Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1886-12-18
CHAPTER V.
CHAFIER V.
THE LINT scRAPING AND BANDAGE MAKING
UNION

terrible no one could guess, unless he followed
her to her room after the interview and saw
her alone with her agony. She did not weep.
Tears did not lie near the surface with her
The lachryInal glands had none of that ready
sensitiveness which gives many superficial
women the credit of deep feeling But when
she did weep it was not an April shower, but
midsummer tempest.
Now it was as if her intense grief were a
powerful cautery, which scared and sealed
every duct of the fountain of tears and left
her eyes hot and dry as her heart was ashes.
With pallid face and lips set until the blood
was forced from them, and they made thin
purplish line in the pale flesh, she walked the
floor back and forth, ever back and FORTH
until half stumble, as she was turning in
the dreary round, revealed to her that she
was almost dropping from exhaustion.
Hours passed in this wrestle with pain.
How many she did not know, but when she
came forth it was with the composure of one
who had fought the fight and won the victory
but at a cost that forbade exultation.
There was one ordeal that thus far she had
not been called upon to endure. From the
day on which she had donned her sable robes
to that of Harry's return no one had ventured
to speak his name in her presence. Even her
father and mother, after the first burst of in
dignation, had kept silence in pity for her
suffering, and there was that in her bearing
that forbade others touching upon q subject
in her hearing that elsewhere was discussed
with the hungry ayidity of village gossips
nasticating fresh scandal
But she could not be always spared thus She
had not been so careful of the feelings Of less
favored women and girls, inferior to her in
brightness as to gain any claim for clement
treatment now, when the displacement of a
portion of her armor of superiority gave those
who envied or disliked her an unprotected
spot upon which to launch their irritating
little darts.
All the sewing, dorcas and mite societies of
the several churches in Sardis had been
merged into one consolidated Lint Scraping
and Bandage Making union, in whose enlarged
confines the waves of gossip flowed with as
much more force and volume as other waves
gain when the floods unite number of small
pools into one great lake.
In other days sensational ripple starting,
say in the Episcopalian "Dorcas," was stilled
into calmness ere it passed the calm and
stately church boundaries. 1t would not do
to let its existence be even suspected by the
keen eyes of the freely-censorious Presbyterian
danes, or tho sharp-witted, agile-tongued
Methodist ladies.
The rising fervor of the war spirit melted
away most of these barriers to free inter-
change of gossip With the first thrill Of
pleasure at finding that patriotism had drawn
together those whom the churches had long
held alOof, came to all the gushing impulse to
cement the newly formed relationship by con-
tiding TO each other secrets heretofore ieai-
Gusly guarded. Nor should be forgotten the
narrative stimulus" every one feels on gain
ing new listeners to old stories
1t was so graciously condescending in Mrs.
Euphrosyno Pursifer to communicate to Mrs.
Elizabeth Baker some few particulars in
which her ariStocratic associates of St. Marks
had grieved her by not rising to her standard
of womanly dignity and Christian duty
that Mrs. Baker in turn was only too happy
to reciprocate with similar confidence
in regard to her intimate friends of Wesley
chapel.
1t was this sudden lapsing of all restraint
that made the waves of gossip surge like
sweeping pillows
And the fotsam that appeared most fire.
quently of late on their crests, and that was
tossed most relentlessly hither and thither,
was Rachel Bonds and Harry Glen's conduct
and relations to each other
The Consolidated Lint Scraping and Band
age Making union was holding a regular ses-
sion, and gossip was at spring tide.
at is certainly queer" said Mrs Tufts, one
of her regulation smiles illuminating her very
artificial countenancc; 1T is singular TO the
last degree that we don't have Miss Rachel
Bond among US. She is such lovely girl. |
am very, very fond of her, and her heart Is
thoroughly i'll unison with our objects 1t
would seem impossible for her to keep
away
All this with the acrid sub flavor Of irony
and insincerity with which an insincere
woman can not help tainting even her most
sincere words
Yes" said Mrs. Tabitha Grimes,
Rachel Bond started into this work quite
! as brash as Harry Glen started into the war
Her enthusiasm died out about as quickly as
his courage, when it came to the actual
business, and she found there was nobody to
admire her industry, or the way she got her.
self up, except n parcel of married women
We'll, why not:7 asked Elmira Spelter, the
main grief of whose life was times cruel in
fiexibility in scoring upon her face unconceal
able TALES Of every one Of his yearly flights
over her head, why shouldn't sheenioy these
golden days: Youth is passing, to her and to
all Of US, like an arrow from the bow. I'D
be absurd for her to waste her time in this
stuffy old place, when there are so many more
attractive ones. It ought to be enough that
those of us who have only few remnant,
of beauty left, should devote them TO this
work
"FFel, snapped Mrs Grimes. "your dona,
ton Of good looks to the cause-even if Won
give all you got-will be quite modest, some
thing on the widows mite order You might
easily obey the scriptural injunction, and
give them with your right hand without YOUR
left knowing what was being done"
Elmira WINGED under this spiteful bludgeou-
ing, hut she rallied and came back at her an
tagonist
Well my dear" she said quietly, "tht
thought often occurs to me, that one great
reason why we both have been able to keer
III the straight and narrow path, is the entire
lack of that beauty which so often proves a
snare to the feet of even the best mentioned
women
2eaceuaking was one of the prerogatives
assumed By Mrs. Tufts as belonging to the
social leadership TO which she had elected her
self. She now fastened to check the RAPIDLY
opening breach.
Ladies, she said, blandly. "the discussion
has wandered. Our first remarks were, be-
lieve, about Miss Bond, and there was a sur
mise as to her reasons for discontinuing at
tendance upon our meetings"
The diversion had the anticipated effect.
The two disputants gladly quit each other, tc
turn upon and rend the object flung in be
tween them
why Rachel Bond don't come here any
more." said Mrs. Grimes, with a sniff that
was one of the keenest edged weapons in her
controversial armory. when you know
Rachel Bond as well as l do, you'll know how
little likely she is to do anything that's not
going to be for her benefit in some way. She's
mighty particular in everything, but more
particular in that than in anything else"
"Of course, we all know" said Elmira,
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