News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1902-10-01
Resource
Copyright, 1898, by the International
Literary and NelpS SeYpi
. 4: T. q 4: q Il Il

turned pale. Once in the red heat Of
his reproaches she had half risen to at
tract his attention and had almos
cried out to him to stop. His denuncia
tons were too severe to bring about
aught but disaster to her plans She
had not calculated on such virulent
personalities. The look on her face re
Yealed the fact that she was graphing
with the great crisis of her existence
The fight now lay between her and
Tabitha. If the people believed the sto
ry about the letters, she was saved, but
already Mrs. Murray felt the turgid
waters of despair rising around her
The congregation sat like a lot of i'm
movable objects for a moment Then
Mrs. Wittekind rose. 1t was a signal
for fresh surprise. Mrs. Murray stud
led her face as man adrift on the
ocean with only spar between him
and death studies indications of a
storm, but it told her nothing.
Brother Murray" said Mrs. Witte-
Find in calm, steady voice, "kin put
In q word|
The minister stood up and leaned his
quivering hands on the pulpit When
he spoke, it was with a gentleness that
contrasted in a startling way with his
stentorian tone which had hardly call
ed in its echoes from the hills outside
He was sure she was going to Of 81
plea in behalf of her sister, and he was
ready to be magnanimous.
You may. Sister Wittekind," he said,
and then he swept his eyes over all the
expectant faces to add impressiveness
to his words. You may rest assuret
that l meant no slur on you in what
said. There is not a woman in the
whole world in whom l have more
faith-that is, since my mother died.
Since | have been in this place you
have been my model Christian woman.
It was on your account very hard for
me to say what | have said this morn
ing. You may rest assured that you
have my entire sympathy in the trial
you have to bear. Anything you may
choose to say will be listened to by us
all. Ever since this coldness began by
the announcement of my marriage |
have felt that you have been almost
my only sympathizer, and | appreciate
it-from the depths of my heart"
He paused and, leaning on the pulpit,
waited respectfully for her to speak.
THE good Lord knows | don't want
TO hurt nobody's feelin's nuther," the
old woman began. Il don't know
whether or no l am agoin' to say eX-
actly what | want to or not, fur |
never have been much of a hand at
speakin' even in experience meetin's.
It's easy to see what you meant jest
now, an | feel called on to talk in be
half of the chief one you was alludin'
70. She's my sister, an, while the good
book intimates that we should love
all alike. | hain't yit got to that state
Of glOrificatiOn to enable me to ac-
eomplsh the like. l am one, Brother
Murray, that believes you had no
greedy intention in marryin' the wom-
an you tuck. With me nobody is ever
guilty tell they are proved guilty, an |
can't set in judgment on you here. You
are not mOre'n boy in age an SIZE
an | reckon you was so much in yOre
readin' an studyin' that it never oc-
CURED to you to look an inch before
yore eyes before you jumped, as the
Teller said an you was easy prey to
any woman that was a-lOokin' fur
helpmeet. That much | seed all along,
but after you was married | flowed
that it would only make you less use
full in the Lords garden patch to open
yore eyes. But this momin' you have
made sech open thrusts at the charac-
ter of my sister that l jest have to
talk bit, an eff l do it in a straight
forward way l feel that I'm right.
Brother Murray, Tabitha has been
prosecuted fur over twenty years by Il
designin' woman who would stOop to
any act that the devil would drap in
her path. That woman set about
twenty years back by passed. of well
told lies to break Tabitha's engage
ment to a man, an she succeeded. She
did that, but what is more to the point
she destroyed that will. You have jest
now said you had faith in me an my
character an honesty. Well, she de-
stroyed it kase l hcerd her confess it
with her own mouth in a fit of rage
TO Tabitha. Now, them that wants to
Believe that Tabitha ever wrote line
to Joe Menefee after he married kin
do so, but | know she didn't do any
sech thing. The liar. Brother Murray,
is higher yore home than our house,
an you an me are purity nigh neigh
BORIS"
Mrs. Wittekind sat down. The
preacher had grown CHASTITY pale and
quivered from head to foot as he
stared steadily at the face of the
speaker For a moment he looked as
If he We're trying to read untrutl1 in
the frank gaze she gave him. Then he
turned toward his wife She was not
looking at him, but had fixed the stern.
unreadable countenance of Jason
Bates with her startled eyes. In the
dead silence Of the next minute the
preacher tried to catch the glance of
his wife, but his effort was in vain.
Then he descended the steps Of the
pulpit with the Keeling gait of a drunk
en- man and approached Mrs Witte-
kind.
MAY the Lord have mercy on me!
This is more than I can hear" he said