Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1901-11-05
8 8 . IS 8 8 y $$ W <$ W - !
1Ae DOVE s'~-. ;
col 0REn HIGGINSON
DOOR ~ opr.A. 1901. By Ell. Ha5,-. /;
= = = = = = :: = = \ = = :,

} ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ W ~
another; says she thought 1t was hu
man nature to do wrong and that wee
ought to be sorry fer each other and
help each other up"
"Why, the idea! What'd you say?
hope you give her good one"
"Well, I did" Mrs. Hostetter spoke
with triumph. II told her l was 9
Christian and belonged to church and
she wouldn't ketch me upholdin mar
that'd turned hisself out to be what
Mr.. Davenport had. asked her how
you could pick out respectable folks II
they was on speakin terms with that
kind. Then she said somethin reel pro
fame. She guessed that God could put
his finger on 'em! oh. that made me
awful mad! I said, well, wouldn't
speak to Mr.. Davenport and I didn't
reckon Mis- Dean and Mis- Frazer
would neither, and that we was thu
leadin ones In the church"
"Good fer you! guess she didn't
have anything furder to say to that
/ did sheT'
eyes. she did. That's what makes me
80 awful mad. She up and says then
still ca'mlike, that she didn't consider
1t would hurt any good woman to be
kind to Mr.. Davenport, even II he had
done what was claimed ag'in him.
which she didn't believe-the brazer
thing says that ag'in-and 1t might dc
him some good"
The door opened suddenly, and slat'
ternly girl burst into the room. She
stopped and stared at the guests. Then
she threw her hand over her face, gig.
gled bashfully and exclalming "Oh,
now! retired noisily.
"what do you think Of thatT" ex.
claimed Mrs. Frazer In tone Of exas-
peration, 'after all I've talked to her,
a.trouncin In here that way before peo-
plel A woman might as well be crazy
at once as to keep hired girl They're
that mortifying
"Now, that makes me think" said
Mrs. Hostetter. II was sayin the same
thing to Mis- Graham the other day.
and what d'you s'pose she says? She
says she thinks hired girls have an
awful hard life. She feels sorry fer
'em. She keeps rockin chair In the
kitchen fer bern and let's her 60 out
ten times a week II she wants; says
she thinks it's awful hard fer a girl to
have to ask every time she wants to 60
anywheres. She says she gets cross
sometimes and lets her temper 90 at
her girl. and then she always goes back
and apologies. She amt got any sech
word as servant in her vocabulary"
"Such silliness," said Mrs. Frazer
scornfully-"a-rulnin hired girls that
way"
"Wsil. I must say" admitted Mrs.
Dean reluctantly. ''that Mis- Graham's
hired girl Is ON exception to the gen'ral
run of 'em. She worships the ground
Mis- Graham sets foot to and would
run her lego OF fer her,"
1.-THE worst thing she said," put in
Mrs. Hostetter. twas that she didn't
think women had ought to get together
and talk over girls faults; says she'd
just as soon anybody would ask her
how she liked her husband as to ask
her how she liked her hired girl; says
she's been guilty Of such things her.
self, but she amt goin to ag'in. oh, I
never heard such goin onsg"
"I Ouesa she'a crazyps
'T guess she is. She says II we
caught girls a-criticisin our faults we'd
have O conniption At"
There goes that express wagon back
ag'in em'ty." interrupted Ars. Frazer
in a perplexed tone. II can't imagine
whore that trunk went to. Mr.. Brown
told me ysste'day that Mis- Brown
want comm home fer q week. but
mebbe shs Just telegrafted and come
right on"
"But when you want real scandal"
said Mrs. Hoststter In low tone. "you
have to 60 On Q piece turder than Mr..
Davenport"
Mrs. Frassr's pillowsham sank rus
tling into her lap.
rs there anything worssr asked
Mrs. Dean breathlessly.
A little smile wrinkled Mrs. Hostet-
ters face. "Yes." she said briefly;
''there's somethin worse"
"What is itf' asked both women at
ence.
Mrs. Hostetter was tantalixlngly slow
In replying. She looked out the win
dow with an air Of mystery glooming
over her. ~ don't know as ought to
tell you-if you amt noticed"
~ amt noticed thing"
Il amt neither. II can't be in this
asishborhood."
"It's in this neighborhood. It's With
in an ary Of two blocks. I've see 1t
a-goin on for three months. I've see 1t
with my own eyes"
The other two women sat silent,
crushed.
"You can both of you look out Of this
window without ever a-leavin your
seats and see the front door Of the wo-
man It's about. It's as innocent look
In q front door as you'd find a.goin
from one end Of the street to the other.
It's little you can tell about people By
their front doors"
The other two women had started
and looked out the window. The glance
Of each went jumping along from one
door to another. There were a yellow
door and glass door and q grained
door and q dove colored door. Their
eyes stopped at the dove colored door.
They looked at each other. then at Mrs.
Hostetter. "Mis' Mayhew" they ex-
claimed as one woman.
Mrs. Hostetter half closed her eyes.
"Unh-hunhp she said.
The silence was intense. The two
women's faces were working with star
tied conjecture.
"A scandal about herr bresthed out
Mrs. Fraser at last.
"Why, you'd think sugar wouldn't
melt In her mouth" !" said Mrs. Dean.
-