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

tempiatlOn. she knew tnaC MIS-.
Downs had fallen under public disap-
probation because of a love-letter
that had been found by some one,
addressed to her and in Mr.. ColtOn's
handwriting.
Other people saw the reprehensible
married firt accepting protestations
of love from a gentleman acqualnt-
ance. Not so Miss Cora. This By
ronic state of affairs did not so much
shock her moral sensibilities as it pre-
sented theme for her muse to por-
tray the agonies of misplaced affec-
ton. Viewing the whole matter sim
ply as an abstraction, she surrepti
tiously drew out her hymn book and
slyly pencilled on the margin;
) = N the world deride me,
viii but love thee more,
Whatever fate betide thee
Here she stopped, the only rhyme
that suggested itself being ''gore."
Struggling with the situation she had
just changed the line, 81 will not
shed thy gore,' to "My heart can
but adore,' when she was recalled to
herself by the sound of Mr., Shows
voice as he finished reading the usual
list of notices. "a most painful cir
cumstance having arisen, that seri-
ously affects us as a community as
we'll as congregation, since it COM
promises the good names of two of
our members, 1 feel it duty to af-
ford an opportunity for full expla-
nation. The congregation is invited
to meet at the parsonage tomorrow
at eight o'clock. | hope that every
member of this congregation will be
present.
After that it mattered little wheth-
er the sermon was mafVel OF Drll-
liancy of the dullest disquisltion that
ever bored long-suffering audience.
No one paid the slightest attention to
it, except old Major Dorr, who was
so deaf that he only caught about
one word in ten, and had thus missed
the story of the love letter that the
school-teacher had written to Mrs.
Downs. He always went regularly
to church, however, and affected to
receive great satisfaction therefrom.
After the conclusion of the servlc-
es, Mrs. Cowles, Mrs Brown, Mrs.
Martin and Mrs. Jeffrey stopped in
the aisle for moments conference.
81 shall take Beatrice Cenci out of
school," said Mrs. Jeffrey. "No
child of mine shall be under the in
struction of teacher who writes
| laua-int,arGz to married woman"
"And to think that Mr.. Snow
should attempt to cover it up and ex
cuse it," added Mrs. Cowles. 81
don't know but we shall be obliged
to withdraw from the church. My
husband thinks there is a great deal
of corruption among ministers them
selves, nowadays"
Certainly no one was better able
to detect corruption anywhere than
Mr.. Cowles, if half the stories of his
immoral escapades could be relied
upon. But Mrs. Cowles' friends re-
mained discreetly silent on this point.
81 shall not allow Cora to 90 to
the parsonage tomorrow evening"
interposed Mrs. Brown. 81 think
the discussion of such subjects has 8
demoralizing effect on young people
1t is deplorable affair all round.'
But when the evening came Cors
did 90. More than that, to hel
mothers great horror, she crossed
the room and sat down by Jack
Downs and his wife, who sat alone
together on the long sofa, although
a great many were standing up
around the large parlors.
This was not so much from sym.
pathy with Mrs. Downs as profess
ional instinct such as that which inn
pels surgeon to investigate all sorts
of pathological monstrosities. She
wants to observe for herself the raw.
ages of remorse, humiliation and un.
happy love, the better to finish hel
poem.
But Mrs. Downs was as pretty, as
gay and as nonchalant as ever. Once
or twice she whispered. behind hel
fan to her husband, and once she
actually laughed, which so outraged
the sensibiities of the more severely
virtuous matrons that they shuddereG
with horror at her audacity.
Mr.. Cotton was a romantic looking
young man, with disheveled hair, anC
a look of general shrewdness. HI
had lately come to Pine Falls as 8
teacher, and now stood leaning
against the mantel. His Romantic
appearance, so attractive to the la.
dies, was due to his hair, which be
wore long on account of his ears, they
being enormously large, and an in
teresting pallor which was caused by
dyspepsia, and not unhappy love, as
the young ladies supposed.
81 have here" said Mr.. Snow, sss
letter which has been the theme Of
much severe comment. The envelope
is addressed to Mrs. Downs, and i
was picked mp in the street by Mrs
Martins little son, who took it tt
his fathers grocery. The contents
are in different penmanship, will
Mr.. COlton's name as signature.