The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1895-08-28
THE PASSING BELL
"But the spell of the old-time tone
Brings unaware unto lip and brow

'But the eptli pl TIE piu-aihit t'ii'
Brings unaware unto lip and brow
The light of another zone"
No one seemed TO think of the incon
gruity between the style OF the build
ing and its occupants. 1t was on th'
beautiful main street, and was built IL
the manifest. most inconsistent style o
conglomerate architecture. 1t was de
signed for the Old Ladies' Home, anc
was the pet charity of the money"o
women of the little town in Vermont
where il was situated. All the build
ings near were homesteads of a cen
tury's standing, which had apparently
grown from the earth a. naturally a:
the trees surrounding them, thus max
ing more conspicuous the garish new
ness of the Home, which sheltered
three old women. Two of them wert
sitting in the window looking on TO the
street-a diversion that TO one of them
never watching the movement:
of the neighbOrs.
"There goes James l.. Haight, full
again." said Mrs. Upton, with pleas
ed smiled at her own reiterated joke, as
she peered out of the window at the
smallest size of street ear, slowly drag
ged by languid horse, which knew
too well the certainty of hills in tho
village TO hurry over the levels.
"There never was a straighter man
than James l.. Haight, and il does
seem a shame that after he's had the
favor of havin' the new horse-car nam
ed for i'm, you should take of from
his glory by your jokin', responded
Mrs. Marden but she smiled to soften
the words, for although she had plenty
of pepper in her composition, she al
WAYS softened to Mrs. Upton. Every
body did, just as instinctively as one
handles with tender touch II morning
glory.
ssWho's in the ear this noon?" ask
ei Mrs. Upton, trying TO indicate 10y
removing her glasses that her ability
To see was merely temporary.
''Them glasses of yourn seem TO al
wavs have some fillum on 'em just
when you most want to see" respond
ed Mrs. Marden, with hard hearted
mischief. "I believe it's the School
Board or somethin' on the car, there's 5
so many men aboard, an there's one
stranger. | wonder if they can see
in:" she said, preening herself bit
mt a mirror between the windows.
There was a scarlet bow on her hair,
which was black and abundant, for all
her seventy years; and there were
scarlet bows on her slippers which hall
concealed the prunella. REDS my
color, you know" she always said,
with pleased laugh, if any one tried
II demonstrate with her about her
dress, and their attempted reform rip
pied away on the sound of her laugh
ter.
az don't know why I'm looking, as
though | expected somebody" unused
Mrs. Upton, positively. ''The folks
that belong to me don't travel in horse
ears"
''Nor didn't neither when they was
alive, for, even though I'm few years
younger'n you, | can remember all
about the horse and rigs you and
your folks had. | needn't do no look
in on my own account, neither, for il
/ saw Cory comm right here to this
Old Ladies' Home, I'd never speak to
her. She deserted me once, and now
I'd disown her."
"She's your own daughter, Myra,
and she only left you because you
wouldn't let her marry Jim Leeds"
''But where is she now? wrote tC
her three years ago, to that town out
West, Jest after we got them new let
ter-boxes put up, and mailed it myself
i'm one of 'em. Why didn't she answer
it? An what does she care for her old
mother? I'd be town poor if il warn
for them ladies that runs this house,
an that's the truth. We may try tc
hold up our heads here because we
live in a Queen Ann house right on
the main street, with all the fine peo
pie for neighbors, but we're pauper-
for all that, an some days myself re-
speck il most gone" She stopped a
moment in her excited monOlogue TO
pick up the red bow, which had fallen
from her head In violently walking tc
and fro. at was only this mornin',
she continued, with swelling indigna
ton, "that our housekeeper, Mary
Bartlett, whose freckled face I've wash
ed many time when her mother wa,
helpin' with my kitchen work-it wa
only this m0rnin', | say, that she tried
TO talk TO me about the sinful extrav
agance of a lace rutIie about my garter
AS though she thought it was any of
her business, anyhow Who's she, L,
like to know Mrs. Marden rocked
her capacious person violently in tn
wooden rocker, and shook out he
skirts in anger. Her bright eyes snap
ped, and enough red flew to her cheek
TO rival the bow on her hair.
Poor, brave, faded Mrs Upton slip
ped out of the room, lest Myra Mardel
should zee the agitation she had un
Willingly produced and catch glimps
of her filling eyes. Tears lie very nea
the surface when they have been mea
and drink for years. What Mrs. Nal
den had rudely blurted out was true
sadly true, but the only way life at TN
home was endurable was to bull
about it that hedge of self-deceptio
without which all happiness is incon
plete. 1t was impossible for this prid
preserving, self-deception to live in tn
ruthless light Of Myra's plain stat.
ments, so Mrs. Upton crept away.