The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1896-03-26
A SILVER TEA SET.
BY JUDITH SPENCER.


81 declare to goodness, eff faint the
strangest thing l ever heard" Mrs Bas-
sett declared, emphatically. "All that
elegant silver stole, monogram an
all, an Mis- Pettigrew's hip broke, into
the bargain! Somehow, l didn't right
ly take it in. Now, Mandy" with per-
suasion, "s'pose you set down an tell
me jest how it ell happened, over
again"
So Amanda Perkins dropped down on
the nearest chair and began her story
once more, with an air of mingled hos
ror and enjoyment.
We'll, you see, Mis- Bassett, twas
this way; an | got it frcm Farnum's
boy when he come over with the milk,
an he got it straight from Farnu,n,
who see there was somethin' wrong as
he was passin' bout daybreak-her
front door was standin' open, an hear.
in queer moanin' noises. So he went in,
an there lay Mis- Pettig1ew al the foot
of the stairs in her night gown an cap.
groanin' an cryin' out: They've stole
my SIiNCl tSd SCI, dH XIII me INFO Une
bargain-an' it's Judgement on me for
my SINS"
Poor thing" sighed Mrs. Bassett
Though dunno eff it didn't serve her
right, she was that proud of her high
connections an her family silver
well, Farnum tried TO lift her
Amanda continued, glibly. but she
hollered ont awful, an tainted dead
away. An he was that scarf that he
emptied half his bucket O milk over
her, fore he knew what he was dom!
Then he ran for the doctor hard's ever
he could go. An, as luck would have it,
DIR. Phelps was out, early as twas, so
the young assistant come, an he said
her hip was broke an 'twarn't likely
she'd survive the shock"
Dear, dcar!" sighed Mrs. Bassett,
IAN jest TO think Of the poor thing left
all alone to the mercy O that young doc
tor, an him experimental an settin'
her poor bones wrong, no doubt"
"She want left alone" corrected
Amanda, "for Farnum run over for
Phoebe Allis, an she's goin' to stay an
look after Mis- Pettigrew till she gifts
round again, she says-Which won't
never be, accordin' to the young doctor
an Mis- Pettigrew declares herself
she's goin' to die. l wonder how she
likes Phoebe's bein' there, after the way
she's snubb2d her-not to speak of the
rest of us.-ever sence that rich ould
aunt in the city died an left her the
silver tea set. She amt never been the
same woman sence, an she never was
pleasant one to git along with, Mis-
Pettegrew warn't, poor as poverty. an
proud as Lucifer, always talkin' of her
rich RELATIONSHIP she tal>in' in SEWN
an worlin' out by the day to git her
livin'."
But, deary me, who coult a stole
the tea-set?' queried Mrs Bassett.
''Well, tramp was seen hangin
round pretty much all day, an they
think twas him. He'd heard tell O
that tea set, or maybe he seen her car.
lyin' it up to her room, some night
You know, she amt got a sign OF a
curtain, an / always said twas tempt
in Providence to keep scch valoohles
in sech a ramshacllle old house with
out a winder that locks or door that
ketches tight.
at seems they found the nantry
winder open, an the thief crept up into
her chamber, an put the tea set, every
piece, into an Old table-cover. My! but
it makes crawlers go up an down my
back only jest to think of Il! An
hearin' it rattle she sprang up an hol
cred: Thieves! murder.' an caught
Eolt of him in the dark An down
they went, rollin' over an over altdowr
them narrer stairs, she holdin' tighi
onto him all the time. An when they
got to the bottom he jumped up an run
out, tea set an all. An there she lay
moanin', poor creetur, till daylight
come, an Jim Farnum come in an
found her.
providence has some mysterious
ways" Amanda continued. piously. ian
they DO say pride always goes ptore Il
fall.
"An' now, Mis- Bassett, must be
goin', for Mis- Parsons|l be glad to
hear the news-to say notAin' of my
bread bein' in the pans, an guess it's
Fiz by this time, sure"