Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1886-11-29
A Village Scandal.

Oranl, elnpHaIlcaiiy.
ssBut what everybody says must
be true," persisted Mrs. Jeffrey.
"By no means,' SAID Helen Grant.
"Once everybody SAID the earth was
fiat, now we all know it is round"
"Speak for yourself" !" retort ed
Mrs. Jeffrey. 81 don't believe it is
round, but I'm willing to believe it
on good evidence. Thank heaven,
I'm not so stubborn that won't be-
lieve. I'm one of the sort that can
be convinced of thing even if [
don't see it,
Mrs. Grant flushed little, and
tears came to her eyes.
''She is my friend, and | love her
dearly" she said. 'sShe has faults
every one can see that; but this
wicked, shameful story, simply can
not believe it. Oh, Mrs. Jeffrey, can
you not see that it is matter of con-
science with me IS we'll as with you?"
Mrs. Jeffrey, little ashamed, but
of the same opinion still, rose to go.
"If the matter is brought mp in
church, you will then hear all the ev-
idence. After you see the letter you
may change your mind.''
Pine Falls was convulsed over it's
first scandal. The tongue of censure
that had family reproved when Alb
ram Harris had carried his mother off
to the poorhouse, and indulged IN
audible criticisms when Laura
Cowles had been baptized in the river
in midwinter during church revival
and died of infammatory rheumatism
week afterward, had now broken
silence and carried the story from
house to house until it was on every
body's lips.
A mania for visiting seemed to
have broken out among the ladies.
Half dozen could be seen any day,
with little bundle of knitting or cro-
chet in hand, going to make infor-
NAL visits or calls at the homes
of their intimate friends or near neigh,
bors. To be sure each lady was very
particular to explain, if opportunity
offered, that she had promised to
show Mrs. So-and-So a new stitch or
pattern: or she had been intending to
take her work and 'srun i'm to see
Mrs. Such-a-one for six months or
more. 1t was really shame to neg
lect ones nelghbors so.
Mrs. jeffrey and Mrs. Martin were
seated on the back porch of the jeff
rey mansion, engaged in earnest and
confidential conversation. Overhead
in the apple-tree the robin sang M
heard. On the floor a mischievous
kitten played with Miss Martins ball
of zephyr, tangling. the thread un-
needed, while her crochet work lay
idly in her lap.
"She always did seem frivolous to
me, remarked Mrs. Jeffrey. "No
care of her house, no interest in do
mestic affairs. There's great deal
said in these days about hiding a
God-given talent under bushel, and
smothering her genius under domes-
tic drudgery but Pve noticed that
the women who are domestic and
take an interest in their homes are
not the women who figure in scandal
cases or elopements.'
''Perhaps,' replied Mrs. Martin,
who was not so conservative as her
neighbor, "there's a great deal of
human nature in women as we'll as
men. Most of them take an inter-
est in some one thing besides house
keeping. With some it is painting,
with others music, others fancy work
or religion. I've known women who
were really dissipated, you might say,
in religious work they carried it to
such unreasonable lengths. You and
; /, not being gifted in any of these
directions, have gone on in plain,
quiet home life. But we must not
on that account, find fault with those
who see life from a different stand
f point, or call them frivolous because
they take an interest in things we
don't care for. Mrs. Downs was al
ways fond of dress and fancy-work
but until this story came out every
: body seemed to like her,
, "Well, you can say what you
please, returned Mrs. Jeffrey, wrath.
fully, 'swhen woman behaves her.
e self, she won't be talked about. The
LnOol oHduICtu pdll vi tuc WHOlG dl
fair is her assumed innocence. saw
her myself walking the streets with
Mr.. Cotton only last evening, as COO
as you please. If there's man ir
e this village that | pity it is Jack
Downs"
L
The next day was Sunday, and the
minister, Mr.. Snow, looked around
T at the rapidly filling pews with feel
d ing of calm complacency. Every
e body belonging TO the congregation
Il was there. Every face wore look
of keen expectancy, and when Jack
Downs entered with his pretty wife,
significant looks were exchanged and
a suppressed sensation was visible
n throughout the audience.
Youthful and pretty, she added te
these attractions by taste in dres.
that was simply perfect. As sbe
came slowly up the aisle twirling bel
g al