Jabez into
the shed.
Miss Ebbitt everything to Warren by War
ren's own confession! Could she trust her
ears? Eccentric and scatter-brained Uncle
Jabez might be, but deaf, or prone to mis-
chief, he was not. She could not for a mo,
ment doubt his word. That her husband
should be seeking clandestine interviews win
any lady was scandalous enough; that the
lady thus sought should be Miss Ebbltt, was
beyond endurancel In her fierce perturba..
ton Mrs. Gerrish hardly heard the crash OF
the sugar-bowl that slipped from her hand.
Who would heed breaking China when the
very sky was falling?
TO be frank, from the time she came to
Oakland bride, Mrs. Gerrish had suffered
intermittent spasms Of jealousy on account OF
this same Miss Ebbitt She had never been
able to forget a testing remark made by one
of her first callers.
"Among our village celebrities we reckon
Miss Ebbitt, our talented orga1nlst,; th9
must hasten to introduce you to your nus
bands old flame.
''Old famew The coarse words ranked
One moment the young wife would resolve td
repeat them to her husband, the next she
would shrink from abiding to them, feeling
that if he had once loved Miss Ebbitt, she
would rather not be assured of the fact. She
recalled the nervous headache produced 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
her noWi
Uncle Jabez's distracting gossip could be
easily explained. To think otherwise was
absurd.
"Jehul was satisfied I heerd something
smashl' cried that simple individual, push
ing the door ajar with his m0ccasined toe,
and shutting in, his arms full of wood.
''There, there, ma'am, L wouldn't take on so
about the clancy. Your husband won't feel
getting you a new, sugar dish, beln he's In
the erockery line"
1T breaks the set, you see," equivocated
the proud little matron, humoring his con
ceit. Better to pass for ninny than Jeal-
Gus wife,.
1--WE all have our pesters, philosophlzed
Uncle Jabez placing the sticks in the wood
box with fond deliberation. Now you know
how twas at my house last Spring. My wife
was sick, and l had narrer squeak to gel
along; but now my wife's dead, and I'm ou
of debt, and | thank the Lord Hullo! here
is Lunt's team"
The entering grocer nodded affably to Mrs
Gerrish as he dropped his parcels upon the
table
"Warm morning, ma'a Shower brew,
ing. Mr. Gerrish to be gone long?"
mo, only till noon. He has run up tC
Boston,"
"Oh, supposed he was going further
noticed he carried valise, and got checks
for New York"
Guess he was seem to jimmy Ebbitt's
traps" volunteered Uncle Jabez, following
the grocer out to beg ride. 'She's started
for New York. They're tinkerin' the meet
And to stay off, for all meP' muttered
the little matron, sweeping up the scattered
sawdust with spiteful firt 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 a.
rayishing bonnets the coquette did wear
and what airs she put on in the choir, where
Whispering to him. too. Was it necessar,
for organist and chorister eyerlastingly t.