CanÌƒon City record. [volume] (CanÌƒon City, Colo.) 1883-192?, 1904-05-19

unless at your house, until this mo-
ment. and the turkey dressed and put
into the oven with my own hand"
Even with the precious spoon restor-
ed to her possession. and her owner
ship Of 1t thus fully acknowledged by
Mrs. Wampler. Mrs. Gears did not
wholly recover herself. Until the COM
pany broke up her manner retained a
tinge of pugna0ity. and she wore
look rather hard and suspicious. The
other guests made particular show
of ease and gayety. They commented
a little on the singularity of the in
cident and ventured to make joke or
two upon 1t. then dropped it from the
talk and were studious not to scur TO
1t. One and all departed. however.
with it still sufficiently in mind and
more than made themselves amends
ultimately for any self denial they may
have suffered regarding it in the pres
ence of their host and hostess. Thus
very soon the whole town knew the
story. and Mrs. Gears holly sprig
spoon became celebrated.
Never did dinner party leave the
givers of 1t with heavier spirits than
theirs left Mr.. and Mrs. Wampler.
Wampler would have been not a little
disturbed simply at u misadventure in
his carving and Mrs. Wampler at once
In her cooking, but to these occasions
Of discomfort the affair of the holly
sprig spoon added. or at least seemed
to them to add. the possibility OF put
ting In question their honesty, and the
sense OF this moved them finally to
find offense in the behavior Of Mrs.
Gears. The more they thought 1t over
and the habit OF people In Osceola
was to think over things good deal
the more offense they found. so that
the feeling of both soon came to be as
expressed by Mrs. Wamplcr. "She
might as well have said stole her
spoon in SO many words.'
In point OF fact. no such thought had
at that time entered Mrs. Gears mind
For ten days she had fretted continu-
ally. suffering In her appetite and In
her sleep. over the loss OF the spoon
and the consequent break In the set.
When the spoon reappeared SO strange
ly. the sight OF 1t threw her into kind
OF frenzy. and she felt that she must
clap hands on It at once or 1t would
uiSupBtat anu Wutu sue
got 1t In her hands her feeling was as
II some cruel prank had been played
on her and she must look sharp or II
would be repeated. How the spoon
came to be where II was found. which
was the question OF first Interest to the
rest of the company. did not occur to
her until later. and when It did occur
1t at first started no doubt In her of
the honesty OF the Wamplers. But the
crazy. dull sense OF having somehow
been victimIzed continued to harry her.
and for that she began imperceptibly
to hold the wamplers answerable.
Under fortnight's prickIng by these
fantastic grievances the next time Mrs.
Gears and Mr.. md Mrs. wampier met
they barely knew each other. and the
next time after that they knew each
other not at all. Then II became I'm
possible to invite them Into the same
companies. and through the circle Of
their common acquaintance there be-
gan to steal. like a line of spilled oil
across a door. q separation out OF sym.
pathy. By the time the sepa ration be
came fully defined Mrs. Gears um
bragg at the Wamplers had come to
positive grounds. She did not scruple
to think and to say freely. 1--WE have
no direct proof. but it's very singular
thnt the spoon should have been found
in their possession. and they've never
offered any explanation"
The wamplers, too, hid by this time
taken an open stand. On all convenient
occasions and on some not convenient
they declared that they preferred not
to have the friendship OF people who
thought them capable of stealing a
spoon,
ThHs the difference grew into an
Speh feud. Finally It was carried into
the church. document was laid be-
fore the session, urging It to summon
Mr.. and Mrs. Wampler to an explnnn
ton. Their conduct. the document set
forth, In thus far refusing an explana
ton was neither brotherly nor Chris.
tian. 1t savored. II not Of guilt. at
least OF self Righteousness and pride,
and In either case they were amenablc
to the session. There was prolonged
argument In the session, us well as
some plain speaking and strong feel
Ing. At the vote the lay member
divided evenly. and 1t devolved on the
pastor, the Rev. Cornelius Holt. to lie,
eide. He was man of rare humility
but OF n ready sense OF justice and mn
obstinacy In following II that ne
amount OF aggression could outwenr.
He decided against the petition and in
favor OF the Wamplers- He had tnlk ed