The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1899-08-03


disappeared into the house. Mrs. De-
lane returned to the tea table drawing
in her lips and shaking her head, and
we read in the combined action what
would be the verdict of the Row.
The result of further observation
served only to deepen first impressions.
The manner and extent of the pairs
divergence from High Row notions OF
genteel living became the favorite sub
ject for discussion at all the tea parties.
Zach one of us was eager to contribute
his or her mite Of evidence. One morn
ing, when the little maid of all work
had gone out Of the house in garments
suggestive of days holiday, one OF us
had seen Mrs. de Villiers (the incredible
high-f1own name they gave out as their
own) dress herself up in the servants
cap and apron and dab about the room
with broom and duster, for all the
world like stage soubrette. Her hus-
band had stood by, laughing uproar-
iously, and the whole had concluded
with an affectionate skirmish, in which
the broom had played an important
J part. The pair made daily excursions
to the shops. she carrying on her arm
a preposterous markes basket, itself an
, insult to the dignity Of the Row.
On hot summer nights, when we sat
and stewed respectively In our front
parlors, these people would bring deck
chairs on to their doorstep and lounge
there till bedtime in shameless disha-
billie of teagown and smoking jacket.
Hitherto the respectable remoteness OF
High Row had been appreciated by
hawkers and street minstrels, and they
hnd seldom troubled US with their vis-
It's. But now the charm was broken.
Some instinct seemed to urge them
daily in our direction. an instinct tusti-
fed by the behavior of the newcomers,
who bought shrimps and water crosses,
and threw halfpence to the man with
| the cornet. Indeed, the dark suspicion
rested upon them OF having inflicted
the squeaking vulgarity OF Punch and
Judy show upon the peace of High Row
by deliberate invitation. They had GER
f! tainly sat at their window throughout
the performance, exhibiting marked
signs of appreciation.
Calling on them had from the first
been out Of the question. Now when we
came across them In the row, or street,
our countenances were wont to put on
tho most unapproachable look. where
by we hoped they would gather the ex-
tent Of their offense, and Be induced.
perhaps, to mend their ways.
Yet am glad to say, for the charac-
ter Of the row, that we were all OF us
shocked at Mrs. Delane, who. when lit
tie Mrs.. dc Villiers stopped one morn
ing in front of her veranda to say pref
ty words to tho parrot summing itself
| there, darted out red and wrathful and
bore tho cage back with her through
the parlor window, as though she feared
| contamination for the bird. But while
wo watching grew red and white In the
! girls behalf, she resumed her saunter-
ing walk with little smiling twist Of
tho mouth that expressed moro Of
amusement than Of annoyance.
We had become aware, and the fact
lay perhaps at the root Of our hostility.
that we, the original inhabitants,
formed as important an element in the
consciousness of the pair a. the pump
at the corner Of the rusty clump Of
shrubs that did duty for garden in tho
middle of the Row. And SO they con-
tinued 70 stand on their heads, meta
phorically speaking, exasperatingly in
different to the existence OF an audi
ence trying to frown them down into q
more conventional attitude.
Yet It was strange that they should
seem content to be let severely alone,
for as far as callers went they might
have lived on desert island; the post
man rarely brought them letter. And
as summer merged into autumn, q
change like that affecting the season
came ever the offending household.
The girls smart toilettes, of which no
item was ever renewed, began to look
faded and shabby. She drew the light
cloak, designed for summer weather,
more closely about her shoulders, but
the wind blew cold through the lsces and
chiffons, and she shivered miserably.
The little face under the big hat, whose
handsome feather had long been inno-
cent Of curl, grew white and pinched.
and the eyes had frightened. wide
open look. The same look was reflected
in the face of the man, as he stood for
hours together drumming aimlessly on
the window pane. Men who looked like
duns were seen to frequent the door
step. The girls appearance in the street
grew IN occurrence of increasing rar-
ity, then ceased altogether. and had 1t
not been for a glimpse now and then of
pale face fitting past an upper win
dow. we might have believed she had
been spirited away. 1t was the man
who went to market now, mostly of an
evening, and armed always with the Of
Tending basket q melancholy relic OF
the time when life had seemed game
to be played with appropriate toys.
Iwould have given something to dare
to cross the row and open my arms to
those poor, forlorn things. But Mrs.