The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-08-04

ana sat down alone in the kitchen. As
sat there by the window I thought OF
my green silk dress and wondered if the
stains were out I went to the closet AMI
brought the dress out to the light. The
spots and streaks had almost disappeared
took the dress out in the shed and
scfaPcd on the flour paste, which was
quite dry; I swept up the paste, burned
1t in the stove, took the dress upstairs
to my own closet, and hung it in its old
place. Neighbors remained with me all
night.
At o'clock in the afternoon Of the next
day, which was Thursday, I went over TO
Phoebe Dole's to see about black dress
to wear TO the funeral. The neighbOrs
had urged me to have my black silk dress
altered a little and trimmed with Grape
found only Maria Woods at home.
: when she saw me she gave little scream
and began to cry. She looked as If she
had already been weeping for hours. Her
blue eyes were bloodshot
'Phoebe's gone over to-Mrs. Whit
ney' s-to-try on her dress" she sobbed.
Il want TO get my black silk dress fixed
a little" said l.
Shell be homeopathy soon," said
Maria.
laid my dress on the sofa and sat
down. Nobody ever consults Maria about
a dress. She sews well, but Phoebe does
all the planning.
Maria Woods continued to sob like
child, holding her little soaked handker-
chief over her face. Her shoulders heav-
ed. AS for me felt like stone; I could
not weep"
oh" she gasped out finally, II knew,
l knew! l told Phoebe knew just how
1t would be: l knew"
1 reused myself at that. "What do
you mean?" said /.
when Phoebe came home Tuesday
night and said she heard your father and
Rufus Bennett having words, 1 knew
how it would be-" she choked out. Il
knew he had a dreadful temper"
Did Phoebe Dole know Tuesday night
that father and Rufus Bennett had
wordsY' said /.
Yes" said Maria Woods.
How did she know?"
"She was going through your yard the
short cut to Mrs. Ormsby's, to carry her
brown alpaca dress home She came right
home and told me; and she overheard
them.
Have you spoken of it to anybody but
me?" said l.
Maria said she didn't know; she might
have done so. Then she remembered hear
ing Phoebe herself speak of it to Har-
riet Sargent when she came in to try on
her dress. 1t was easy to see how people
knew about it.
I did not say any more, but I thought it
was strange that Phobe Dole had asked
me If father had had words with
anybody when she knew it all the time.
Phoebe came in before long. l tried
on my dress and she made her plan about
the alterations and the trimming. l made
no suggestions. I did not care how it was
done, but if / had cared 1T would have
made no difference. Phoebe always does
things her own way. All the women in
this village are in manner under Phoebe
Dole's thumb. Their garments are visible
proofs of her force of will.
While she was taking IN nv black silk
on the shoulder seams Phoebe Dole said:
Let me see-you had green silk dress
made at Digby three summers ago, didn't
your"
YES" said.
"Well," said She "why don't you have
it dyed black? Those thin silks dye real
nice. 1t would make you a good dress"
l scarcely replied, and then she offered
to dye it for me herself She had a recipe
which she had used with great success. 1
thought it very kind of her but did not
say whether l would accept her offer or
not l could not fix my mind upon any
thing but the awful trouble / was in.
TN come over and get it tomorrow
morning." said Phoebe.
l thanked her. 1 thought Of the stains,
and then my mind seemed to wander away
again to the one object.
All the time Maria Woods sat weeping
Finally Phoebe turned to her with impa-
tience. 'If you can't keep calmer, you'd
better go upstairs, Maria" said she
You'll make Sarah sick. Look at her! she
doesn't give way-and think of the reason
she's got"
"I've got reason, too" Maria broke out;
then, with a piteous Shrek ,"Oh, I've got
-reasonv
Maria Woods, go out of the ROOM"
said Phoebe. Her sharpness made me
Jump, half dazed as l was.
Maria got up without a word and went
out of the room, bending almost double
with convulsive sobs.
''Shes been dreadful worked up over
your fathers death" said Phoebe calmly,
going on with the fitting. She's terribly
nervous. Sometimes l have to be real
sharp with her, for her own good"
nodded. Maria Woods has always
been considered a sweet, weakly, de-
pendent woman, and Phoebe Dole is I'M
doubleday very fond of her. She has
seemed to shield her and take care of her
nearly all her life. The two have lived
together since they were young girls.
Phoebe is tall and very pale and thin;
but she never has a days illness. She is
plain, yet there is kind of severe good
ness and faithfulness about her colorless
face, with the smooth bands of white
hair over her ears.
1 went home as soon as my dress was
fitted. That evening Henry Ellis came
over to see me. do not need to go into
details concerning that visit. 1t is enough