| Show foin Foint t lie dallai doll ii New newspaper saper KATY didi KATYDIDS KATY DIM OR WHO KISSED SQUIRE I 1 BY FRANK LEE that was the question all Penley ville knew I 1 thit that she had been kissed for or somebody say they I 1 heard tell of somebody that had it from somebody who knew another somebody that just i as is good as saw it with their own owa eyes for ik it had come through a score of some bodies rhose truth she could vouch for yes squire headless no He adleys wife had been kissed there w was ks no shadow I 1 of t doubt to screen her like it a butter fluttering raz rag of propriety but who did it that was a the question that was what mrs little ran to ask her neighbor but her hei neighbor tell though there were those who could coald and to such away went mrs litte and away went a whole bevy of eves lineal descendants it was a more mere rumor at first a wild re port which people started as at the hinting of some terrible catastrophe I 1 ai last n stry ot and like a wild fire flew fiew T that but polly fully peep knew certainly it exactly what sire she knew I 1 I 1 it spread kikela blzy fa fanned i nned by the wind or an old maids chirs when a bachelor walls behind men laughed over the ille story as they steed at the corners of the streets and looked toward the tha squires mansi mansion on the wo women men talked of it going to church at their evening socia bles and it was a iii never ever fail ing ng topic of conversation at those chose diabolical diabolic al inventions c wiep circles oi reles 11 where more dabbou dub spirits congregate than comer come at the call of the fox girls people whispered it for it a timetha time tha that is ia the first day then they spoke openly shaking their wise e h heads e ads like so many chinese mandarins strung on wire mrs little got at the bottom of the affair among the foremost a thing 1 which spoke well for her powers of penetration for pen le people were in the expressive slang of young america up to snuff 31 she al lowed poor human bunian nature no rest until the whole thing was laid bare vare she felt that it was her dut duty y she could brave all when that inspired hera her yes she thought when animated by its heavenly teachings she could even enter a cautions cannons mouth provided it was not loaded loa ded I 1 1 I yel feel an interest in that thai wretched young woman s 1 p she e would say while going from house to house to glean from each a few blades to sw swell ell her fast accumulating sheaf of opinions if 1 I knew squire dire headless He adleys parents I 1 knew the squire when he wis waa a boy dy and when he brought that flirting city girl here for a wife 1 I said to myself squire ire headley Head lcy youre in error some daylou day you will see it as plain as I 1 do doand and mark my words I 1 he will cc it dreadful I returned mrs sweet 1 I could weep ovier over poor fallen nature handshe and she took a huge pinch of Ohla macaboy caboy to stay her tears blowing her nasal organ so long and loud the people next door thought tho light it was the stage horn and rushed out to know what it could mean at that time of day aay they were on the look out for wonders that shocking report had so 0 excited their nerves it would take an unknown number of cups cops of skin to restore I 1 their equanimity 1 I feel no pity for her returned the energetic mrs F flyn lyn she ought to be east cast out of all decent society but because it is squire He adleys wife folks will let it pass though if it was me I 1 should be hooted booted st 2 and in her energy she e rocked so viole violently iAly on im the kittens tail that lat it the kitten not the narrative set ret up a wail and the lady dropped more in the half fin dished stocking than she iyo could uld take up i in n an air hour I 1 and you saw it mrs sweet asked mrs little 1 I saw it gra graced ned mrs sweet 1 and 1 esaw saw it chimed mrs flyn with a nasal intonation laying emphasis on the pronoun I 1 1 I should diketo like ato hear it from boar own lips mrs airs sweet returned we mrs litt drawing herself up with an amount of virtuous indignation that would h ave awed the lothario in ex istance pm reverse se to mentioning it replied ifer her friend and ahe they all shook their beads h eads mou mournfully rn fully but to such a particular friend I 1 danh do I 1 Polly 1 continued she J in interrogatively ter avely of mrs flyn I 1 1 1 1 0 o jemily I 1 dont think you yon y do 1 I know you i d mrs little the ladies drew nearer nearer each other they fort 4 orm a oi circle rele because th there ere w berj erb oril only y three of them but they made a tripod 1 l polly and I 1 11 11 commenced mrs sweet were going down main street day before yesterday about two in the afternoon 94 no rt it was later 3 interrupted polly it must have been four because I 1 lay down baek din dinner iier I 1 remember for those apple dumplings dump lings disagreed with mith to the day of atif my death I 1 shall feel satisfied that they vae trope heavy I 1 L know knor better said mrs mra sweet 1 I I 1 showed susan myself and theres nobody can make letter better crust than I 1 33 jemily said mrs flyn in a solemn whisper 1 q I know they were heavy and she put pat her hand to her sto chest I 1 do g go on exclaimed mrs little ett eagerly gerly I 1 mrs sweet sighed and looked as if to say you Y dont kno know F what I 1 have boar f from rom that sister and ner friend telegraphed 0 back indeed I 1 do i As I 1 said we were e a walking down main street about two in the afternoon tour four it was four screamed flyn polly said sweet when I 1 know im right pm im firm I 1 m very firm it was two maybe A little before maybe a leeth after four for abr the lord sake cried mrs I 1 little before polly could speak only go I 1 I 1 I 1 i on it was waa a skein of white thread I 1 wanted fasnut wa snUt polly or was it blue polly threw up her head and scorned to answer guess awas blue no twant it wits was green af after ter wll all how hony stupid I 1 bell be mrs flyn chuckled spitefully I 1 as if she abe fully agreed with her but mrs sweet despised both chuckle and chu okler and went on we were eJust just going doing by square head leys 11 yes panted mrs little it was surely I 1 coming now ca caise ise I 1 had to go to wint I 1 i iwa As for in my mv thread dean i is s so dibar dar mrs little groaned with impatience ill bont know but wed been and were coming back i polly chuckled again as if she thought there were more things she dian didn it know spiteful pollyl polly any how wod wem got to squire adleys headless He and I 1 was telling polly I 1 see the squire esquire start for the city that very borni morning ng p I 1 Je sweet snorted flyn fc hats pretty well you yon know I 1 saw him myself I 1 told you he got into the stage with a carpet bag on his arm he had a linen sack on over the new broad cloth coat jane weaver made him oh jemily how could you say aay it and next sunday communion day too oh ob oh ob oh ob I 1 mrs sweet snuffed there were symptoms sympho ms of a f fearful earful tempest in a tea pot but mrs ails little interposed like an angel of mercy maybe you are right polly sighed urs mrs sweet maybe you are 11 do go on gasped mrs little where was 12 I 1 oh we went for the thread I 1 I 1 1 1 1 nono interposed the agonized listener youre past that the c certain ertain flew up I 1 1 I never said so exclaimed mrs arwe sweet oti indignantly never the curtain was wag u up 11 oh ves yes 11 1 bual but I said a living thing about Me mehitable bitable little you always was an impatient cletur mehitable was too eager to quarrel 11 wall the curf carting cing was up and the window open I 1 looked in 1 I believe I 1 screamed polly says 1 I 11 jemily Je mimy exclaimed mrs flyn omin ominously oh oh it was yon ou looked in and grabbed grabbe d me well its all 11 in the family and she laughed at her own wit I 1 truth is truth P muttered polly do you mean ill lie began amps sweet irefully 1 re fully but little held up both aoth hands in anguish pil tell you nothing sobbed sweet my word is suspected tend and by my bosn oan sister oh oh oh aft was a full quarter 0 of f an hour before she could be induced to continue but she got rot no sympathy from poly r folks tread on pollys toes aes do no indeed and ashes she snorted again I 1 I 1 at last out came the truth in all its hideous nakedness when polly garabed me I 1 hollered for the pain but I 1 hollered worse when I 1 look ad d in in a and 3 saw katt kitty 11 I 1 11 mrs airs squire ff headley leadley 31 said flyn with delicate irony settin setting on a chaurand cha eba irand a great whiskered male le anin nin over her and kissing her and squeezing z her hand she all the while crying I 1 like ke ma mad 11 I 1 mrs little held up her hands in dismay mrs sweet paused tor for breath you saw it groaned little mrs sweet nodded ayou you saw it flyn gave in her affirmation with the solemnity of a witness in a court of Jup justice tice that I 1 should live to h ar it who he is pursued sweet when her agitation was somewhat calmed 1 11 I dont know but brit hes bes there yet for only this morri morning 1 I saw 5 there he goes screamed her sister the tripod rushed to the window the snuffbox and kitten there he was mrs sweet saw aw him so did mrs little so did pugnacious us polly so did all Penley ville a and rid all Penley ville groaned at the sight the villian said mrs sweet I 1 the shameless gabone vagabond va 11 polly was too far gone to utter a syllable I jemime said mra little solemnly after cafter this therell something drea dreadful adful happen P en maybe maybe the cholera the tripod groaned and shook as if in d danger anwer I 1 of falline fal falling linc 0 in pieces I 1 what is to be done said mrs flyn its a wonder the bare barefaced faced thing with him c 1 I see my duty dirty said mrs miller firmly and I 1 shall do it iler her companions listened in silence when toe th eSquire comes 1 I shall go goto to him im I 1 shall say squire headley my suspicions tons are verified youre katy is is unworthy thye you will do right responded mrs airs flyn I 1 shall say obey the scrip tur put her j away squire put her awa away V 5 Xi amen nen said flyn blinking methodically iball 51 I 1 I 1 mrs sweet did not answer immediately A she rose with awful majesty and laid her hand in Ws mys littles lap mrs little li looked as if inq in suspense polly 1 forgot to snicker I 1 I Mehitable said swe sweet et al slowly theres mv hand mrs airs little had seen it before theres my hand band rs 1 7 1 yes said little doubtfully goodness knows aliv it wa was plain enough to her flight ailin im will wi ach you well go together we will ull all go 13 added polly find snorting irbing move more fiercely fieTe tily than before and display his cifes turpitude 51 said mrs little grabbing her kerchief as if she had it there sweet and alid flyn assented though they agreed afterward they never sawan an y turpitude though they thought quite likely katy healey haley had it if anybody I 1 I 1 three tares days after it was known all 0 o over ver Penley ville that thata square hii headley had return i n ed and deop people le W waited in iii painful i suspense us p e nse to see what would happen I 1 he ar arri rivea vedin ii the morning hio and in ih the the tripod proceeded with I 1 d no so I 1 piousness rious ness toward bi his house shouse the frills illi 0 of mrs littles cap standi standing ig out ont stiffer iliadi th an usual and mrs sweet winking inking at a prodigious rate they inquired for the squire anddew shown into the parlor whore where he sat alone he greeted them cordiale cor cordially diall y it was hi hilway his sway way though his gray eyes twinkled with secret mischief for he be heard beard something of the news nes and guessed their errand they not sit mrs little could not in that room which hieb had witnessed such transactions with eloquence befitting the theme she told her tale mrs sweet winking 9 confirmation over the spectacles and polly I 1 blowing in unison I 1 the squire heard them out sighed looked do down wn poor ahm ho walked aar across 0 s 3 I 1 the room he was vas so agitated mrs littles e s heart was moved if he gw a divorce he would be again on the carpet iud and aud and her i daughter aughter angeline Angel lne amelia was twenty s i seven scowl slowly y the injured husband threw i hack back a heavy beavy damask curtain which hung before an oriel window re revealing vealin a rather unexpected tableau in the window seat was katy headley eadley II her hand resting familiarly on n the shoulder of the moustache moustached ached d stranger I 1 acla ladies di es 11 said the squire coolly turn turning ipg 1 toward them my wife ife and my cifes broth j er frederick carysforth from havana ia there was a moments silence broken by byj the squires laugh the tripod rushed from the apartment in confusion more easily imagined then than and home frome they them went with downcast down cast eyes and limping i c cap borders that affair did Penley ville more 0 good rood than a thousand sermons ons said mrs birs fl n to mrs sweet sweat 1 wah wa h mv hands of the elite said mrs sa s1 r S sweet to mrs flyn I 1 I 1 wish that we had neler neer gone in 1 I the unity or trinity rather of the tripod was destro destroyed jed forever peace will never be restored between its members but they do say peoples nerves in Penley ville are not so excitable as they used to be I 1 |
