Pawtucket tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 1890-189?, 1894-03-13
THE NlTCHHlkER.

II Hi uIl OEIltl III UIto
Miss Ferret was the chief dispenser Of
goss p in the town of l.inwood. Hollis Har-
riman was the chief merchant of Ilinwood.
He was a handsome bachelor of 35, aud he
had the nerve 10 call his place of business,
with its two counters and one clerk, an
emporium. lie had inherited the business
and other property from his father and
was laying a Midas touch on every enter
prise he took hold of.
At present he was building a house
quite an ambitious brick with more rooms
than the usual number Of four down, and
two up stairs, which WAS the common for
mula for Linwood residences. OF course
Linwood speculated as To his purpose in
building il. When men passed the grow
ing structure, standing high u COM
manding position, on the grassy slope of
gentle hill, they nodded carelessly to
their companions and said; "Nice placel
Wonder what Ilarriman's going To do
with iti The women nodded, too, but
with more decision, and oracularly, with
suppressed earnestness, remarked, "De-
pend upon It that Hollis Hartman is 90
ing 20 get married" The truth of the mat
Der was that Linwood industries were
bringing in an increase in poI'slation, and
Mr.. Harriman's house was being built as
what he called "a spec"
Miss Ferret was trou bled with keen
desire 20 solve the mystery, for, not hav-
ing any business Of her own, she dearly
loved 20 meddle with that OF others. SO
one pleasant spring day, after having spent
an hour or two I'm pricing all the costliest
goods at Mr.. Harriman's store and hav-
l Ill l..
long suffering clerk, she bought book of
improved needle pointed pins" and 3
cent roll Of tape before turning to the pro
| prietor with the insinuating question::
"Who is the happy bride you will take
TO the new house, Mr.. Harriman'"
ats dead secret, " whispered he, with
a glance over his shoulder at the grinning
clerk, who Immediately assumed an ex-
preston Of deep solemnity.
"Come over here where he can't hear
us. NowI You needn't be afraid TO tell
me. j never carry tales"
Mr.. Hartman thought it would be a
good joke to give her tale to carry and
see what would come Of II. So, without
taking that sober, second thought which
il often a deterrent 10 the too free play Of
the unruly member, he smiled and whis-
pered, "You certainly won't tellf"
"Never! I'm sure to be close as wax
and mum a "A oyster"
"Well-now be sure you don't tell it
it's Judge Mayo's daughter Blanche"
Miss Ferret fairly flew along the street
on her way home, spreading the news as
she went, for she was almost bursting
with a sense Of her own Importance at be-
Ing the first repository OF this exciting In
formation. And those to whom she con-
fidcd il, with many charges never to breathe
a single syllable Of it, went off at tangeuts
IN as many different directions, carrying
il far and wide.
81 must go up and tell Blanche the
Joke, and we'll have good laugh over II
before she hears from any otherAluarter, "
thought Hollis Hartman as he smiled 10
himself. But one thing and another con
spired 10 hinder, and the story had wing
ed it's way throughout the community for
three days, and Blanche Mayo had recev-
ed dozen congratulatory calls from wo-
men anxious 10 he shown the trousseau
before the merchant made his appear
ance. When he finally did so, he was dunn
founded to find that Miss Mayo received
him with power of cool stare in her
clear blue eyes equal to 40 brownstone
fronts.n
With the hope of dispelling this cool
ness he told his funny story, but for some
reason which he failed To comprehend
Blanche did not laugh.
$50, sir, " said she, ''you made my name
the butt Of n joke and gave 1t To n med
dlesome old gossip to carry all over this
town. | am highly honored, assure you.
II was a manly thing to do"
"But, Blanche'--
"Miss Mayo, If you please"
"l-I didn't think you would take it
that way"
"No. dare say you didn't. It's very
amusing, no doubt, to slander young
woman to whom you never-never"---
"Slander2 Blanche-Miss Mayo-do
you think so meanly Of me as 90 believe
that / would slander youf"
"What is slandcr but the malicious ut
terance of a false report, which is always
dangerous when it involves woman s
namey'
"You knew, of course, that we were
not-not'- Blanche's voice faltered and
died away
Mr. Harrimans throat was very dry.
He cleared it before speaking. "Not-not
formally-no'
"What-what do you mean by formal
lyV"
Mr.. Hartman had not meant anything
special by it. He had blundered upon the
word while trying 10 temporize and excuse
himself But now, as be looked at Blanche
while she asked him this question and
saw little softening OF the icy expression
Of her countenance-a little flush Of en-
barraSsed pink color usurping the pallor
Of her face-he thought TO himself, for the
first time, that no other fellow should ever
have her if be could prevent It.
1t is of no Use to tell you how this art
ful young man, after much self abasement
and many p'otestations, managed at last
to convince this irato young woman that
he bad only spoken out of the fullness of
his hearts desire and hope and prayed
that she would set the seal of her "form-
sl'' promise on what, perhaps because OF
his firm determination to win her, he might
have taken too much for granted. You
and both know that be never could have
succeeded had not her heart, long since
enlisted, traitorously pleaded in his favor.
They have been married for three years
now, and Hollis Hartman is a most low
erlike husband And neither Blanche, the
people Of Iinwood nor Miss Ferret herself