Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1924-04-04
Work of Busy
Gossips
H%%%%%.
By H. IRVING KING

$685.
%, 1924, by Mcclure Newspaper Syndicate)
There was no reason why Emeline
Briggs and John ]. Madison should
not be married If they wanted to-and
they did not want to. Their parents
were willing, and not thing could be
said against either of the young people,
Which state of affairs was the cause
of much uneasiness to the village gos-
sips How from such situation could
material be extracted for those de.
lightful conversations Of the TatAingN
club, as the villagers called 1t, which
assembled on Althea Vernum's piazza
in summer and in her "settin' room"
in winter? The club had no stated
times Of meeting, but assembled
whenever any Of the members HAP
pened to drop in," or when Mariana
Phetiplace sent round the fiery cross
in the shape of a hint that she had
information calculated to afford balm
to the souls Of her confederates and
to broadcast gall and NORWOOD to the
rest of the community.
One evening as the gOssips sat on
Althea's piazza John and Emellne
CHANGED to stroll by. The meeting
that day had been most profitable
and enjoyable one. Jane Martins son
who took after" his mother-had
seen Jack Chalmers coming out Of
a hotel in nelghboring town.
"What was he doing there1' Jane
had asked her cronies.
"Gettln' drink, likely as not" an
swered Mariana. "They sell liquor in
that HOTEL know they do"
II amt seen Jack Chalmers for two
days." put in Carrie Armstrong.
Nor l." chorused the others.
"I'll bet he's been ON drunk" said
Althea declslvely. And then the sym
phony Of the Devils orchestra began.
Within forty-eight hours 1t was
whispered all over. town that young
Chalmers had been on a three-days
drunk. AS n matter of fact he had
not been on three days drunk, nor
one days drunk-had not been drink
ing at all. But the reputation Of
"they say he drinks" was firmly at
tached to him thereafter and because
Of 1t he was subsequently refused a
good position for which he had APP
piled. The passing of John and Enc
line rather took the edge Off Of the
keen enjoyment the g0ssips felt In the
good work they had just done in
launching the Chalmers case.
Finally Mariana had an inspiration.
II amt got nothln' against either one
of EN-" said she looking after the
strolling lovers; but I must say dos1t
think Emmy is just the sort of gill
John ought to marry"
"Whyf" gasped the others eagerly
"0h, nothln, nothin'-only they don't
seem to be jest suited to each other
that's all"
"For my part" said Althea, 81 don't
think John is goin' to make just the
right sort of a husband for Emmy
He's all right furs that goes-don't
drink nor nothin' and is dom we'll
but she might get somebody more suit
able, seems So"
The club went into executive SEES
sion at once and "a good time was
had by ALL"
The next day the work OF propa-
ganda began something like this:
"Say, do you think John Madison is
Jest the sort of Teller Emmy Briggs
ought to marryT
"Why? What's the matter with
John?'
ooh, nothin', nothln' that know Of,
but somehow they don't seem Jest
suited to each other"
Next propagandlst: Somebody was
sayin' the other day that they didn't
think Emmy Briggs was jest the sort
Of girl John ought to marry; and
| dunno but what they're right. l amt
sayin word against Emmy, mind you,
only -" Now II you say things like
this-and say them often enough
you are bound to make an impression.
Within a week 1t was an accepted
fact all over town that Emeline was
not "jest the sort or girl John ought
to marry. People who are the sub
Ject OF village gossip are never al
lowed to remain In ignorance Of what
Is being. said about them. That Is
part Of the game. What Is the use OF
torturlng a person IL he does not real
lie that he is being racked and thumb
screwed2 There is no fun in 1t. so
John and Emmy, of course, were con
stantly kept aware Of what was being
said about them.
But the reaction upon them was dla-
metrically opposite to what had been
Intended. SO far from being con
yinced that Emmy was not the sort Of
a girl he ought to marry, John became
obsessed with the idea that he was not
the sort Of man Emmy ought TO
marry, and Emmy with the idea that
she could not make suitable wife for
John. Each had felt before that they
were not really worthy Of the other
now they knew It. This shifting OF
the positive and negative poles rather
annoyed the gosslps but the lovers
were unhappy-whlch was some con-
solatlon-and there was fair pros
pect that the main object which was
of course, the breaking off Of their en-
gagement-mlght yet be accomplished
when Mariana made a tactical mis-
take.
She could not resist the temptation
TO call at the Briggs home and do a
little gloating. Mrs Briggs received
her, and, after little preliminary
diminishing. Mariana remarked:
"Where's Emmy? I amt seen her and
John together so much lately. Well,
It's Just ms well lie amt really the
sort Of Teller Emmy ought TO marry