The guardian. [volume] (Boston, Mass.) 1901-1960, 1939-02-04
Poor Hiss Reeve
BY BERT SLOWER
g Associated Newspapers.
WNU Service.

pudding she had taken over to MISS
Reeves house, because she found
her sitting up in bed and eating a
roast chicken and ice cream miss
Reeve had been recovering from a
broken wrist, nobody had quite
dared to pity the latter openly.
Yet she seemed so lonely, so
"queer." When one saw her trip
ping down Main street, as likely
as not carrying a pail containing a
few blackberries picked from the
hedgerows, she seemed like an old
child. Not that she was insane.
Miss Reeve had taught school, and,
as far as anyone knew, there was
no reason why she should play the
part of village recluse. But there
it was. Miss Reeve stayed alone
and never visited. When she went
to church she contrived to slip out
before the rest of the congregation
had left the pews. "Poor Miss
Reeve!" they said, and shook their
heads. Then, one day Miss Reeve
failed to put in an appearance to
buy her Sunday pork chops.
Sunday, after church, Miss Boyle
and Miss Gaines (of the rice pud-
ding) determined to seek her
whether or no." as they put it.
Consumed with the curiosity that is
camoufiaged as kindness, they
tapped on her door. No answer.
Another and louder knock. Still no
answer. All the years accumula-
ton of CHASTITY incidents from their
extensive Sunday newspaper read
ing ran through their rustic minds.
Something" said Mrs. Gaines,
/ solemnly, "has happened"
/ Miss Boyle thrilled. ooh, poor
Miss Reeve!" she said.
They peeked in at the window.
No. The room was peacefully
STEPPED in the sunshine of warm
July Sunday, but the very quiet ag-
gravated their fears, and they just
! gave way to panic and ran home,
little Miss Boyle with remarkable
agility, and fat Mrs. Gaines after
the manner of an alarmed elephant.
"You haven't seen anything, you
say?" said Tim Haynes, the town
marshal.
"No. We didn't dare go in" shud-
dered the exhausted runners.
HIN! Well, I'll take a look in
after I've had my dinner. Things
like that set better on a full stom-
ach if there's anything there,
which 1 doubt" said the phlegmatic
Tim.
But there was nothing to see in
the severely plain little Reeve
homestead. Nothing but an electric
refrigerator, which certainly
seemed an inexcusable piece of ex-
! travagance in one who had appar-
emily the smallest means.
Still, failing acute tragedy, the re-
frigerator made something to talk
about.
Besides, as Mrs. Gaines re-
marked, it explained the ice cream.
Then, one evening young Carol
| Barnes, cOmmutor from the city,
brought back some news.
Guess who l saw at the station
this morning. No, not here, in the
city," he said to his pretty, athletic
wife
Cant guess. TELL" she said.
Poor Miss Reeve. l couldn't be-
lieve until she touched me on the
sleeve.
1 hope nobodys been anxious,
she said in that fluttering way of
hers. But, you see, I'm married
''What?" almost screamed Esther
Barnes, "Oh, she couldn't bel"
I'm telling you, she is. And she
looked positively pretty and smart,
too. One of those uneven skirts
don't know what you call 'em-and
spike heels. All in blue, with flesh
stockings and blue shoes. She had
her husband with her, and who
d'you think it was? You remember
| old Hassell, who got in some mess
I years ago and went to the Klon-
dyke? Well, it seems he is a rich
man, breeds reindeer and what not,
and they were engaged back in
those old days, and now he's come
back and married his early love.
She looks absurdly happy-like
young kid"
But what's ne like? An awful old
thing? Oh, it's dreadful! If all those
women had been kind to her and not
hated her for being a better cook
than they were and for ordering an
electric refrigerator, she wouldn't
! have married him"
Look out for the crossing!"
called Carol. HE isn't bad guy
just fat old business man, that's
all. l found the bank thinks he's
absolutely all right, and that scrape
was simply a political frame-up.
Don't you be as bad as the rest.
I've asked them to come for a week.
end, and you'll see all those old
birds will fall all over themselves to
get asked to the city. know theml"
Poor Miss Reeve" murmured
his unconVinced wife.
Il wish we had their car" said
Carol, lighting his pipe.
Early Use of GunpOwder
| The narlU Cbipacn ,,aoI