Weekly Caledonian. (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1919-1920, 1919-04-02

" But some of the plain-spOken folk
II OF our town made no bones of spreat
ing it that he did it because afte
!" backing Mibb Trumann--nee Hendel
d Son,--and buzzing about her Us 4 mot
:? buzZes about flame for Il year an
y Il day, until she had achieved II tur
y pence worth of fame in some quarter
e on her talent and his money, III
II woman turned him down for Quick
T. Rich Johnnie from the West VIII
V subsequently went financially insol
Il vent, if not mentally and morally 50
4 endeavoring to keep up with Mibb'
:, ramifications. Then we next hear,
of her having met Dick Robinson
l. the boy who had proposed to he
? once IN the long ago on the way HON,
n from singing school, and been laugh
T. ed at, and gone away to the city anC
= remained a bachelor and made sever
t al millions Of dollars as vice-presi
; dent of some big oil company. These
, things leak back to little New Eng
land town. because of her fame
/, perhaps, Dick had picked up with hc'
again, and Judge Farmer who spent
, much of his time now in New York
declared he had met them in Del
monico's together on several occa-
. siOns.
But the mills of the gods grind
slowly. One cannot sow the wind
without reaping the whirlwind.
And while Mibb Henderson was
journeying to ana fro in the land and
going up and down in it singing Won
derful songs at hundreds of dollars Il
night and spending on baubles what
would have kept Mary Purse and
her growing family in the neccssitie;
of life for year, this same Mary
Purse was back at her place in our
Office day after day before type
case, now setting locals when the
machines were busy and we needed
extra matter, now helping with twelve
point in the Modern Bargain stor"
ads, assisting with the mailing or
reading proof, earning her sixteen
dollars every week which was quick
ly spent as in days of old, for the
sustcnance of others beside herself.
There were times when it did seem as
though Mibb's philosophy had been
soundest after all.
So one grand bird wore grand
plumage and flew high and another
in softer, grayer feathers remained
close to earth and hunted food for
hungry little mouths, and the year;
began to 90 onward faster and fas-
ter, and the Purse boys took to
bursting bottoms and ripping seams
more than ever and increasing their
stature overnight after the manner Of
boys since Adam became the father
of young.
Mary Purse was sitting in creak
ing rocker in the twilight of Il rest
ful Sundays afternoon when tho
mufflcd pummeling of an automobile
sounded out front, accompanied by
the slam of a door. Automobiles
were curosities in those days, rarely
stopping before the Purse place.
Mary moved ACROSS to the window
and pecred out through the ladders
of geraniums.
A high newfangled car stood out in
the road. On its forward seat was Il
man IN livery. The sinking sun glintcti
on its polished surfaces and even
lighted the light lavendar interior.
But Mary paid but brief attention to
the vehicle. A woman was coming into
the yard and the woman was Mibb.
She came leisurely up the yard,
sailor hat in her hand md
looking interestedly about her. Once
she stopped, turned and gazed over ,
he hills and the valleys far away,
beautiful in tie peaceful hush of the ,
mellow sunset.
Mary moved across the room to the
loor. After all she was Mibb Hen &
lerson of the old days; her i:
,irlhood friend. {
"Hello, Mary" greeted Mibb |
standing on the door stone fringed f
With the plaintain leaves. q
"How do you do, Mabel" respond
ID Mary. won't you come in?'.. S
"For few minutes perhaps" the v
'ther answered. 81 just ran out to
zee how things were going and to II
ELK over old times with you. l don't t.
.et a chance to look Paris over very Ii
lcsely nowadays. All our set seems il
o have grown up or died or moved Il
way and all the faces you see on "
he streets nowadays are strange o
m busy woman nowadays, Mary" I
$50 l understand, Mabel. We hear a
f you once in while back here. s,
GU have made a wonderful success il
your voice; Judge Farmer came p
ack from New York last month and N
aid he went to hear you. 1t must
C great source of satisfaction to t;
Gu" Il
ooh that's nothing" declared Mibh "
ontemptuously 81 always said l f;
ould look out for myself, didn't l? te
GU could have done something simil-
II if you hadn't been so sickishly til
,ntimental. After all, in this life, m
c have to look out for ourselves. hi
we don't nobody else will, that's al
re!" She paused on the step. "My of
eaven's, who's that boy?"
"That's my eldest boy Tom. He; so
teen this coming summer, although ne
10 neiphbOrS saw he looks cirhteen | at