The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1888-03-04

her further away from New HEBRON Where there
WAS much going on than from Cranberry
Corner where he taken very seriously aud
/ talked about great deal
Madame Magioire nee Perkins, wore great
/ deal of somewhst dilapidated fnery. had figure
inclined to stoutness and pair of sharp eyes in
/ ford but care-worn face.
$50 you're Phoebe Snedd. Ny child Amt you
slenderi keep my waist still / don't know as
could believe IN merciTul Providence If it
| want for that
+ las If il made any difference whether she has
\ waist Or mott Phoebe thought contemptuously
as she recalled that first interview. Then it had
struck her as profane. Abram would certainly
| object TO her staying If he knew IL
well, declare! / declare.S Elvira had con.
tinued. as Phoebe took off her hat Phoebe I'M
derstood that this was . tribute to her charms;
and stood blushing and diInpling.
If you ain { any hand at trImmin'-and its a
gift same as maxim poetry or pictures-you IL
be worth something to try on. You Jest put a
bonnet on top of them gold-colored bangs, and
MISS Fowler, that's got little wisp of rusty,
streaked hair. and swallow face. she'll think
she'll look jest you do, If she only has that
bonnet! You know human nature. don't your
Phoebe nodded sagely. She really thought she
did because she understood that must not
tell secrets TO Miss Meacham the minister's sis
ter, at the Corner. and that abe would have sue
ceeded better with the Mills school if she had
been the rich mill-owner's Eiece, like Mary At
kins. her predecessor; and perhaps she was not
much more deceived than the milliner. this NOR
tai life being much too short time for the
acquisition of knowledge
II am glad of the chance, said Phoebe, "for
y
do. I got the Mills school. but couldn't
make them mind me, and / made blunders in
arithmetic
That's the one thing you can't do in this
world! There amt any forgiveness for that
sin!" said Elvra. Land. | know! I've learnt
my lesson! You make all other kind or
blunders and live through EN-. but If you ever
forget that two and two make four, there amt
nothin for you but TO be trod under folkses feet.
1onve come 10 the Tighs place to learn; I'm
livin' dootiful and doing for others jest made
myself charm for other folkses butter Now
my heart is Jest like PhareohS, CROWN harder
and harder every day"
Phoebe felt her shortcomings to be worse
thar she had supposed and was conscious of an
increasing awe Of her stout and successful rela-
tive. who knew SO much arithmetic; but the
handsome young man came in just then, and
gave her n reassurlng well admiring
glance, out of pair of kindly blue eyes, and
her spirits
Marilly Sprowl, the help. had taken it upon
herself TO Immediately apprise her of the rela-
whom she called Mis- Maglory, and the hand
some young man.
f'She's go'n' to have him. I don't expect she
told you, but it appears TO me as if 'twould be
full better for You to know. She was lookin'
for somebody to squander her hard airnins and
she lit upon him."
Marilly Sprowl was, as she described herself,
''one free to speak her mind without fear nor
favor"
Morn that she sets by him" Marlly Sprowl
had set her arms akin 90 and faced Phoebe in
an aggressive way which she felt TO De quite IN
called for. 1.-THE Lord made women folks weak
minded, and I expect he knew what he was
about And she's had kind of hard life. ex-
pect. and not many folks to set by, and
shouldn't want TO be them in the day of iudg-
ment that set to beguiin him, as men folks can
be beguiled."
Phoebe felt kind of angry uncertainty to
what che could mean while Marilly Sprowl
talked to herself behind the pantry door, and
Phoebe that she heard her reflect
unpleasanty upon the Eight complected'
woman she had known.
Marilly SprowI had talked to herself often,
since that day. speaking her mind with unquali-
fed freedom. But who was Mar1lly Sprcwl
that should care for what she said2 Now
1t seemed the village gossips were busy with
her name. Phoebes cheeks burned ferce1y rs
she through the rain But no i'll had been
said of her. They had understood that what
had happened was in the course of nature. and
that to blame except cousin Elvira
herself. After ALL had anything happenedR
Clarence Burbridge had never said a word to
her-scarcey a word-that cousin Elvira
might not have heard.
Phoebe went into the sitting-room. behind the
shop. Through the open door she could
that cousin Elvira was in the shop and Clarence
Burbridge with her. He was holding e
sken of worsted while she wound 1t. Both
their faces were reflected In the sitting room
looking-glass, and al Phoebe looked into lt-she
had habit of going to the mirror coon as she
alone in a room-her own appeared between
them. and she surveyed it critically contrasting
it with Elvira's 1t was finely cut as cameo,
and daintily fair the wild rose, and In the
freight it had splrituelle grace. How coarse
and ugly Elvirn's heavy features looked beside
it. Even the redness of her checks and the
blackness of her eyes looked hard and repelliug.
and how the heavy furrow in the brow stood
the left temple with all her
vanity, and Phoebe thought she had
quite ridiculous amount, abe would not dye
that patch of white hair. because she wanted to
look just the Lord and Els providence had
made her, without any sharns One could al
most see theE crows'-feetI And the years
haP in far
flesh Phoebe clasped her own slender waist,
and almost laughed aloud
But she suddenly checked the exultant vani-
ty; it marred her face.
~ must never let anybody me look like
that" she said to herself.
Phoebe. come here and try on Viola Herrick's
What made You go ont in the rain? There
was no need" she said a little sharply,
Phoebe went in.
''Marilly's rheumatism was bad, and il
wouldn't hurt me. I'm neither sugar nor salt"
said the girl, with little toss of her yellow
head and half glance towards Clarence Bur
bridge.
Elvira poised the bonnet a white and airy
marvel. above Phebe's yellow locks.
There! If that amt beauty and if you don't
look jest like bride~ she said. ''Viola Her
rick's real kind of pretty. too, though she amt
got your complexion. declare hope she's got
the money, for I've told them Herricks that not
so much as yard of ribbon should they have |
from me till they'd paid their bill Poor and |
shittless! Them girls had ought to go to work, |
but landl they amt got a mite of faculty"
The shop door opened to admit small girl in |
a very large waterproof, which trailed about her |
and seriously interfered with her locomotcn. A |
face like an experienced doll appeared within |
the shadow of the large hood
''Viola wants her bonnet She says she'll |
some and paw next week. said the small girl, |
and confronted Elvira's frown iptrepdly
Next week and next week! that's tine way |
with them Herricks, ard not cent Of their |
money have l ever laid eyes on" remarked Ell |
Vira regardless of the fixed stare of the small |
girl. you go home and tell Viola she can have
he bonnet just as told her, when she pays the
bill, and not before"
The child turned reluctantly her water proof,
which was old and frayed, ''swish:ng" forlornly
behind her. At the door she turned, holding it
lalf open:
Il don know what she'll say. expect she'll
eel orful bad, and be mad at me. Her beau's
,omin' to-morror."
shut the door, said Elvira after hesitating |
moment apparently account OF some OBJ
in ne