Los Angeles herald., 1891-10-27
felt we'd bo willin to spare the chickens,

most OF us, and got up real fuSt rate
supper, and sot the table with flowers
they wus mostly marygolds and old man,
and some folks don't like the smell of
neither; but the yaller and green looked
pretty, and it was all ready for the COM
pany when they cum hum from church
We that knowed things felt that we
could see marks Of innard torture on
poor Mrs. Virgins face, and we felt to
sympathize, fur she wus naturally a
moral woman and a pious one, and she'd
been driven to sin by the meanness of
her pardner. You see, she was one Of
them women that lives fur their child
rem. Eff she'd been pelican she'd hev
took all the feathers out of her buzzim
to make 'em beds, and she'd sackerticed
herself fur Melindy. She looked kinder
better when she got to church; but our
minister he wus young and hadn't mar
ried nobody before, and, bein narvous,
he commenced fur to read the burial
sarvice instead of the marriage sarvice,
and we bein all stiff with horrer hadn't
presence of mind enough fur to stop him
until he'd actilly buried Melindy, as fur
as words could go, and Mrs. Virgins
wus in high strikes.
However, she got over 'em, and the
minister he said he didn't know after all
but it was providence to keep us from
bein too sot on the things of this world,
and reminded how short life was, and
went back and married 'em proper
And so we did get back to Virgins,
only Mr. Virgins hevin been too mean
to get the wagin mended, the wheel
come off and they wus all split out and
eenamost drownded goin over Slabside
bridge that amt got no railin. Mrs.
Virgins, poor dear, was soaked, and
when we TUX her into our wagin she
kept sayin, Observation-Disclosures
Judgments is cominp We knowed what
she was thinlIin of, and we tried to cheer
her up.
Well, when the folks wus dried and
dressed over we all went to supper, and
we praised it up as much as we could,
but Mrs. Virgins sot down in her place
like ghost, and folks began to talk and
laugh and help everything But she
didn't smile.
She passed the chicken salad plates to
the help, and the help gave 'em to the
folks, and we an tasted it, but it didn't
relish. Still we tried to eat it fur her
sake Most of us done it, too, and the
coffee wus good, and we cheered up
some. Mrs. Virgins didn't eat no salad
herself, so she didn't know how it tasted.
After supper we all went into the parlor
and sot around, and 81 Barker wus tryin
to git up dancin, and | did hope things
would end happy, when all of a suddin
folks began to look pale and say they
wns p'isoned. So they seemed to be.
One arter the other wus took sick, and
they all said the same thing-it wus the
salad. | felt very poorly myself, and
SO did my Obidiah. The minister had
gone home sick, and there wus regular
panic. There wus one doctor there and
he sent fur another; and old Miss Pee
bles said it wus like old cholera times.
1t wus awful, anyway; but jest as we
wus at the wust, we ladies lyin about in
the up stairs rooms expectin to die and
feelin sure it wus arsenic, Mrs. Virgins
appeared amongst us.
Friends andfeller Sinners" she said,
1--WE air all on the pint of death, and
here, before you all, l make confession.
l am thief and robber, Snd shall
never be pardoned 1t wus me that
robbed my husband, and, more than
that, l stole the chickens to make the
sallad-one of 'em from each of my good
friends and neighbors. Judgments has
fallenv'
"You wus driv to it, Mrs. Virgins,
sez l, "by your pardner's meanness. We
all knowed it, and none of us blame you. "
"You don't know all, said Mrs Wig
gins. "Moren that: l went to the store
and tax my chances and stole bottle of
ile-the recipe said to make the salad
dressin with lie. I'd never made none.
| stole the bottle. Oh! sha'n't never be
forgiven-I sha'n't never be forgivenl
I've TUX bottle of p'ison of some sort,
fur it wus in the drug department. where
lies is kept, and Pm murderer
"Oh-hoi" says the doctor. "Bring me
the bottle, Mrs. Wiggins, and / guess I'll
find out how to cure EN-"
Mrs. Virgins fetched it; doctor he
tasted it.
"This amt p'ison, ladies'" sez he.
"There ain no gret harm done; only, /
don't suppose the recipe mentioned cas-
tor oil for salad dressing. "Tisn't usual,
anyhow. Nobody is goin' to die this
time, Mrs. Virgins, unless it is you
yourself. You lie down and quiet your
self"
Poor Mrs. Virgins, she dropped on
her knees and prayed right there fur
thankfulness, and we all jined in; and
as soon as folks slznowed they hadn't
TUX arsenic they all got better. Mrs.
Virgins solemn and distracted looks,
and her not eatin any, had made them
that worn't in the secret think that she'd
gone crazy and done it purpose, which
scared 'em more.
And they do say Mr.. Virgins amt
quite so near as he used to be since he
saw what might come of drivin a
woman into corner for want of a
penny.
Still, we shan't forget Melindy Wig
gins wedding in a hurry-those of us
that went to it.-Mary Kyle Dallas in
Fireside Companion.
Brought to the Point.
Annabel-How queerl Here's story
l. L a