Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1901-10-16
You are very, very pretty!
You are very, very sweet

You are very, very sweet
called the red vested robin, and Mrs.
Mayhem, hanging up her birdcage ut
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 II wreath Of star
flowers around her brow, and about her
waist was buttercup zone. Her breath
had the sweetness of a wild rose thick
ct, and she bore the altar of lost &C.
stasy in the pink cup of her hand. And,
nh, the irresistible lure of her
Then a cloud fell upon Mrs. May
hew's face. She turned with 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 murmur
The gravest sin one can commit
against her neighbors is to bear O
trouble in silence without taking then
Into her confidence. This sin Mrs
Mayhem had committed. People of I,
certain belief, endeavoring to explain
their conception of sin and its newt
able punishment to unenlighteneC
minds, usually assure us in childlikt
argument that 'if we put our hands in
to the fire we will be burned" Wher
Mrs. Mayhem "kept things" from hel
neighbors, she was unconsciously put
ting her small hand into hot fire.
day was to come when she would talk,
1t out, only to learn that 1t was too lat,
for remedies to be Of avail.
Il On this spring day, then, she hunt
the blrdcage on the right side of the in
nocent looking door. A few moment
later man came hurrying from tn
dark wood. She opened the door q
once and admitted him.
| Twenty minutes later Mrs. Dean
Mrs. Frazer and Mrs. Hostetter stoo'
before the same door and looked ut on
another, Their hearts had pumped tn
blood all away from their faces.
"Shall we knock?' questioned Mrs
Dean in thin whisper.
"Knock!" said Mrs. Hostetter's IN
compromising bass. "And give hin
time to hide7 What's the use In comil
If we don't take 'em by surprlse7 LIE
me git a-holt of that door handle. 70
both look us white us pillowslipa II
lead the way. amt afraid"
The door swung open readily, IN
they rustled and swished into the wild
hall. They closed the door behind Their
and stood listening. The hall ran clea
J through the house, with rooms openin
into it on both sides. From room q
tie farther end q murmur of voice
came family through closed dool
They looked at one another and nodde
their heads silently.
Down the hall, huddled together Xix
| frightened sheep-only sheep are In
} nocent things and harmless-went Mrs
Hostetter, Mrs. Frazer and Mrs. Dear
They opened the door and peered int
the room. and this Is what they saw
A large, sunny room, having an air o
comfort; easy chairs and rugs and Il
the windows blooming plants; in til
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