The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1902-06-27
An Idyl of Oyster Point.

BY ANNIE sTEoER WINSTON.


ster Point. Though there we're other
Oyster Pointers, Of course, There
was for Instance, Mr. sprockett.
Early in my acquaintance with Mrs.
Caruthers / acquired ughtheaded
feeling that Mr.. SprOckott was with
me one OF the elemental facts OF con.
sclousness-so casual. so uneKplana'
tory was even her FIRST casualintrodue'
ton of his name, Il so pcrmeated IN
tho same way our subsequent inter
course. And yet / never really knew
Mr.. Sprockett. though after awhile
accidentally became aware that the
name appertained to a sandy-haired'
middle-aged man OF retiring demeanor
whom / had daily seea passlng-the
sort of man we are always vaguely
surprised to find so far differentiated
as to have q name Gm not sure that
ever met him, even. for he was fur
Their differentiated. / discovered, by
nervous horror Of any situation re-
curing speech: and [ mercilully as
sisted mis- frantic efforts TO escape me
whenever | had occasion to call at
Mrs. Carruthers' in his off hours
What his business was | have forgot
ten, if / ever knew. | somehow as
sociate oysters with him; but whether
because of his occupation or Of his per
sonal peculiarities / cannot undertake
with any degree of assurance to say
The white paling OF jke house in
which / was for a tne soiourning,
continuing, formed tha front boundary
OF Mrs. Carruthers deme6ne; a similar
paling alone divided the respective
back yards of the two establishments.
A day or two after ws moved In we
heard wild and distressful squawl1ings
from our yard, and upon investigation
found that our chickens were being
fiercely pursued by a turtle head-ap-
parently as little Inconvenience by its
bodiless condition as Raphael cher
ub
What aid it want with chicken
/ asked Mrs. Carruthers when she
called with earnest apologies; for 1t
was. it appeared a fugitive remnant
Of her dinner. She did not know, but
she seemed much Rurprised at my
laughing.
A tall. brawny woman with deep
voice. and a faint trace of dark down
on her upper lip, sh0 had the small
light blue eyes Of baby, almost, and,
as | afterward found, cheering re-
sponsibility of manner which have
never seen in any other adult. This,
howyer. was on this particular occa-
sion overloaded by a sincere regret
and chagrin at the contretemps, which
all my assurances could not suffice to
dispel.
Il told Mr.. Sprockett." she said,
that you all certainly would think
I was a poor manageT-leaving turtle
heads running round like that and
bothering the neighbors. But just rs
was going to bury it my pickle began
to boil over, and when | came back
twas gone"
AS the call was somewhat a formal
one. she wore, l remember, her Sun
day best-a voluminous black silk, a
larger bonnet gorgeous with purple
roses. and lace collar pinned with
the gold-framcd, halfiength pic
ture Tin a horizontal pOsition) OF some
gentleman unknown unknown,
mean. to Mrs. Carruthers herself
Il got it mighty cheap at sale,
She told me afterward; thought il
would lok sort 0 dreesy,
had not unnaturally supposed it tC
be the portrait Of Mr. Carruthers CtC
whose decease five years before the
black silk and purple roses were refer
able--Mrs. Carruthers natural inclin
alton being for what she called
cheerful colors.)
She stared little when I mentioned
my assumption Mr.. Carruthers!
she said. She meditated awhile
THAT'S so! l could have it put in /
you think l ought to. | never though
of it. There was picture of hin
bout the house somewhere that woul'
be Just the thing-if | could lay IN,
hand on it"
Apparently she found it. for the mex
time | saw the brooch the rather I'm
sympathetic countenance of Mr.. Cai
ruthers stared from the rim, lookin
for some mysterious reason somewha
larger than life, and crowned by tai
and infexible hat-for the accommC
dation of which the picture was pc
foce curtailed below. SO that the chiI
whiskers barely escaped,
1T does lok better. reckon sh
said. simply; "and 1 want to d
what's right-as l said to Mr.. Sprocl
EFT. Nut. lor me! Mr. Carruthel
wouldn't have cared he was might
nracfipa1f"