The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1888-08-23
BEHIND THE DOOR

Mrs. Ward aud Mrs. Birjssye ser'
irispds vrye. aud siill despite liiile cur
esm.lsnos shich lhreasensi . rnpsnre be
,sssn them. II happened 10 tins sise'
The tao isJiss boarded in The sans
house. aud cccspied apartments on ib'
.sme aoor Mrs. Ward front, Mrs. Birds
eye back They were as ipiima'e a. sister
ran iato one 3, Others rooms every honr u
:he day during the absence of their bus
baeds. and went on, constant together. ia
shof, we're 90 ipseperahle as 10 be iesticsly
siyIeal ''The Siamcse Taiss" by them
selves aud others. Mrs Ward din't know
how she Should cIisl without her dear,
charming. lively Mrs Birdseye: and Mrs
Birdseye enthusiastically declared that
there never vas sucb dear. good creature
A. her lit,ls. sweet. loving, darling Mrs
Ward.
Ooe morning Mra Ward had occasion %
step into one OF her closets which had
originally bssu dssigssd ~ psssage be
tween tbs two rooms. Of course. the dis.
used door Vas tightly closed, and gar
ments we're hanging over IL; yet sounds
we're not yet quite excluded. sud, as her
uei ishbors on the other side chanced to be
speaking in unusually incsutions toner, 1t
wss impossible for her TO avoid bearing
something OF what was said. She had her
band upon drawer TO open II when her
attention Was arrested, aud involuntarily,
almost unconsciously, she paused TO listen.
Il cant imagine what you two can have
10 common" Mr.. Birdseye WAS saying.
"Such plain, quiet, almost stupid little
woman. You must have gotten up your
friendship on the old principle the love
Of opposites."
"Oh, no. not stupid, Robert; you would
not say thst IL you her ~ do. But she is
8 frightfully shy by nature; and then.
brought up 80 10 the country. what can
you expectl'
Mrs. Ward fairly held her breath. Of
whom could they be talking?
ii do wish she had little more taste in
dress," came next, "or that she would
wear her hair differently. However :"
Here q few sentences we're lost, as the
speaker seemed to be moving to another
part OF the room; then, 10 the masculine
voice this time:
Yet you pretend to be SO fond Of her,
my dear"
so sm really. But, Of course. l can
see that she is not buty and has none Of
that air or manner which you admire so
much. One must be born to that"
"As you were Nellie?"
"Of course, or never should have been
your WIFE,"
Ward is making money like everything
they say" came again from Mr.. Birdseye
"What pity that his wife doesn't know
how 10 make better use Of itl"-with the
little laugh which Mrs. Ward had always
thought SO musical before. ut ought to
have fallen to my lot instead Of hers, do
think?"
you ought 10 be thankful that have
the art Of making SO much show on SO lit
little"
$50 am. would rather have my gift
as cousin Alice calls it, than all my poor
little friends money, il can not have but
one."
Mrs. Ward at length recollected that she
was doing . very dishonorable thing in
istening TO conversation not intended for
her ears. She stepped back into her room
and closed the door noiselessly. Her
cheek was burning, and her first feeling
Was one OF extreme modification and re-
sentiment.
80 that was what Mrs. Birdseye
thought OF her in her secret heart. was
~ and that was the way she talked OF her
Debind her back? She guessed she should
lot Mrs. BIrdseye know"
Here Mrs. Ward stopped and began TO
effect more calmly. After sll. bad her
riend said any thing more than the truth9
She was not handsome woman. and she
Inew il; her glass told her SO every day
She was not elegant, and nothing would
ver make her say so; she knew that, too,
She vas shy, and her manners in the pres
nee Of strangers we're often constrained
nd swkward. She bad felt bitter, bitter
nortifcation many times that 1t was 30.
'ut why should she feel hurt that her
riend had spoken OF what must be so
ppsreot? II was little trying, but she
usht not to indulge any hsrdness and
nj she would not II she could /
Ielp il. Il
Another thug helped 10 cool Mrs.
Wards excitement considerably. Her con !
cience sccosed her Of many similar offen
ss Did she ever say anything Of her dear
riend not strictly complimentary Hsdu't
be that very morning told her husband {
bet Mrs Blrdssye might be brilliant but
Vas = mere surface briilisncy; there was
cry little depth to her mind or character. .
nd, though good besrted. she was such |
.ttlehesd that she was always saying |
1iues thst she ought not to. and made {
erself enemies often time when there was |
M ia. least mead Of il and 40 IN ,
Then Mrs. Ward fell to thinking about
er other friends Much - she loved them Q
,ere wss DO. one she did hot occssIonslly 4
ugh about Not siib any malicious 10 q
,nt. 81 SoarSe. but they oil bad faults and /
which we're rather matters Of
shen oSs chose 10 look 1t
BEN from . ridiculous point Of yies, It i
. a ,m,av ae,n ~ al IN hry III Al sad friends 4