Palisadian., 1924-07-25
Marcia thought of a war pension.

MdTcld lnOuSnt OF war pension,
but caught herself up in time.
Mrs. Rathburn's pretty well fixed.
Her first husband invested in oil and
he was one of the lucky Ones"
"Rathburn? / used to visit In
Franklin. I've got four or five cous-
ins there, and l don't remember any
Rathburns."
HE came from Indiana"
"Ohl What was her name before
she was married?"
Montgomery" said Marcia, revel-
ling in the sound.
Montgomery? l used to know those
girls. Is it Mary he is going to
marry?"
"No, Martha" Aurelia answered
promptly.
But the other girl was Elinor"
"Elinor's her middle name. They
call her Martha now
"She must be rather old for Dwight,
and she was terrible plain-looking"
Il guess she's improved. Dwight
showed me her picture, and she was
dressed like queen"
"Humphl What's he going to do
to help out with queen and two prin-
cesses?
Hes got a position as floor-walker
for dry goods firm"
Mercy! How much does he get
for that?"
Forty dollars week. But your
mothers at the door calling" Marcia
was beginning to feel a failing of her
inventive powers.
"Well, l suppose I'll have to go
She'll be about crazy when she hears
this"
"You may tell her, but don't let IL
go farther" Marcia called back, as she
turned away.
"It's mercy this cake isn't burned
to a cinder," she said as she opened
the oven door. "Say, mother, do you
remember that Miss Webb that board
ed with the Henrys one summer?"
Eyes. She wrote stories for the pa
pers."
II understand now how she could
do it. If you once get started YOU
can go along easy enough"
! Before noon, Mrs. Fitch appeared
There was fire in her eye.
"Well, Marcia Knowles, I've beer
doing some long distance telephOning
It's expensive, but mother had to be
pacified. I called up my cousin Maria
in Franklin. Those Montgomery girls
are two little dried-up old maids keep
ing variety store in the ell part OF
| their house. called in Burt Sawyer
He's studying law or thinks he is
Burt's terrible close-mouthed, but ht
did let something drop. My cousir
Maria's youngest boy is studying law
in Boston, l got something out of hin
| and mother and l have put two ant
two together.
Dwight Knowles hasn't gone tt
Franklin, Jason Hewitt saw him buy
ing a ticket for Boston. He's gone tt
| take examination for the Suffolk bar
| whatever that is, and if he don't pas:
perhaps he won't feel quite so mucf
above his old neighbors. He's no more
| idea of getting married than our ole
horse has. But" fixing Marcia witt
her piercing gaze, show a woman
who's been a church member for six
teen years can tell such barefaced lie'
passes my comprehension. I'll ask th'
minister what he thinks about it. II
take my pitcher along. hope you'll
enjoy your griddle cakes"
Marcia reused herself to feeble at
tempt at retaliation. 1--WE though
the milk was too sour to use, and
poured it out for the hens"
"Well," she sighed as Aurelif
slammed the door, II don't know wha
the minister will think, but Dwigh
can't blame me-much."
She dropped into chair by hel
work table and picked up a calendar
the minister's wife had given her will
blank spaces to be filled with choice
extracts for the benefit of an invalid
Marcia wrote her extract for the da.
with emphatic down-strOkes:
"Oh, what a tangled web we weave
When first we practice to deceive.
|