The Logan County banner. [volume] (Logan, W. Va.) 1889-1903, 1892-09-01
AN OVERHEARD THREAT.
A Terrible Scandal and What
Came of It.

"rll kill him If he comes here ngain."
said Mrs. Deacon Hayes, IN deter
mined tone; and.onc Of her neighbors-
Mr. Gates Wallscr-coming into her
house to borrow q hand saw of the
deacon, heard what she said.
Mr., Walker was male gossip; for
there are men, as we'll as women, who
indulge in that species OF recreation.
Mr.. Walker priclsed up his cars and
listened ntcntly SO very intcntly that
he forgot all about the saw and went
home without asking for it.
Now, at the time she made the little
speech which heads this sketch, Mrs.
Hayes was il the woodshed, entirely
alone, and Mr.. Walker was in the
Kitchen and hcard what she said through
the open door. 81
He had not the most remote idea
whom she intended to kill, but he went
home and laid his news before his wife.
Sho was astoundcd, though she had al
ways thought that Mrs. Hayes wasn't
no better than she orter be; for she put
sugar in her tea every day and wore
white stockings common, and kept two
lamps a-burning to once in one room,
and ixtravagant woman was gineral-
Ky a bad woman"
Mrs. Walker put on her bonnet and
called on Aunt Ellen Splicer. Miss
Splicer was very sharp-nosed, and
quite rs keen after scandal as ter
rier after rat. A thing was buried
pretty deep when Miss Splicer failed to
unearth it,, Miss Splicer put on a clean
apron and strolcd the cat. The put
ting on Of clean apron by Miss Spill
Ger was much the same as judge upon
The bench putting on the black cap.
Ibid you ever hear that Mrs. Hayes
had got a husband living?v asked Miss
Splieer, sinking her voice to that low,
confidential tone we all know so well.
why. sartinl" said Mrs. Walker.
1.-The deacon's living, hain't he?'
II don't mean the deacon. mean
another husband"
Good laws! what, besides the dea-
comp
Eyes, besides the deaconv'
why, Miss Spliccrl how you talki
You take my breath away Dear me-!
feel faint! Two husbands! Wall,
wall, what is this world a-coming TOP"
Death and Instruction. said Miss
Splicer, with solemnity.
"Oh, dear!' said Mrs. Walker.
Yes" said Miss Spliccr, 'when the
world is full of the wicked in sleeps
clothing a-going about seeking whom
they may devour, then comes dcstruc-
ton. Mrs. Walker. did you ever think
what that passage, in sleeps cloth
ing meant?"
Il allurs thought" said Mrs. Walker,
meekly, .'that it meant to be dressed
in woolen gowns, and wo9lsn coats and
Nor said Miss Sphcer, sit means
Just such things as having two hus-
bands and pretending not to have but
one" ~
-tShol" said Mrs. Walker.
: Nov tell you what know, but
don't you mention it to living soulr'
moi said Mrs. Walker; I'D be
fiayed alive, and burned at stake first!
Hope todrop dead il / wouldn'ti"
"well, in her young days Mrs. Hayes
used TO be spanked by Sam Jenkins.
They engaged-some people said mar
ried. She sent him off and took Deacon
nayes The deacon was rich. Sam
was poor. Sam went west, and six
months ago he came back. He's been
teen twice, lurking around Deacon
Hayes house!"
Good heavensln
"And now, it's just my opinion he's
xrftar Y,onavt RIarlsmai1p,
'Blackmaill What, the post Officer"
cried Mrs. Walker.
mo, no; he's a threatening to tell
that she was his wife before she was
the deacon's, Expecting she'll pay him
IA keep still. The papers are full Of
sch things. And she's determined to
Il him If he comes there again. Don't
) IA see?"
Mrs. Walker thought she did, and
ten Miss Splicer went out with her to
ell on Capt. Digby's wife, and see
nat she thought
Mrs. Digby was having tca-party,
md the thing was discussed at great
length.
vi the women agreed that it was
G"cadful, dreadful affair, and some
t9g ought to be done. Capt. Digby
vas called into the council and the
ptain scratched his bald pate, and
trgestcd that they tell Parson Trotter.
70 the parson was informed, but, be-
iy very judicious Trotter, he de-
tined to interfere.
The story grew and spread until It's
p,rportions were enormous. Deacon
h'ycs' house was watched night and
day, and Mrs. Hayes, when she went
out in the village, was very much puz-
zled at the way in which all her friends
and acqnaintanccs avoided her. Even
Person Trotter crossed to the other
siec of the street when he saw her
&C ning
he good lady spoke to her husband
ut it, but the deacon only pooh
po heidi 1t was all nonsense, he said,
on her part--she only imagined it
Ono d,ty those who were watching
the dsaoo n's house saw Sam Jenkins
goinI toward it with . basket in his
hand
The tidings Acw--th man was going
- his dooml he must be saved
Mrs. Walker and Miss Spliccr, and Q
hIif dozen other women, accompanied
by tier husbands, aud Parson Tr0ttcr,
hurr:,d to the dencon's. y
IT, depcon's wife and Sam Jenkins
vsre sitting Lcsore tie Are, Tor it-was'