Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1900-12-26
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
ABOUT A MINK.
ssssssssssssssssssss

@1S week, and for a week Linden
thorpe had been shocked. Miss Mayne
felt hurt. When she returned she had
board folks, left behind when her aunt
carried her up 10 London years before,
and friendliness was in her heart to-
ward them. Instead of receiving the
same, she had been met with envy and
Jealousy and all uncharitableness. Part
~ it was her fault, partly theirs. They
only remembered her as the imp and
scapegoat of the village, who played
on the rocks all day long with bare
feet, and they resented her grown-up
fashionability. She could not help re-
alizing that she was better dressed,
knew more of the world, and was in
many ways hundred years ahead of
Lindenthorpe.
1t was Sunday that the shock of
shocks occurred. To begin with, sever
al minutes after service had begun Miss
Betty Mayne walked in-almost strolled
mas cool as a cucumber and clad in
the most outrageously fine dress, and
| stood in the entrance Qnstead Of mod
estly finding herself seat poking
away at the stones with a green par
asol until MI. Attenborough, who was
church warden-the youngest church
warden Lindenthorpe had ever had
rose in his Sunday best to show her to
a place.
People were more Disguised than sur
prised when Miss Mayne, after fan
ming herself ostentatiously for some
time, rose and stalked out of church
| by the front door. Such behavior was
| to be expected from Mink. 1t was
what followed TINT left Lindenthorpe
resigned to anything short of an earth
quake. Miss Mayne wandered down
toward the beach in pensive mood
| and took a seat on bit of sandstone.
She was pretty sight in blue and gold,
whatever Miss Griggs' opinion might
be A church warden is at lib
erty to differ from Sunday schoolmis-
tress on question like this, and Silas
| Attenborough, as he walked from
| church down to the sea and saw the
| Mink on hersrock, differed in toto from
Miss Griggs. He felt desire to rebuke
the Mink for her conduct in church
that morning, but was 1t wise to ven
ture onto the rocks? He was in his
Sunday clothes and not very sure of
foot among slippery seaweeds. Never
theless, his sense Of duty being strong,
| Mr.. .AttenborOugh crossed the rubicon,
and at length reached the sandstone
rock. The Mink nodded to him. II
saw YOU in church this morning." she
said.
81 zee you,' said Mr.. Attenborough,
4 gravely.
sit was very funny" she went on.
.srhe very first thing noticed was
chalk mark on your coat from leaning
against the pillars-and do believe
you've got 1t on STILL"
This was hardly the conversation Mr.
Attenborough had pictured TO himself,
and lie rubbed the chalk away before
replying.
ut seemed you left the church avore
the sermonY
"Dreadfully ventilated, isn't itY' she
said, nodding. II really wonder people
| don't get suffocated sometimes"
"Its agreeable by t sea here avore
dinner" he remarked.
"trhe same dis ever" she said. "All
| Lindenthorpe's the same as ever-the
sea and the village and the folks. They
might have slept and never walked
| since the day l left-scven years ago.
Oh!"-she reused herself to sudden AMI
mation-"but I'd like to shock them!"
"Shock 'eln?" said Mr.. Attenborough,
aghast.
"Shock you all-because detest peo-
pie who can be shocked. And If knew
! for certain that detested Linden
thorpe I'd be content to leave it and
never see it again" She sank back
against the rock.
would you nowi" said Mr.. Atten-
borough, astonished.
She nodded. "It's quite true," she
said.
81 doan't think I'm easy't shock" he
said guardedly.
Perhaps you're right" she said.
But" she pointed a finger toward the
shore, sis that Miss Griggs over there!"
He followed the direction of her fin
ger and saw that most Of the congre-
CATION were assembled in groups about
the shore.
"'Tis indeed" he groaned, "an' Mrs
Griffin and t. whole Sunday school
watching us. think that we shud be
getting back"
4Don't let me keep you" she said.
at is not keeping me. "rls only
he looked about him ~, III excuse.
Zip me! T. sea-"
f"What do you mean2p
"T seal" said MI, Attenboyough.
"Its COON up-~-r 5'lt