Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1902-11-13

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"Yes'm. l saw it with my own eyes"
DO tellr'
Who'd "a thought it?'
Are you sure he kissed her? P'raps
he was just picking leaf or something
out of her hair"
well, Mrs. Demming, you needn't
think that just because I amt been
married no man ever kissed me. I've
had as many beaus in my day as ever
you had"'
Dear me. Miss Laviny, didn't
mean anything personal! Only it's
quite a step from your porch to Mrs.
! Burkett's, and l thought
Il wasn't on my porch" answered
Miss Lavina shortly. Il was right
close to the hedge. picking wine cur
rants"
The last phrase was spoken apologet-
ically, as if prompted by latent shame
| at Sps lAlS OiA Il nGlSnOOL.
"Oh, don't know but it's your duty.
| Layiny, 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, Ell
ther," announced Miss Lavinia, rising
to this skillfully baited hook. "You
| know Cousin Sallie left her theater
| glasses behind. and they're a heap of
| help. l can stand in my second story
front with them and see straight into
her parlor."
A girlish figure bending over strip
| of renaissance lace i'll the rear of the
shop Strengthened UP suddenly, and an
exclamation escaped her lips. But the
| women clustered round the front door
| gossiped on eXcitedly.
Didn't he take the train for town
yesterday mornIng?' queried Mrs.
| Smithers.
"Yes, but he came back at early dusk,
with his arms full of white paper bun
| dies. and when he got ON the porch he
| tossed them helter skelter on the set
tee and-and-hugged her!'
"Ohw
Amt that dreadful?"
IF anybody but you, Laviny Hart,
had told that, / wouldn't believed itr'
murmured Mrs. Smithers.
1T may look out of place for a sin
| gle woman TO say. bat it does seem to
| me like Judgment on Doc Burkett for
going off 10 marry frivolous, do moth
| ing Boston widow instead of some de-
cent, thrifty girl in his own town. He
amt been dead three months, and here
is another man hanging round his wild
ow. Perhaps he's an old sweetheart.
Everybody knows Doc was well fixed"
"Yes, and they do say" interposed
Mrs. Demming, them as was round
when he was brought home that day,
that she stood round like a statue, uev-
er shedding tear and just doing what
old DR.. Green ordered, like some ma
chine'
Perhaps she knew it wasn't no use
to do anything anyhow" suggested
Mrs. Marsden. who had retreating
chin and weak, fishy eyes.
Whats that Becky Marsden?"
snorted Miss Lavinia, turning severely
on her Insignificant neighbor. "What
do you know about it?"
Nothing" hurriedly replied Mrs
Marsden. "Only was reading a novel
yesterday where woman got tired of
her husband and put something in his
coffee that didn't smell nor taste nor
anything-and he"-
"Lawzee Becky, l always knew you
was light headed" snapped Miss La
vinia. Nevertheless the group of gos-
sips turned suddenly silent and gazed
at each other, wide eyed.
'My, wouldn't it be awful if we had
poison case hereT
The girlsh figure in the rear rose
now, and a clear voice rang across the
stuffy little shop.
You've no right to say such things.
You don't know Mrs. Burkett and nev-
er wanted to treat her right, and you're
wicked, wicked women to talk about
her that wayr
Astonished silence fell upon the wo.
men. Then Mrs. Smithers' voice, no
AOh6OA OAAy TOSe CUT
tingly.
That's a nice way for you to speak
to your elders, Peggy Smithers, and
Pm ashamed of you. D'you mean to
call Lavinia Hart liarP'
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
l know she's lady through and
through, and she's not doing anything
wrong. There's reason
"Well, Miss Peggy, seeing as you're
the only one in this party that has a
visiting acquaintance with Mrs Bur-
kett, you might just walk up there and
see who that man isl
"Oh, aunt, | can't! | couldn't ask |
such a question:
"You don't Feed 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 widows black"
The last words came spitefully.
The girl stood In a pleading attitude. |
'This is nice way to treat your old !
aunt that's given you bed and board |
for ten years now. Now you stop sniv- |
cling and trot along"
Poor Peggy! Before those words |
bed and board she never hesitated. |
They formed the spiritual lash which |
her aunt swung with unmerciful hand |
The girl never stopped to reckon the |
mittens she knit for the shop, the lace |
she made or the interminable days of |
fine sewing as recompense for the |
obnoxious "bed and board"
Drearily she lifted her simple sailor
hat from the shelf beneath thescounter |
and started on her hateful errand.
The great trees arched protectingly |
over her head, the wild strawberries
bloomed at her feet, and from the
woodlands came the calls of her favor
ite birds. But her eyes We're heavy
with unshed tears. Was it not bad /
enough to listen day after day to the
gossip that emanated from her aunt's
shoD without beinp fOroed info a nert- |