The enterprise. [volume] (Harlem, Mont.) 1899-1926, 1916-02-03

hid whom sat primly in tine cane
ES bottomed chairs; the fourth
shielding her face With hel
apron, knelt before the oven and drew
out from the whitening blast of heat
four brown loaves of salt risings.'
I Then she set the loayes upside down
OH the deal table and wiped her per
spring face.
a trite picture, hill old: in nearly ev-
cry art gallery in the world you will
see it, and few artists have ever had
the courage to name it anything harsh
er than Gossip"
Nothing good ever emanates from
these afternoon quartets; the trail of
the serpent is over it all; you will find
a trail of Borgia pasties, too, beauti-
fully frosted outside and wonderfully
poisoned within-slow poison.
Mercy! they don't mean any harm;
they wouldn't hurt a fy-so they say
irreparable damage. The devil finds
a-plenty for idle hands to do, but his
main business is the culture of idle
tongues; and from the very bottom Of
his soul-pardon the anachronism-he
lOathes the deaf and dumb.
In Il country village the first topic for
gossip is the behavior of the rival par
sons wife: then, perhaps, the little mill
liner. the little dressmakcr, and finally
any new arrival who minds his or her
own business.
An uncommunicative person is al
ways an object of suspicion; they have
something to conceal; or, if one talks
and talks and talks it's an effort to
throw one off the track. No hope.
So these four had discussed and dis
sectel the rival parsons wife, the 60
ings on OF the milliner and the dress
maker, and SO on, down to the strange
aloof young woman who was staying
out at the farm.
She's one o them actresses"
can the airs they put on 'mong de-
cent folks"
"Why, Bill hasn't said anything about
her bein an actress" mildly protested
Uncle Billy's wife, mindful of the Sc
the day.
That's like man, allus blinds a
bat"
"She seems nice spoken"
Its their business to be. Actresses
are tn on'y womin who go gaddin'
about without their husbands, who're
allus gittin' divorced. You never see
a newspaper without readin' somethin'
about their COINS ON. She's ben here
moren week an hasn't ben to either
church. An she did not attend tn ice
cream sociable-th' last O tn season
too. Hasn't been in tn village but
three times, an never speaks t. no.
buddy"
ACTRESS, no doubt of it,
who's an actress?" doomed a male
voice from the kitchen doorway, and
Uncle Billy marched in.
There was tlutter. nothing more.
The four women We're rather spell
bound over the suddenness of his ap-
pearance.
Are you talkin' bout Miss Wynne,
who Pm tishin: Well, III have y
know, now n hereafter, she amt no
actress"
How'd you know she ain't?' asked
his wife
How'd l know? Amt l got eyes L
ears: She amt no actress. She don,
do no self advertisin', an self adver
tisin' S meat n drink t all TIL actors
ever see. Keep your meddlin' tongues
olf'n Miss Wynne. That's all I've go,
t say"
He flung his cap sayagely into q
corner.
The three visitors rose, settled theil
bonnets dignilieuly, smoothel theil
gowns and Stalked out, not, however
missing the opportunity of extending
commissioning glance at Uncle Billy's
better half.
Now look what you went an done"
on the verge of tears.
"Whut l went an done! Dodgas1
it. Them busybodies
"Willyum.'
Il tell y l won't have 'em in my
Kitchen
Your kitchen" the benefit OF
the three who We're just passing The
window.
My house, then, f that'll suit y bet
ter. Buzzin' away decent folks's repi
tations. Them three make more trou
bic n a sturgeon in Il nest O bass eggs
Tell everything they hear, n ball it al
up when they tell it, They drove tive
ministers out O tn village already Will
their twistin' tongues. An whut rile!
me is, you let 'em in here t BULLDOG,
you int believin' all they say"
He yanked his supper off the back O.
the stove and ate it with deal o.