The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1912-03-21
SHE DID
HER DUTY
MARIA B. SHIRLEY

There's great deal said against old
raaids and some old maids object to
fle title rs term of contempt. They
prefer to be called maiden ladies. L
don't. I'm an old maid aud proud of
It. | don't bother about my age neither.
I'm fifty, and if any one goes sacheyen'
round to find out how old am / tell
EN-. | say I'm half century old.
haven't any use for those persons
who are mealy mouthed about spcakin'
right out when there's anything disa-
greeable to be said If my friend needs
information I'm a-goin' to give it to
her or him, whichever it is. | don't
propose TO let friend suffer from
wantin' to know somethin that no
body has the courage to tell EN-. It's
risky, | admit. But what's the credit
o dom somethin' that anybody is will
In to do? | heard Name Perkins SON
in-law roastin her awful. | went TO
her and said. Name. I've got some
thin TO tell you you'd ought to know"
Then told her She thanked me very
much, Neither her son-in-law nor her
daughter has spoken to me from that
day to this But ] done my duty.
one day / was ridin in railroad
train-parlor car. always use parlor
cars. They're not so dirty, and l hate
dirt as | hate poison, Just out of the
city the train stopped at a suburban
town and fine lookin' elderly gentle
man got in with young girl not more
than nneteea. They was evidently
just married, for there was a weddin
party on the platform to see EN- off.
They threw rice at EN- and the elderly
groom laughed and tried TO dodge it,
pretendin' he was afraid he'd git hurt
and all that, maxim 'em laugh at his
antics. When the train rolled out they
hollered, "Goodby, popl Look out that
some young Teller don't steal your bride
away from your And he shouted
back, IF he does I'll kill him" We
rolled ont of the station, the langhin
aud the shoutin' CROWN fainter and
fainter till it was left clear behind.
The old gentleman chatted little
while with his bride, and | saw him
though / couldn't say whether he took
her hand or she took his'n. She looked
IN in his face lovingly, then snuggled
down beside him.
But it wasn't long before the old
chap took some papers out of his
pocket and began to look EN- over
His poor wife turned and looked out
of the winder. / felt dreadful sorry
for her but | thought she deserved
what she got for marrying an old
man.
In about an hour we reached a city |
where the train stopped, and a young
fellow came into the train with a suit !
ease. He went up to the old man and |
his bride and took off his hat politely. |
They were evidently acquainted. The |
bid gentleman was very polite himself |
and gave the young one his seat, TAX
N another further forward. 1t wasn't /
long before IL occurred to me that he'd
Better have taken a seat back Of 'em.
He'd scarcely left 'em before such go
ms on | never did see before. The
young man fust set holdin' the brides
hand, but it wasn't long before he had
his arm around her waist. Then, pre-
tendin' she was tired, she lay her head
on his shoulder
What that old fool in front was
temptation In the way of his
girl wife for ] couldn't see. 1t made
my blood boil to look at EN-. The
bride wore one O. these fashionable
hats as big as an umbrella, and there
wasn't the slightest reason why the
young man beside her shouldn't kiss
her under 1t without bein' seen. But
every lady knew well enough what he
was doin
] stood 1t Just as long as | could:
then, seem that nobody was settin'
with the husband, | got up and took
3 seat beside him. l did it when the
train stopped at a station so it wouldn't
be noticed.
Fine day, SIR" said to the gentle
man.
Eyes. madam, very fine day" he
answered.
IF you like Wen turn the seat over
and ride backward"
"What for?"
"Well, 1t would give you better
view of what's goin' on between that
young wife o. yours and the Teller you
give your seat to-"
He turned square round and looked
1t me steady. what they doin'f' he
asked.
Hes kissin' her under that umbrel-
Ia hat o. hern."
"You don't mean it."
/ was surprised that he took 1t so
81 thought | heard you say
when you got on the train that If any
young Teller stole your bride away
from you you'd kill him"
did l say that?"
"Yes. you did There's no use de-
nyin' It,"
"Have you told me this. madam. to
ncite me to murder?' +,
mo; because l thought you ought to
know what was goin' on between your
7oung wife and that other Teller"
THANK you very much for the in
formation. I am that young lady's
'ather. She was married to that young ,,
'eller' this morning. His mother, who
$ very i'll, lives in the city where he
boarded the train, and after the cere
uonv he wont IN for a hriaf visit with