The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1921-09-28
Chapter 60.


The amount of gossip | began to
hear astonished and hurt me. l re-
member sitting and watching Ella,
who told most OF it to me, with my
mouth almost falling open from sur
prise.
We spent lot OF time on the porch
in those days, while the warm sun
came through the vines-I had planted
quick growing vines for temporary
shade, and had brought over the
wicker porch furniture | had bought
for my old house two years back.
Ella sat in one of the wicker arm
chairs, sewing. She was making fine
linen handkerchiefs for Christmas
presents, and though this was only
June, she was working busily at them.
She had been engaged, and something
had gone wrong. The engagement was
broken off. | dared not ask about it,
but | suspected that was the reason
why Ella was growing bitter
She was so much like she was be-
fore-and so different. Strong; irreg-
ular, not unpleasant features; intel
ligent eyes with light, stubby lashes;
and a naturally good skin-these
proved the limit of her possibilities.
She could have been good looking
but she had let her skin grow coarse !:
her eyebrows We're allowed an UNI
kempt appearance; she took no care Of
herself in any way.
She was growing round shouldered
from a careless method of standing,
her walk was awkward because she
iod al OILY,
shoes that emphasized her large feet
and clothes that punched where they
should have been smooth, and that
pulled where she needed fullness. She
was broad shouldered, fat chested
broad hipped She could even yet
make herself attractive if she
wanted.
Today she was unusually laxative
Martha and her husband ought tc
separate she said busily, hemstitch
ing. They never get within five feet
of each other without nagging and
rowing. It's awful, all the neighbors
hear them. And little Johnnie gets sc
nervous he runs out of the house and
hides at Sally's and cries, until one OF
the other comes to fetch him.
He's a nervous little child rather
sensitive | said thinking of the very
charming four year old SON what
a pity-theyll ruin his health Will
such an atmosphere"
Awful" Ella agreed. And Martha's
that jealous, ever since she found out
about her husband and that girl in the
Office at the pumping station"
oh, dear, what a shame! Pool
MARTHA"
Yes, 1t was too bad" A lot of de
tails followed too sordid to repeat
There had been a scandal, Martha haC
returned Unexpectedly from a trip on
of the town, TO find the girl in hel
house. There was a quarrel Every
one knew of it. The girl was fairly
driven from the town, serves hel
right" Ella added.
"But-but Martha went right on liv
ing with him." | said, genuinely
shocked.
We'll, but she was married to him.
To Ella, this seemed to settle any ques
ton.
of course, he isn't the only one,
Ella confided, holding the dainty little
handkerchief off and inspecting he
work on it. she got awfully interest
ed in young fellow here. | won't sa,
his name as you might know him
and they say" and more details fol
lowed. They were mostly assumption
and deductions, based on the fact tina
Martha had gone on visit supposed,
to her mother, for a week, and tn
other man had also been out of tow
that week, On this slender thread o
circumstantial evidence, Wellsvill
had hung a very weighty amount O
gossip.
of course, l say they should ser
arate," Ella concluded. But peopl
think they'd better stay together TO
the child's sake"
1t seems to me that by staying tc