Middletown transcript., 1907-11-30
last one The dishes were
End pntaway and Phoebe
- hnr nsaohfnn

4
Phoebe pulled up for him, and
seemed to be very low spirited.
But Phoebe asked him about his
rheumatism and talked politics al
the TOP of her voice, and laughed
at his feeble jokes, and brought
out a big peach, the only one
borne on her one peach tree thai
year, and cut it up for him with
d sprinkling of sugar, SO that
when he went away he was won
derfully cheerful and stepped
quite briskly.
I don't suppose his folks have
much patience with him, thought
Phoebe. He must be kind o
wearing: but he cant help IL,
poor soul.
Phoebe's next caller was
neighbor who had brought her
sewing, and who began to talk
before she was fairly seated.
Have you heard the news? she
asked. Well, Mrs. Cole has come
out in a black silk dress as thick
and stiff as pasteboard, most. j
must have cost ever so much, and
there's her husband been sick
most a year, and nothing coming
in 'cept from her cow and hens
and what little she can earn on
slop.work, and all them chill
dren to feed. She must have got
in debt for the dress-or more
likely the groceryman. don t
see what she was thinking of.
don't believe she needed it, any
way, and to get such an expen-
sive one! 1t looks queer enough
with her hsbby old bonnet. and
cotton gloves. | don't wonder
they're poor with such manage
ment as that.
A flush had risen to Phoebe's
face as she listened, and she sew
ed very fast, but now she spoke
quietly and pleasantly.
Now, how fortunate it is | hap
pen to know all about that dress
and can tell you just how twas,
she said. You see, she didn't
buy it at all. Her uncle gave it
to her in the piece when she was
married, and it's been lying in a
trunk that way ever since till
lately, waiting, as Mrs. Cole said,
until she got rich enough to wear
it. Last fall she was going to
get her black brilliantine, be-
cause she hadn't only one best
dress, and that most worn out !;
but Cole was taken sick and she
spent the money for something
else. Then she made her old
dress over for the two little girls
so they could go to school, and
had nothing but calico left for
herself. She's the greatest hand
to economic that eyer saw.
Well, when her mother died, a
few weeks ago, she wasn't going
to the funeral, on account of the
expense and of not having any
dress. She felt awfully about it,
and I said to her: Why not make
up that silk? You'll never need
it more'n you do now. And
there's Jim Fletcher goes right
to Sutton every Thursday and
comes bach Friday, and he'd be
glad to let you ride with him, and
you could ride on the electries
the rest of the way for five cents.
She took up with the idea, and
| cut and fitted the dress, and We
both worked on it and got it done
and she went to the funeral.
When Phoebe ceased speaking
the neighbor, who had listened
with eager interest, hung her
head, and tears came into her
eyes. Oh, dear she exclaimed
remorsefully, ! wish 1 could stop
gossiping. There I've gone on
about that dress to most every.
body in the neighborhood. I'll
should think I'd learn something
after awhile, but I don't seem to.
| never run anybody down but
what something happens to make
me wish I hadn't.
Well, you can tell the ones SOP |
talked with bow it was about the |
dress, said Phoebe consoliaely. |
aad there won't be any great |
harm done.
The woman colored and looked |
thoughtful for O minute. then be |
gan rolling up her work. I'll do |
right now! she said decisiyely |
It'll be humiliating, but twill !
serve me right.
just before supper, Mrs. Gaines /
ran over for a minute to tell |
Phoebe how grateful she was. |
My company had to go away at
three o'clock, she said, and if it
1adn Il henn for Won r shonld have