Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1902-08-13

of her fathers estate, the bitterness of
seeing Maria Drewelowe in her beau,
tlful 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 wife's 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 q
bitterly accusing note to the little mil
liner and dispatch it with the bonnet
by messenger boy. Several days
elapsed, and no answer came. Finally
in desperation she gathered her
strength and, boarding 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. A faint
moan came through the open transom.
Then she turned the knob and entered.
The room was In disorder; most of the
little furniture it had contained had
mysteriously disappeared. Only bed,
a chair and a 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. Wentworth's
wrath vanished, and she stood by the
bedside only sweet, helpful woman,
her heart wruug with pity.
There was Il 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 q
curt nod upon Mrs. Wentworth, and
that softened and already repentant
woman stepped aside and allowed her
to advance to the bedside. Mrs. Drewe-
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 a very harsh note Mon
day morning, accusing her of copying
my new bonnet, which | 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 treachery of the maids"
"And l." sobbed Mrs Wentworth,
sent back my bonnet Monday morn
ing with scandalous note-perfectly
scandalousr
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 I'm
a lorn widder myself with five childer
to support, an she's back on her rent
three months. It's all along of her
havin' to go on to Moo York an git
her bad brother out Of Jail, an she's
sold her furniture an clothes an gone
without fire an enough to eat to make
up. Then, on top of that, two women
-foine ladies in sassiety-writ her two
of the meanest 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 EN- an she
said the other one must have been on
an bought the identical bonnet, fer it
had jest come over from Paree, an
nobody'd had chance at it.
"Them letters done it. Mighty mean
women, If they are sassiety women, as
would let loose an abuse
"There! You have explained suffi-
GENTLY" icily interrupted Mrs. Drewe-
lowe, her face quite crimson. 1--WE will
pay the rent due you and take charge
of your roomer 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 say?"
"When? What do you meanW
querled 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:
"Oh, know. told her that, after
all her instructions, the night before
had forgotten to make the mustard
plaster for Henry's chest as she ad-
vised, and the poor man was blistered
so dreadfully that If it hadn't been
Easter morning he would not have
tried to come to church."
1t was a fashionable hour, every
body was abroad, and the dignified
Drewelowe coachman felt quite hu-
inflated by the peals of merry laugh
ter which rippled from the aristocratic
Drewelowe equipage.