The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1903-06-12
ABOUT A MINK.
How She Shocked the People of
Lindenthorpe.

| o Lindenthorpe. o
ooooooooooooooo ooooooooooo
Miss Betty Mayne had been back in
Lindenthorpe for week, and for a
week Lindenthorpe had been shocked.
Miss NIayne felt hurt. When she re-
turned, she had been homesick for the
sea and the seaboard folks, left behind
when her aunt carried her up to town
wears before, and friendliness was in
her heart toward them. Instead of
receiving the same, she had been met
with envy and jealousy and all I'M
/ charitableness. Partly is was her
fault, partly theirs. They only re-
membered her as the imp and scape-
goat of the village, who played on the
rocks all day long with bare feer, and
they resented her grown up fashion
| ability. She could not help realizing
/ shat she was better dressed, knew
more of the world and was in many
ways a hundred years ahead of Lin
denthorpe. Then, again, Mr.. Silas At
tenborough, who always did the right
thing, and whose actions, accordingly,
were viewed with an indulgent eye,
had seemed in danger of doing the
wrong thing. "Moonstruck," Miss
Griggs declared him to be. And the
mink was not even f1attered.
1t was on Sunday that the shock of
shocks occurred. To begin with, sew
eral minutes after service had begun
Miss Betty Mayne walked in-almost
strolled mas cool as q cucumber, and
clad in the most outrageously fine
dress, and stood in the entrance Tin
stead of modestly finding herself
seat, poking away at the stones with
green parasol until Mr.. Attenborough,
who was churchwarden-the youngest
churchwarden Lindenthorpe had ever
had-rose in his Sunday best to show
her to place.
People were more Disguised than sur
prised when Miss Mayne, after tanning
herself ostentatiously for some time,
rose and stalked out of the church by
the front door. Such behavior was to
be expected from a mink. 1t was what
followed that left Lindenthorpe re-
signed to anything short of an earth
quake. Miss Mayne wandered down
toward the beach in a pensive mood
and took a seat on q bit of sandstone.
She was pretty sight in blue and
gold, whatever Miss Griggs' opinion
might be- A. churchwarden is at lib
erty to differ from a Sunday school
mistress on a question like this, and
Mr.. Silas Attenborough as he walked
\ IL, Il T.
the mink on the rock differed in toto
from Miss Griggs. He felt a desire to
rebuke the mink for her conduct in
church that morning, but was it wise
to venture to the rocks? He was in his
Sunday clothes and not very sure of
foot among slippery weeds Neverthe-
less, his sense of duty being strong
Mr.. Attenborough crossed the Rubicon
and at length reached the sandstone
rock. The mink nodded to him. 81
saw you In church this morning." she
| said.
Il zee YOU" said Mr.. Attenborough
gravely.
1T was very funny" she went on.
'The very first thing l noticed was a
chalk mark on your coat from leaning
against the pillars, and / do believe
you've got it on still"
This was hardly the conversation Mr..
Attenborough had pictured to himself,
and he rubbed the chalk away before
replying.
1T seemed you left church avore t.
sermon?"
"Dreadfully ventilated, isn't It'll" she
said, nodding. II really wonder people
don't get suffocated sometimes"
"It were powerful sermon"
"Short ones always are, think. Or
did you come after me before 1t was
finishedT
Come after Mr.. Attenborough
was taken aback. He had hurried GER
tainly, but he hardly expected the mink
to notice that.
Coon after avore t. sermon was fin
ished" He recovered himself indig-
nantly. II shouldn't think oft. But
"You didn't expect to see me hereY
Since the mink sat on q rock in full
view of the shore, Mr.. Attenborough
evaded what seemed fruitless ques-
ton.
ITS agreeable by t. sea here avore
dinner" he remarked.
"The same as ever" she said-"all
Lindenthorpa's the same as ever-the
sea. and the village, and the folks
They might have slept and never wax,
ed since the day left, seven years
ago. Oh''-she reused herself to sud
den animation-"but I'd like to shock
them!
"Shock 'emp said Mr.. Attenborough
y uz&