River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1894-06-07

daughter seemed oblivious of al tina
/ dark hints that were thrown out about
then.
Suspicion grew fast Many things
were said of the occupants o. the river
house. 81 Jenkins, who lived near,
told his wife that lights burned there
all night Ezra Burke saw a woman
in white come 10 an upper window and
look out with wild eyes. lie knew ii
/ was woman because of her long hair,
I else he'd ''a-thought il were old Smith 5
/ ghost" Conjecture ran high. At las,
/ il was decided that delegation OF
women headed By Mrs Simpkins should
wait upon Mrs. Allen and demand an
| explanation OF the mystery.
For such is our Christian duty,
said Mrs. Burke. who stood high in the
church. 1T is my opinion that their
name is not Allen at all, but Smith,
/ and Id not Re one bit surprised If they
turned out to be some kin of that old
John Smith whose ghost haunts that
very house, and whose grandfather,
I they do say. was hung"
SO the next afternoon the delegation
started on it's errand.
! Il m just aching to tell them what
| think OF such doings," Mrs Simpl<ins
said. as she raised the heavy brass
| knoczer and applied it with so much
energy that the door was opened al
most Immediately by pretty Miss Nora
How are you, ladies? Walk right
in, she said, evidently rather sur
prised- Mamma will be here in a
very few minutes. She has gone for
the mail g
Mrs. Simpkins nodded 10 the others,
as much as TO say: Just in time" And
they followed Nora into the parlor.
She tried TO entertain them until her
mother returned, but felt quite relieved
when she saw he coming and went to
the door 10 meet her.
Come right in, mamma There are
some ladies waiting for you"
Mrs Allen was astonished to find so
many callers in her parior at one time,
but showed no trace of surprise in her
manner
Good afternoon. ladies; ! am very
| glad to see you. II was such a lovely
day that ! went for tl,e mail myself
/ hope you have not been waiting long
Her greeting was so cordial that Mrs.
Jones afterwards said she was glad she
was not head of the delegation. After
/ one or two Intellectual efforts Mrs.
Simpl1ins abruptly began:
Mrs. Allen. or Mrs. Smith, or what
ever your name is-the Lord only
I knows. we don't.-we have come here
this afternoon to find out who you are.
/ You give vodr name as Allen, and get
| letters for Mrs Smith, and we amt
used to TO such goings on, and we have
come here to have you explain, IL you
can. for we don't want no mysteries in
our neighborhOod."
Surprise rendered Mrs Allen speech
! less for a moment; then she coldly said:
Ladies, / gave my name as Alien
simply because that was my husbands
name, and, consequently, is mine.
Mrs. Smith is my widowed sister, who
resides with me. For reasons not
necessary to state, / receive and an
swer her letters That is the meaning
/ of the supposed mystery which has
/ caused you so much distress. Like the
/ ghost it exists only in imagination"
She ceased speaking and glanced to-
ward the door, evidently expecting her
visitors to 20; but Mrs. Simpkins was
not easily routed.
You say your sister lives with you;
! it's odd no one has ever seen her and
/ that you never have no company. And
can you tell Us, ma'am, who tie poor
eritter is that roams about tins house
at night, all in white?'
1 AHIan-c faca xvaS ne
she answered.:
u had hoped that it would not h
necessary to go into the details of this
/ painful matter; but in order to check
malicious gossip will explain that my
sister is confirmed invalid, and left
/ the city because she was on the verge
/ of nervous prostration. We came here
/ that she might be perfectly quiet, and
have avoided company on her account
She Is not able To read o, answer her
/ letters, which all refer to business, rs
she owns considerable zeal estate in
town Now. ladies', as have nothing
more TO say concerning my private
affairs, ! will bid you good afternoon. .
/ Mrs. Aliens tone and manner for
! babe further words, and the Giscomfited
women rose in a body and marched out
of the house. Not until they reached
the gate did Mrs. Simpkins recover
! her powers of speech; then she ex-
claimed:
We'll. / never"
Had Mrs. Simpkins got glance into
the orchar' where May blossoms made
q thick. svcet-scented carpet on the
ground. size would have been even
more amazed, and utterly enraged.
I For Fred Parsons and Nora Allen
were seated there. She wa. holding a
4 sprig OF the blossoms. which he had
! just broken off for her, and Fred was
saying:
/ Il wonder If those old gossips ha {
/ gone. Nora? What clatter They
/ would raise If they knew that had
/ Just surrendered my heart to the fair
est stranger that ever came To this
+ queer old town.
/ The gossips heard all about it later,
when the wedding bells pealed. Mrs.
/ Simpllins vented her spite in her char
acteristic way. 70 this DAY she can't
/ understand why Pred Parsons ignored
I the chance to gain a wife and a
mot her-in-law proficient in the art OF
/ ,rosSiD n Y. Journal