Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-08-19

there once or twice a week. It's been
a-soin' on for three months. Ever since
she left off church, an choir, an liberty
board, an everything else. That amt all.
I've see for long time that there's some
cool feeln's between her n Mr.. May
hew-''
'An' Mr.. Mayhem such nice man.
81 never hear word agin him yet
AN 1t seems to be on his side. My mer-
cy! She ust to come to the door with him
every time he went down town. an last
thing he'd do he'd up an kiss her. Like a
pair o fool lovers. They'd been married
a long time, too He spent all his evenin's
at home with her, unless there was some
thin to go to. an then he'd always take
her. An If she sung piece, or played on
the piano, or declaimed-my mercy! he just
set an couldn't take his eyes off o. her. L
never see his beat for admirin' woman
an lettin' his admire stick out all over him.
SOS everybody with half a eye could see it.
He fairly carried his admire around on his
sleeve! An when he come home to dinner
she'd run out to the gate, an first thing
he do he'd up an kiss her. Well, it all
changed now He never goes a step with
her anywheres. He never spends an evenn
at home; an il she comes to the door with
him he just walks off with his head down,
kind Of slow an thnkin', an never SO
much as looks back once"
''Meybe somebody's give him a hint,
bTea thed Mrs. Frazer
Mrs Hostetter smiled and cleared her
''Mebbe somebody has" she said, mys-
teriously.
''Mebbe somebody's sent him an ,nony
nous letter.
Mrs. Hostetter fixed her unexpectedly
with d stern gaze. '.Mehbe somebody has
well. my land. Don't eat body up
with your eyes SO. l wasn't aceusin YOU"
We'll, you can if you want said Mrs.
Hostetter, undaunted
wy, you never. did you?" exclaimed
both women, in breath.
Eyes, | did" said Mrs. Hostetter, proud
IL,
him hint in an anonymous letter-just the
mildest kind Of an intimatiOn-
''Oh. what did you say? Tell us what you
said
They were aquiver with excitement.
well. | just said'-she leaned back and
half-closed her eyes-"that when the bird
cage hung on the right side of the door
young man went there early an stayed all
the afternoon | told him
''Oh. good for you.
q glory n your spunk. You are grit
Good for you, Nerve-unh!"
Il told him-Mrs. Hostetter swelled out
her bust superbly-"that he didn't need to
take any anonymous letters word for it.
All he had to do was to watch for hisself
any Toosday or Friday"
An did he?
Her countenance fell. well, no, he didn't
must say
What! Didn't he never.
mo. not a once.
"W'y, how do you know?''
I've set here at my window every Toos-
day an Friday since. I've set a little back,
SOS | couldn't be seen, but I've never took
my eyes off o. that house. It's strained my
eyes so. a-keepin' EN- set right on one
spot almost without winkin for fear I'd
miss somethin', that I've had to keep "a
| bathin 'em in strong salt water It's ter
rible good for the eyes Well, if her hus-
band had a-watched he'd been sure to see
| the man an then, Of course, he'd of gone
straight to the house lowell, to-er-hum-
beard him." she added in deep voice, ''in
his-er-hum-den. But he never went
there a once But 1 see him the day after
| return to triumph, IAN he looked as gray
as ashpan. l bid him the time o. day,
an he could hardly speak. Oh. he felt it
| an all the gray wrinkles a-tremblin'
| around his MOUTH she added. cheerfully.
Il don't see what allied him. not to
| WATCH said Mrs. Dean, helplessly not
| knowing the. meaning of the word honor.
II don't see. either
"Well, watch no watch, he's been a
| looks as if he'd been pulled through a knot
| hole. man with a cancer or a case of ap-
pendikitis couldn't look much worse''
That's So" said Mrs. Dean.
"Oh, mercy. my bread" exclaimed Mrs.
Hostetter. getting up. excitedly. Il must
| run, or it'll be sooilt.''
Wen have to take this here dove color
| door in lend" called Mrs. Dean after her.
| We can't have any such goin-ons in this
neighborhood."
| Mrs. Frazer closed the door carefully after
| Mrs. Hostetter and returned to the sitting
| room. She sat down and looked at Mrs.
Dean Mrs. Dean looked at her. Both
smiled.
| 1T takes lots O folks to make world -
said Mrs. Dean. 1.-THE idee o. her a-makin'
| out so about other peoples actin ups.
| Look at her husband. The whole town
| a-talkin' about him. I reckon if women
| knew all that's bein' said about their hus-
| bands they wouldn't be so fresh a-talkin'
| about Others
| Yes" said Mrs. Frazer, slowly, "but amt
| that awful about Mis- Mayhem? T can't
| git over her a-havin' such a virtuous lookin'
| front door. I'll never trust dove color again
| as long as the Lord gives me breath If
| you'd of told me to hunt IN the Length a IN,
the breadth Of this hull town for an limo
cent-lookin' house." she added, with great
| solemnity, I'd Of pointed out that one"
MRS. Dean arose slowly. II do know but