The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1902-11-08
WHEN PEGGY CAME BACK.

"Yes'm I saw it with my own
eyes,"
"Do tell !"
Who'd "a thought it?'
care you sure he kissed her? Per-
haps he was just picking a leaf or
something out of her hair"
"Well, Mrs. Demming, you needn' t
think that just because 1 hain't been
married no man ever kissed me. I've
had as many beaus in my day as ever
you had p
Dear me, Miss Laviny, 1 didn' t
mean anything personal Only it's
quite step from your porch to Mrs.
Burkett's, and thought"
II wasn't on my porch p answer
ed Miss Lavina shortly. II was
right close to the hedge, picking wine
currants. :"
The last phrase was spoken apollo
getically, as if prompted by latent
shame at thus spying on a neighbor.
"Oh, 1 don't know but it's your
duty, Laviny, to keep your eye open
when there's such doings in the heart
of a respectable community like
ourn," was the unctuous reply of
Mrs. Smithers.
"Well, that amt all I've seen,
either" announced Miss Lavina, ris-
ing to this skillfully baited hook.
"You know Cousin Sallie left her
theater glasses behind, and they're
heap of help. l can stand in my Sec
ond story front with them and see
straight into her parlor.
A girlish figure bending over
strip of renaissance lace in the rear of
the shop Strengthened up suddenly,
and an exclamation escaped her lips.
But the women clustered round the
front door gcssiped on excitedly.
Didn't he take the train for town
yesterday morning." queried Mrs.
Smithers.
Eyes, but he came back at early
dusk, with his arms full of white paper
bundles, and when he got on the
porch he tossed them heller skelter on
the settee and-and-hugged her -
ooh %
'Ain't that dreadful? %
EFF anybody but you, Laviny Hart,
had told that, l wouldn't believed
it p murmured Mrs. Smithers.
1T may look out of place for sin
gle woman to say, but it does seem
to me like a judgment on Doc Bur
kett for going off to marry a frivolous,
do nothing Boston widow instead of
some decent, thrifty girl in his own
town. He amt been dead three
months, and here is another man
hanging round his widow. Perhaps
he's an old sweetheart. Everybody
knows Doc was we'll fixed"
eyes, and they do say" interpos-
ed Mrs. Demming, 'them as was
round when he was brought home
that day, that she stood round like
statue. never shedding tear and just
doing what old DR.. Green ordered,
like some machine.
perhaps she knew it wasn't no
use to do anything anyhow" sug-
gested Mrs Marsden, who had re-
treating chin and weak, fshy eyes.
What's that, Becky Marsden ?"
snorted Miss Lavina, turning severe
ly on her insignificant neighbor.
"What do you know about it ?"
Nothing" hurried1y replied Mrs.
Marsden. "Only I was reading a
novel yesterday where a woman got
tired of her husband and put some
thing in his coffee that didn't smell
nor taste nor anything-and he"
"Lawzee Becky, 1 always knew
you was light headed" snapped Miss
Lavinia. Nevertheless the group of
gossips turned suddenly silent and
gazed at each other, wide eyed.
"My, wouldn't it be awful if we
had poison case here ?"
The girlish figure in the rear rose
now, and clear voice rang across
the stuffy little shop.
you've no right to say such
things. You don't know Mrs. Bur-
kett and never wanted to treat her
right, and you're wicked, wicked
women to talk about her that way ~
Astonished silence fell upon the
women. Then Mrs. Smithers' voice,
no longer oily and complacent, rose
cuttingly:
That's a nice way for you to
speak to your elders, Peggy Smithers,
and I'm ashamed of you. D'you
mean to call Lavinia Hart a liar?"
The girl fingered her bolt of braid
nervously.
mo, aunt but l can't sit here and
Listen to such dreadful things about
Mrs. Burkett. I've worked for her,
and 1 know she's lady through and
through, and she's not doing any
thing wrong. There's a reason"
"Well, Miss Peggy, seeing as you
are the only one in this party that
has visiting acquaintance with Mrs.
Burkett, you might just walk up
there and see who that man is
"Oh, aunt, 1 can't l couldn't
ask such question p
"You don't need to ask. Worm it
out while you're there. You can
take up that new set of points you've
made. Perhaps Mrs. Burkett might
like to wear them with her widow S
black" The last words came spite
fully.
The girl stood in a pleading atti-
tude.
This is nice way to treat your