Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1894-01-25

"Only suggesting to you not to re-
ceive Mr.. Warren's attention too eager
iy, or to attach too much Importance
to them. l know you say that IL is all
benevolence, and SO forth, on his part.
And, so long as you think so, / dare say
there's no harm done. But-you know
people will talk, especially in a little
country town like this. And do not
think 1t will be advantageous for you
to have your name coupled With that
of a rich bac~helor-even although he Is
an old b~achelor-like Mr.. Warren. If
you wish to get pupils in the town. any
talk of 4 Irritation on your part would
be really injurious to your hopes. You
have considerable personal attractions,
you know; and In your unprotected
position. living quite apart from your
late husbands family, 1t appears to me,
that you ought to be scrupulously care
full. For myself. / have, l need scarce
ly say, no personal interest In the mat
ter. We shall all be leaving Beech
Grove In October, and may probably
never return to it. SO you see l speak
solely for your good"
Mrs. Boddington waited for no reply,
but swept out of the With avery
stately inclination OF her head.
2 Now. there was n sting in her final
speech, which had been put there with
malice aforethought. 1t was the word
rich applied to her brother. Certain
ly the cpithet was unnece ssary to en-
force her argument. But in using 1t
Mrs. Boddington had Intended TO hurt
and had succeeded. 81.
Mrs. Jack was 4 very miserable wom-
an as she sat in her poor little sitting
room that evening, with the dogs
cared exercise books before her, vainly
trying TO fix her attention on the alb
CREATIONS In the photography OF Jimmy
and Jenny. She felt very miserable,
and kept her misery TO herself. Not
even to the faithful Barney could she
bring herself to repeat Mrs. Bedding
tons coolly uttered words. She thought
of them, however, continually. She
grew hot as she recalled how that
plump, nonchalent little woman had
told her to her face that she was giddy
and imprudent and given to filtration;
and had spoken patroniZingly Of her
considerable personal attractions"
Il wonder / bore it as l did, cried
Mrs. Jack, pushing the exercise books
away from her and getting up TO walk
about the room, as was her habit when
excited. Il wonder l didn't tell her
that | would never condescend to enter
her house again. Only it is not her
house, after all. But then If she thinks
4 wonder if she really does think
that / am pursuing her rich brother!
Oh! II makes me culver in every nerve
to think Of it. How wicked 1t is TO say
such things of people thoughtlessly! l
myself have often spoken, l dare say,
in a foolish gossiping way about women
who were trying TO catch Il husband;
but | will neve do ii any more. | did
not realize what it Is TO be accused
Of such things! And If he should have
the same idea-even the shadow OF a
shade of the same idea! No doubt his
sister gives him kind warnings, too!
And p~erhaps-oh! perhaps that was the
reason he kept out Of my way this
morning! He has been warned and
talked TO, and told all sorts of things
about me-" .-....
Mrs. Jack stood still in the middle of
the room as the thought occurred TO
her. Her hands were clinched, her face
was quite pale and her eyes, bright as
ever, but encircled with thu red, swollen
traces of tears, looked out straight
before her rs though she saw a ghost.
Poor Mrs. Jack! She looked very for
lorn and tragic as she stood there in
a feacup, If you villa very unheroic
grief. But her suffering was not pro-
portioned to the trivial and homcly
nature of the situation"