The Globe-republican., 1902-05-08
An IdyI of
Oyster Point


my impTessionistic recollection of Oys-
ter Point Though there were other
Oyster-POinters, of course There was
for instance, Mr. Sprockett.
Early in my acquaintance with Mrs
CarrutherS acquired a light-headed
feeling that Mr.. Sprockett was with me
one of the elemental facts of con-
sciousn ess-so casual, SO unexplana-
tory was even her first casual intro
duction of his name, it so permeated
in the same way our subsequent inter
course And yet I never really knew
Mr. SprOckett, though after awhile I
accidentally became aware that the
name appertained to a sandy-haired
m1ddIe-aged man OF retiring demeanOr
whom 1 had daily seen passing
sort OF man we are always vaguely
surprised to find SO far differentiat ted
as TO have name. 1 am not sure that
L ever met him even, for he
was further differentiated, I dis
covered, by a nervous horror of any
situation requiring speech; and mer-
cifu1ly assisted his frantic efforts to
escape me whenever had occasion to
call at Mrs. Carruthers' in his off
hours What his business was 1 have
forgotten, if I ever knew. somehow
associate oysters with him; but wheth-
or because of his occupation or of his
personal pecu1iarities I cannot under
take with any degree of assurance to
say.
The white paIing of the house in
continuing, formed the front boundary
of Mrs. Carruthers' demesne; = similar
Paling alone divided the respective
back yards of the two establishments
A day or two after we moved in we
heard wild and diStressfuI sIJuawkings
from our yard, and upon investigation
found that our chickens were being
hercely pursued by a turtIe-head-ap-
parently as little Inconvenience by
It's bod1less condition as a Raphael
cherub.
What did it want with a chicken 20
I asked Mrs. Carruthers when she
called with earnest apologies; for it
was, 1t appeared, fugitive remnant
OF her dinner She did not know, but
she seemed much surprised at my
laughing.
tall, brawny woman with a deem
voice and faint trace of dark down
on her upper lip, she had the small
light blue eyes Of a baby, almost and
as afterward found, a cheering ire
sponsI b1lity of manner which [ have
never seen in any other adult This,
however, was on this particular occa-
sion overloaded by a sincere regret
and chagrin at the contretemps which
all my assurances could not suffice to
dfspel
Il told Mr.. Sprockett,'' she said, that
you all certainly would think 1 was
poor Misunderstanding turtIe-heads
running around like that and bother
ing the neighbors. But just as I was
going to bury it my pickle began to
Doll over, and when came back twas
gone"
AS the call was somewhat a formal
one, she wore, I remember, her Sunday
best-a vOluminous black silk. a large
bonnet gorgeous with purple roses, and
a lace collar pinned with the gold
framed, half-1ength picture Gin hori-
zontal position) of some gentleman
1Txr,r
Carruthers herself.
Il got it mighty cheap at SALE
she told me afterward; thought it
would look sort O. dressy.''
had not unnatura1Iy supposed it
to be the portrait OF Mr.. Carruthers
(to whose decease five years before the
black silk and purple roses were refer
able-Mrs. Carruthers' natural incIin-
alton being for what she called cheer
full coIors'').
She stared little when 1 mentioned
my assumption Mr.. CarruthersI''
she said. She meditated awhile
That's sol I could have it put in if
you think ought to. I never thought
of it, There was a picture of him
bout the house somewhere that would
be just the thing-if I could lay my
hand on it,
Apparently she found it, for the next
time l saw the brooch the rather un-
sympathetic countenance of Mr.. Car
ruthers stared from the rim, looking
for some mysterious reason somewhat
larger than life, and crowned by a tall
and infiexible hat-for the accommo-
dation of which the picture was per-
force curtailed below, so that the chin
whisl1ers barely escaped.
ut does look better, 1 reckon" she
said, simply; "and 1 want to do what's
right-as said to Mr. Sprockett. But
Tor mel Mr. Carruthers wouldn't have
cared He was mighty practicaI!"
From all I ever learned of him 1
should have inferred a certain lack of
poetry and sentiment in Mr.. Carruth-
erS.
'I never will get over not having had
any wedding she said one day
Not having had any wedding.'' I re-
peated blankly.
She did not seen to notice my sur
prise I'D saved up money, and ALL
she went on I'D set my heart on a
white silk dress and veil ana u--a,+1,