Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1892-09-30
IN COMPANY G.

ton of the colonel's wife, froZe into
the very saintliest prudery whenever
Mrs. Mellin came among them. The
men grew hot and relieved their feel
ings by pungent oathS when they We're
compelled to listen. Not man in com
pany G believed it. Not one but woull
have 'staked his last dollar on her alb
solute innocence. Why, she was Jack
Mellin'S wife; the very trueSt man
and comrade that ever sat aStride Il
horse on the plains. And yet enough
suspicion got into the atmosphere tn
send a sensitive woman to perdition.
At the first whisper, Nora, Jacks
wife, or rather. dear old Jacks widow
seemed literally blishted. The big.
dark eyes had a frightened look that
the woman scotfed at among them
selves, and that made the men wiring
their own noses and flourish their
handerchiefS vigorously, at every cyl
counter of that timid perpleXed quaS-
tioning.
There's nothing on top of the eartn
so thoroughly mean and so akin to in
IlClllOtIS ITS WHICH W "O-
men, when they once start out with tie
intention of wounding. Their tongues
are lanceS that cut on both edges, their
eyes stab, and those delicate innuendos
of which they are finished miStreSSeS.
can make the victim writhe under q
torture worse than thousand pin
sticks. It's different with men May
be the Lord didn't make them fine
enough; I don't know; but l never
heard a man of them express a desire
for that art. i think it is Il gift of the
old devil, handed over when he found
Dame Ewes soul had got beyond his
power. A mighty mean revenge.
though, for him; and that has put more
thorns on people and more thOrns in
people than anything else in the world.
I've known women so gentle-Spokcn
you'd think their lips could never speak
words unkind, and the kecncSt and cut
tingest of all wOrd-knivcs would come
from them.
I don't know that l can quite get The
straight of it. A lot of them were tear
ing together one evening. and vol
lmteered to give me the details. BOUNDS!
1t made me so mad that | Sworc Il FOL
hot oath right there in Captain Jayne s
parlor; told those Silllcn-Soft mcSdam,S
what / thought of the contemplate
way women had Of damning anot le:'
Woman'S reputation and then going to
church as sweetly pious rs if they
wouldn't kill Il gnat, much less Il Wo-
man-heart; doing more harm in an
hours tattle and prattlc than they
could undo in a year on their knees
gave them my opinion i II clean cut
Anglo Saxon and bowed myself out
and while my temper was cooling out
came the captain. | fancicd from his
grave face he wanted an apology. "No.
sir" l growled ut him; no, sir!
meant every word. and | won't apoloG
iZe. Won't take Il word back. No.
sirr'
'"Take it back" he echoed. eff YOU
did I'd want to cane you. If you'll SIT
down I'll pat you on the head. Served
those sharp-tongued, pretty-froclled lit
tie wretches right. Gracious! but
they're making n mess of it." And Tie
old fellow grOancd in sour vcXatiOn
"And the wife of my bosom's in the
thick of it,
Twas then Morals baby died. Nora
had learned by that time Just what
was saying about her and Corporal
Joe, and the big eyes had grown proud.
and so scOrnful they seemed to pierce
right through the gOSSiping women
every time they met. And it seemed
queer. but those other women acted
guilty. instead of Nora. in the way
they avoided that proud. direct look.
She'd been as eXQuiSitcly tinted rs q
prairie rose. but her face had grown so
pale. the turn of her head and curve Of
her mouth so coldly proud she hardly
seemed flesh and blood. Seemed a
kind of white human lily.
Then baby died. Jacks only little
daughter. Some dozen of the ladies
hurried over to tho cottage with their
flowers and understanding leaves AMI
were putting them about the little one
when Nora came into the room like az
angry queen. She hadn't shed tcar
since baby died. and her great eyes
burned in face as death-white as the
dead baby's. With a scathing gaze she
looked them over, those women and
their flowers. Then she spoke.
How dare you bring the contamina
ton of your presence here?' she said
in accents so slow every word seemed
wrung from her heart, so terrible the
effort so Icy her voice.
How dare you put the touch Of
your hands on my baby. You-you -
who have dared assume to be keepers
Of her mothers virtue to foul and spoil
it," She crossed the room to the
tiny casket, covering the still little face
from their sight "My baby is too pure
for flowers of your gathering" Her
slender form drawn to stately stature.
her voice colder, prouder. ''My baby's
mother is too pure to endure the shame
of your presence" She pointed to the
door; and with Redeemed, humbled
faces and swelling hearts they went
out, bearing their despised flowers with
them.
Checked, by the Lord Harry" said
the grizzled old captain, as from his
piazza we watched the ladies coming
back UP the s1nhot street. their hands
as laden as when they went down
COW, my men, We'll get the flowers for
Jacks baby. Thank the Lord, there
amt a man of us helped on that in
fe1nal gossip, or put a word in it,
And poor Nora, when the door closed
after the last flock of them fell on her
knees by the little one, clasping her