The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1900-06-01
Miss Letitia'S TroQSSeau ;
BY Olive Winston Gage.
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
ETITIA HOUGHTON was going /

ETITIA HOUGHTON was going to
l. be married; consequently many of
her dear feminine friends said it was
shame, a scandal, for Letitia to think of
such folly at her time of life. These
same authorities declared she was SIS
years old, adding there was no fool like
un old one.
Letitia was on the sunny side of As,
but did not look as if she were 40, being
handsome, with pretty home, tidy
The benefciaries of her bounty had
become accustomed to consider her a
spinster, too confirmed devotee to
single blessedness to change her state.
What right had that old thing to be
taken in by an impecunious ad~enturer,
when she had friends of her lifetime
who naturally expected-she had no
kinspeople-to be remembered in her
will, not that they were mercenary,
but that they had.a sort of claim upon
her.
Remarks of this kind were freely in
dulged in when the invitations were re-
ceived. twenty-five or thirty women
talking at once is rather confusing,
and as the speakers became excited
the comments became more personal
and assumed an nl-natured turn. 1t
tongues were flying faster than
needles.
An exceedingly pretty and richly
dressed woman, a guest of the society,
now took up the cudgels in defense of
the absent.
Ladies', ladies, is this a modern
school for scandal, or a church society
held in the basement of sacred edi-
fec? You all have cause to be grateful
to Letitia; why should you speak of her
so bitterly now, because she exercises
the right we have all claimed?'
Mrs. Allyn Alden was a leader of So
ciety, whose dictum made or unmade
newcomer entering the charmed cir
Gle. Mrs. Jennie, as Mrs. Alden was
generally called, was a power, and with
promptitude they proceeded to eat
their words with marvellous CELEBRITY.
Mrs. Jennie smiled and babe them
good morning. On the way to Miss Lee
titia's she made gesture as if she had
touched an ill-smelling weed.
what power of harm such women
can do at times! I do not pose as
reformer, but I really would like to
recall the ducking stool for their ben
chosen unWisely."
Her musings ceased as the coachman
drew rein before the pretty old-fash-
toned garden of the Houghtons. Mrs.
Jennie was met in the yard by the
bride-elect, whose fresh and fair COM
plexion had defed the ravages of time.
With her bright hazel eyes and wavy
light brown hair, she might have
passed for So at most.
'Come into the house, Jennie; it's
lovely out here amongst the flowers,
but l have some things I wish to show
you; the dress has come; am too old
to be married in white satin, so select
ed pink brocade trimmed with lace
have nev u had so many pretty clothes
made at one time in my life, for never
needed to. don't think I'm envious,
but when I saw all my friends hand
some outfits it occurred to me that it
would be an inducement to marry. Do
you not like it?"
But where did you meet the man
you expect to marry, Letitia? would
not give my life into the keeping of an
utter stranger"
"You needn't be uneasy about me;
he's very pleasant man, and I'm posi-
tive we will get on very we'll together;
as for love, we are not young people,
and have said nothing about that, but
we will do we'll enough as friends. Did
you notice that black and gold visiting
silk, Jennie?"
to-be preferred to talk about her
clothes instead of the man she had
promised to marry, and made NO other
effort to drag him into the conversa-
ton. Miss Letitia brought every article
for Mrs. Jennie's inspection.
do stay to lunch; I've so much to
tell you yet! want it understood that
Imeant what I, said when wrote on the
cards didn't want presents; please
make my friends understand that, will
you? 1 know that they will want to
give me presents; you can't know how
glad I am that am liked, Jennie"
Mrs. Alden would not shake Miss Le-
titia's faith in the professions of friend
ship she believed sincere, but when
their spiteful comments were recalled
it angered her afresh with them.
For that purpose Mrs. Jennie drove
back by the church, where she found
the society dispensing. She did not
aEght, but told them of Miss Letitia's
wish: She of the sharp tongue gave a
shrill little cackle and said: ".
'That means we must give them
without fail: she's afraid we won't