Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1914-01-07
THE TALE
BEARER
She Told Because She Thought
Her Victim Ought to
Know 1t
BY GENEvIEvE HOWE

lake, II have called to ask you
which side you're going to take in ref
erence to Mr.. Perkins Are you going
to advocate his remaining the pastor
of our church or our getting some one
else?''
Mrs. Timberlake had not called for
any such purpose. She had made up
her mind to Dust Mr.. Perkins from his
pulpit and had laid her plans to do so
without Mrs. Waters assistance. Mrs.
Timberlake had a mania. She could
not bear to see any one enjoying a
comfortable position. This was sup
plemented by special faculty for get
ting others out of comfortable posi-
tons. and it is an undisputed fact that
persons are drawn to do what they do
well.
Mrs Waters had been recently mar
ried and was very happy with, her hus
band in their own little home. This
was not pleasing to Mrs. Undertake,
and she was seized with desire to
GUST Mr.. Waters from his wife's affec-
tons, though in justice to her it must
be admitted that certain sympathy
for his wife was the first cause of her
applying herself to the work. She had
seen man who resembled Mr.. Waters
entering the home of a married lady
living opposite her own house at 8
O'Clock in the afternoon. Mrs. Timber
lake was instantly seized with COM
miseration for Mrs. Waters. The ten
derness of Mrs Undertakes heart
yelling up in her bosom. mingled with
indignation against the recreant hus-
band, gave birth to an irrepressible de-
sire
''She ought to know it." she said to
herself Its shame that such nice
little woman as Bertha Waters should
be so treated
And thus it came about that. Mrs.
Undertakes peculiar trait having
been aroused and fortified by the sen-
derness of her heart and her sense Of
justice. she could not rest till she had
impaired what she had seen to the
injured wife. She would give Mrs.
Waters some intimation of what she
had seen the first time they met. But
to restrain herself till then was like
endeavoring to hold the lid on a cal
dron of boiling water. She determined
that as soon as she had finished GER
tain household work she would call on
the injured woman and tell her what
she ought to know. 1t occurred to
her that she might make a pretext for
calling of the work she had undertake
en- with reference to the minister The
result of all these noble impulses that
guided Mrs. Timberlake was that with
in twenty minutes after she saw, or,
rather, thought she saw, Fred Waters
enter Mrs. Mainwaring's house she
posted around to his home to inform
his wife of the fact
But to return to the meeting of the
two ladies and the dialogue which was
opened by Mrs. Undertake asking
Mrs. Waters which side she would
take in the impending crisis in the
church.
81 haven't been member of the
church long enough" replied Mrs. Wa
tiers, ito warrant my taking any part
in the matter Fred prefers that I
shall keep out of all contentious"
Very wise Your husband has al
ways had reputation for being pol
itic.'
The word polite" nettled Mrs. Wa
tiers. She understood it, when applied
to social matters, to mean one who
will draw out all the information pos
sible without imparting any. Howev-
er, she made no reply TO the innuendo.
by the bye" Mrs. Timberlake con-
tinued, 81 was not aware that you
knew the Mainwarings'
Il don't know any one of that name"
Don't know that pretty Mrs. Main
waring. Why, l supposed you were
very intimate with her"
What made you think that?"
Your husband knows her. doesn't
hep
Not that | am aware Of"
OH Mrs. Timberlake made the ex-
clamation as if she would retreat from
delicate ground she turned the sub
ject by remarking that she thought it
was colder and there would be snow.
But Mrs. Waters did not propose to
leave the matter of Mrs. Undertakes
allusion to her husband without an ex-
PLANTATION.
She was not long in getting the
simple statement that Mrs. Undertake
had seen the gentleman enter the la
dy's house in the middle of that very
afternoon. As soon as she had i'm
parted the information she added. with
all the fervor of her compassionate
Doul: I'm awfully sorry for you. Mrs.
Waters. ! wouldn't have told you. but
thought you ought to know it"
Having thus sympathized with the
lady for having such a husband. Mrs
Timberlake took herself away. con-
scious of having done an admirable ac-
ton.
When Fred Waters returned to his
homo In fho avapino INSTEAD ~ f,1;,x