Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1902-09-25

Peggy
e
3 q ck

"Yes'm, saw it with my own eyes. .

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"Yesm, l saw it with my own eyes,"
do tell"
"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 hadY'
Dear me, Miss Laviny, 1 didn't
mean anything personal! Only it's
quite step from your porch to Mrs.
Burkett's, and thought
Il wasn't on my porch!' answered
Miss Lavina shortly. 81 was right
close to the hedge, picking wine cur
rants"
The last phrase was spoken apologet-
ically, as if prompted by latent shame
at thus spying on a neighbor.
"Oh, don't know but it's your duty,
Laviny, to keep your eye open when
| there's such doings in the heart of q
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. I can stand in my second story
front with them and see straight into
her parlor."
A girlish figure bending over a 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
gossiped 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 bun
dies, and when he got on the porch he
tossed them helter skelter on the set
tee and-and-hugged herw
"Ohw
"Ain't that dreadful?
"If anybody but you, Laviny Hart,
had told that, wouldn't believed itr'
murmured Mrs. Smithers.
''It may look out of place for sin
gle woman to say, but it does seem to
me like judgment on Doc Burkett for
going off to 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"
Eyes, and they do say" interposed
Mrs. Demming, "them as was round
when he was brought home that day,
that she stood round like statue, nev-
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 a retreating
chin and weak, fishy eyes.
whats that, Becky Marsden"
snorted Miss Layinia, 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, 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 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. 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
longer oily and complacent, rose cut
tingly.
''That's nice way for you to speak
to your elders, Peggy Smithers, and
I'm ashamed of you. Dyou mean to
call Lavinia Hart a liar"
The girl fingered her bolt of braid
nervously.
mo, aunt; but I 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 anything
wrong. There's a 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 is"
"Oh, aunt, l can't! 1 couldn't ask
such a question:
"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 widows black"
The last words came spitefully.
The girl stood in 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 sniy-
cling and trot along"
| Poor Peggy Before those words
'sbed 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 a recompense for the
obnoxious "bed and board"
Drearily she lifted her simple sailor
hat from the shelf beneath the counter
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
hFs.Y 0,a yai