The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1902-10-10


all over with the remembrance of the
whisper. Oh. the letter she would
send with the bonnet straight back to
that traitresS!
She was quite hysterical by the tin
the last amen was pronounced ard
hurried the dazed professor home at q
rapid pace. Patiently he listened to
the time worn comprehensive wreck
of her fathers estate. the bitterness Of
seeing Maria Drewelowe in her beau
tiful home while she must live in an
| obscure corner.
Tenderly he sOothed her and bathed
| her throbbing temples. Years of wed
| ded life had taught him the futility of
argument when his wifes mind was
made up. He remembered, too, that
| for love of him she had refused Henry
| Drewelowe back In the old sunny days
at Mayville.
Unable to be up the next morning
nevertheless she managed to indite a
bitterly accusing note to the little mil
liner and dispatch it with the bonnet
by a messenger boy Several days
elapsed, and no answer came Finally
In desperation she gathered her
strength and, boarding a downtown
car, was soon mounting the steps of
the old brick building behind the ca
thedral
There was no answer to her first
knock, SO she raped again. faint
moan came through the open transom
Then she turned the knob and entered
The room was i'm disorder; most of the
little furniture it had conta ined had
mysteriously disappeared. Only bed.
chair and table remained. Upon
the table lay two opened letters, and
beside them sat bonnet box securely
tied. Upon the bed lay the frail figure
of the milliner, her face hot with
fever. At this sight Mrs. Wentworths
wrath vanished, and she stood by the
bedside only sweet, helpful woman.
her heart wrung with pity
There was rustic of silk lined gar
ments outside In the hall, then an I'M
perious knock, and when Mrs. Went
worth opened the door she beheld q
second Nemesis in the form of Mrs.
Drewelowe. The latter bestowed a
curt nod upon Mrs. Wentworth, and
that softened and already fepentant |
Woman stepped aside and allowed her |
TO advance to the bedside MrssDrewe- |
lowe heard her own name and Mrs.
Wentworth's mingled. falling incoher- |
emily from the parched lips After a |
moment she turned and faced Mrs |
Wentworth
Annie Wentworth, this is our work. |
| wrote her Il very harsh note Mon |
uay morning, accusing her of copying
my new bonnet, which l bought in |
New York three weeks ago. She was
IN the house doing some work, and | |
felt sure she must have seen it through |
the trcachery of the maids"
And L. sObbed Mrs. Wentworth,
sent back my bonnet Monday morn
ing with il scandalous independently
ScandalOuS!"
Then they sought the landlady and
demanded an explanation of her neg
lect. She surveyed the two ladies with
rising anger
Sure, ma'ams." she said. IAN Pm
Il lorn widdrr myself with five chflder
o support. an she's back on her rent
three months. It's all along of her
havin' to go on to Moo York an sit
her bad brother out Of Jail. an she's
sold her furniture an clothes an gone
without fire an enough to ent to make
up. Then, on top of that. two women
-foine ladies in sasSiety-writ her two
of the nearest letters you ever see in
your life. an then she went clean out
en- her head. They was all about a
bonnet she see when she was in Moo
York an copied fer one of 'em. an she
said the other one must have been OH
nm bought the identical bonnet, fer it
mad jest come over from Paree, an
nOhody'd had chance at it.
Chem letters done it. Mighty mean
women. if they are saSSiety women, as
would let loose an abuse
There. You have explained suffi-
GENTLY" Jelly interrupted Mrs. Drewe-
lowe her face quite crimson. I'VE will
pay the rent due you and take charge
of your roomcr at once" And she
drew out her purse.
When the little milliner had been
safely tucked in the white hospital
bed and Mrs. Wentworth was seated
in the Drewelowe carriage rolling
home. she suddenly exclaimed. MA
ria. what did you sayT"
when? What do you mean?'
Iueried that astoniShed lady.
why. Sunday in church. when you
leaned back and whispered to Mrs.
Roberts?"
Mrs Drewelowe was lost in thought
for some time and then said:
ooh, | know. told her that. after
all her Instructions, the night before
had forgotten to make the mustard
plaster fer Henry's chest as she ad
vised. and the poor man was blistered
so dreadfully that If 1t hadn't been
Easter morning he would not have
tried to come to church"
1t was fashionable hour, every
body was abroad, and the dignified
DrewcIowe coachman felt quite hui
inflated by the pealS of merry laugh
ter which rippled from the aristocratic
Drewelowe equipage.