Warren sheaf. [volume] (Warren, Marshall County, Minn.) 1880-current, 1902-09-25
When
PeSgy
Cam
B q G k
Bly,.
JANE
MEREDITH
Copyright,
1901, bU 4. S. I
Richardson ,

'Do tcll.'
Who'd n thought itT'
Are YOU sure he kissed her? P'raps
be was just picking a leaf or something
out of her hair"
Wen, Mrs. Demming, you needn't
think that just because 1 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. L 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. II 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 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 a
the unctuous reply of Mrs Smithers.
We'll, that amt all I've seen, Ell
ther,S announced Miss Lavinia, rising
to this skillfully baited hook. 'You
know Cousin Sallie left her theater
glasses behind, and they're 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 in the rear of the
shop Strengthened UP suddenly, and an
exclamation escaped her lips But the
rwomen clustered round the front door
sossiped on eXcitedly.
Didn't he take the train for town
yesterday morning?" queried Mrs.
tSmithers.
Yes, but he came back at early dusk.
with his arms full of white paper bun
dies and when he got Oh the porch he
tossed them heller SHELTER on the set
tee Acknowledgment her!''
"Ohr'
"Ain't that dreadful?'
IF anybody but you, Laviny Hart,
had told that. I wouldn't believed itv'
murmured Mrs. Smithers
1t may look out of place for a sin
Gle woman to say, but it does seem to
me like q Judgment on Doc Burkett for
going off to marry a 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 we'll 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 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 retreating
chin and weak, tishy eyes.
j "What's that, Becky Marsden?'
snorted Miss Lavinia, turning severely
on her insignificant neighbor. What
DO you know about it?'
Nothing" hurriedly replied Mrs
:Marsdcn. "Only | was reading {; novel
yesterday where Il woman got tired of
her husband and put something in his
coffee that didn't smell nor taste nor
'anything-and he:
"LaWZee Becky, I always knew you
was light headed' snapped Miss La
vinia. Nevertheless the group of Cos
sips turned suddenly silent and gazed
at each other wide eyed.
My, wouldn't it be awful if we had
a poison case here%
The girlish figure in the rear rose
now, and a clear voice rang across the
stuffv little shop.
"Iou've no right to say such things.
You don't know Mrs. Burkett and new
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 compliment, rose 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 a liar?'
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
| know she's a lady through and
through, and she's not doing anything
wrong. There's q reason
"Well Miss Peggy, seeing as you're
the only one in this party that has
visiting acquaintance with Mrs. Bur-
kett you might just walk up there and
see who that man is"
ooh, 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