Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1903-09-26


either" and Miss Perkins set down
the sprinkling can 10 hard that the
noise attracted the attention of people
In the street. 1T does beat all; Harry
Martin was such nice fellow, tool"
said Miss Perkins; and then suddenly
she asked, when did 1t happenT"
"Oh. it's been going on for long
time, guess" said Miss Elwell. finger
Ing some flowers on the counter, but
the break came night before last. Ma
bels brother Dick told my brother Tom
yesterday, and Toms been coaxing me
to lend him my Wheel SO he came
straight home last night and told me.
1t was raining too bad for me to get
out then, so had to keep it to myself
all night. 1 guess from what Dick
said they must have had an awful
time. 1t seems that Miss Marguerite
Daisy De Jones is going to give a sup
per at the hotel tonight to lot of
young fellows, and Mabel heard that
Harry was going, and of course that
made trouble. They just had it in the
parlor and she gave him back his ring
and he left In great huff. Dick says
that Harry never intended going at
all, that he wasn't even invited. but
when Mabel began to suspect him he
got angry and said he'd 60 If he want
ed to. Isn't it awfui?'
"Well, don't believe he was going"
said Miss Perkins, land somebody
ought to patch it up between them"
II don't think anybody will" replied
Miss Elwell; they're both as proud
as Lucifer and as stubborn as-I don't
know what. Tom says he bets Harry
goes away, and 1 suspect he will.
Well, l feel sorry for them, but don't
know what we're going to do about
it. Say. Miss Perkins, what is that
plant over In the corner? / never saw
anything like it before"
Miss Perkins told her the name of
the plant, and then a commercial trav
eler, who wanted to sell Miss Perkins
some glass that she didn't need for her
greenhouse came in, and while Miss
Perkins was explaining why she didn't
want and couldn't use thousand
panes Of glass. even If it was the
clearest ever cast. the young ladies
slipped away.
All morning Miss Perkins, who usual
ly did not give much heed to the gossip
that went on in her little room, thought
of the lovers quarrel she had heard
discussed. Both Of the young people
were general favOrites in town, and
their marriage had been deemed an
eminently suitable one; 1t was shame,
thought Miss Perkins. that frivolous
stranger with yellow hair should have
the power Of working so much mis-
chief.
II do hope" said Miss Perkins to
herself, "that those girls won't chatter
about it all over town. I ought to
have warned them about talking too
much-not that 1t would have done
any good. but it might have eased my
conscience little"
the door, and Harry Martin s sp HR 10
to the pavement and came in.
"Good morning, Miss Perkins," he
said in his brisk, whole-souled manner.
"Some roses this morning? All, those
are beauties; how many have you?
Three dozen, only? Well, want them
all. Here's my card, which you will
drop in the box, and send them to"
And he wrote an address on tag
lying on the counter.
"This address. I've left mother in
the carriage and she's afraid of we
horse, so I'll hurry out. Good morn
ing, Miss Perkins"
And Mr.. Martin was out and away
before Miss Perkins had hardly recOv-
cred her breath.
She looked. at the address he had
left.
miss De Jones, Liberty House,
City"
And then Miss Perkins lost her tenn
per.
why, the impudent puppy" she
cried. "If he thinks I'm going to send
those flowers to that-creature, he's
mistaken! He's crazy, he is. l Won
der If his mother knows?"
And then out of pure vexation she
sat down in a back room and had a
good cry.
A few moments later she came out
and calmly put the roses in a box
dropped Mr.. Martins card among them
tore into little bits the tag he had
addressed, and with firm hand wrote
new one, which she placed in the
box; then put it with half dozer
smaller packages, which Nero, the fac
totum of her establishment, would de
liver. Then Miss Perkins regained hel
habitual smile and gentle self-pOsses
sion, and went about humming little
snatches Of happy songs and seemed
as one conscious Of having done Q
good deed.
Harry Martin was not happy man
Indeed he had been miserable fol
thirty.six hours, for he was. or ehat
been, deeply in love with Mabe
Richey. and in reality had never beer
introduced to the golden-haired CIR
with the three-sectioned name, unit
since the quarrel with his sweetheart
But since that tempestuOus interview
he had sought, and easily obtained al
introduction. and had decided to sent
her roses for the decoration of tn
table at the supper that was making
several Westfield sweethearts jealOu
and unhappy.
And Mabel Richey was not happ.
woman. She had wept all night afte
the quarrel and gotten up the mex
morning firmly resolved to die rathe
than show any signs Of weakening
And she had gotten through the pre-
ceding day fairly well; the only time
that she manifested any unusual fee
ing being when the name Of Miss Maj
guerita Daisy De Jones was mer
toned in her presence.
Miss Perkins Nero was never yer
swift, and it was quite the middle O
the afternoon before he reached til
| Richey residence and left long no