Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1901-11-12
ICONTINUED.1

..
the steps and stood on the walk. She
stood with her body balanced back
ward, holding one hand arched over
her eyes. The wind was strong. 1t
streamed her light gown out in flap
ping folds and gave bold glimpses of
her thick ankles. "Oh. say. Mis- Dean,"
she called out. lifting her voice i'm
portantly. "T'l drop in tomorrow sure
and let you know where that trunk
went tor
1t was an afternoon In spring. The
frs had pushed out their new growth
Of pale delicate green. The saps had
mounted through swelling veins and
blown their spicy fragrance through
the air. The shadbush was In white
and fringy bloom. The wild currant
hung her red clusters Of beauty over
the creek that went foaming down to
the sound. Out in the woods the salm.
on berry's crimson bells swung fairy
music for those who were born with
the gift of divine hearing. In shallow
ponds and marsh places the mellow
throated frogs murmured day and
night. The red vested robin rocked in
the dappled alder's top and sang bis
sweet but few noted love lyric to his
sweetheart. The beautiful skunk cab
bage had lifted its pale waxen candles
from out the broad green leaves. The
ferns were thrusting their bent heads
through the moist earth like mottled
silver serpents. The meadows and the
hillsides had run to yellow with dan.
delions and buttercups.
You are very, very psettyl
You are very, very sweet
called the red vested robin, and Mrs.
Mayhew, hanging up her birdcage at
the right of the dove colored door.
thrilled with sudden Joy and lifted her
eyes to the tall alder tree. Surely that
was Spring herself tiptoeing across the
hills in her pale green gown. with
blown golden hair about her and the
laughter of rills following after her
footsteps. There was wreath OF star
flowers around her brow. and about her
waist was buttercup zone. Her breath
had the sweetness of wild rose thick
ct and she bore the altar Of lost &C.
stasy in the pink cup Of her hand. And,
ah, the irresistible lure Of her
Then a cloud fell upon Mrs. May.
hew's face. She turned with a Sigh and
entered the house. Her brow was lined
deep with care.
A sweeter faced woman than she had
never come to that western town. She
had laughed and sung herself. in sheer
happiness, into every ones heart. The
men admired her; the women loved
her; her husband adored her. For two
years she had been the envied leader
Of all-the most beautiful, the most
gracious, the most accomplished OF her
sex.
Then the change came. The choir.
the church, the Red Cross society,
knew her no more. She was not well,
she said, and her white face and dark
circled eyes were silent witnesses In
proof Of the assertion. At first there
was wonder. then curiosity, then a put.
ting together Of heads and gossip.
Mrs. Mayhem suspected nothing.
There were other things to occupy her
thoughts. Life was holding another
cup-a new cup-to her lips, and she
was drinking It without a murmur.
The gravest sin one can commit
against her neighbors is to bear
trouble In silence without taking them
into her confidence. This sin Mrs.
Mayhem had committed. People Of a
certain belief. endeavoring to explain
their conception Of sin and its newt
able punishment to unenlightened
minds, usually assure rs in childlike
argument that 'if We put our hands In
to the IRE we will be burned" When
Mrs. Mayhew kept things" from her
neighbors, she was unconsciously put.
ting her small hand into hot IRE. A
day was to come when she would take
It out. only to learn that 1t was too late
for remedies to be Of avail.
On this spring day. then. she hung
the birdcage on the right side Of the in.
accent looking door. A few moments
later a man came hurrying from the
dark wood. She opened the door at
once and admitted him.
Twenty minutes later Mrs. Dean,
Mrs. Frazer and Mrs. Hostetter stood
before the same door and looked ut one
another. Their hearts had pumped the
blood all away from their faces. i.
"Shall we knock" questioned Mrs.
Dean in thin whisper.
"Knock!" said Mrs. Hostetter's un-
compromising bass "And give him
time to hide? What's the nse in comm
II we don't take 'em by surprise? Let
me git a-holt of that door handle. You
both look as white as pillowslips. I'll
lead the way. I amt afraid"
The door swung open readily, and
they rustled and swished into the wide
hall. They closed the door behind them
and stood listening. The hall ran clear
| through the house, with rooms opening
into 1t on both sides. From q room at
the farther end murmur Of voices
came family through closed door.
They looked at one another and nodded
| their heads silently.
| Down the hall, huddled together like
frightened sheep-only sheep are In
nocent things and harmless Mrs.
Hostetter, Mrs. Frazer and Mrs. Dean.
They opened the door and peered into
the room, and this is what they saw:
A large. sunny room, having IN air Of