Show B Bold ld W Words O at the e Bridge I BY SARA R O ORNE JEWETT EWE Well now nov says I Mrs Conly J says ays YS I L bower owyer you ou may inay tark Us J vl business and I wanting to plant a few pumpkins for me cow in among me cabbages Ive got the right to vl nt whatever I I may choose thoe se seif If its the croP of s In Inthe Inthe Inthe the me ground round No maam you vou aint says Biddy Conly you aint got anny right to plant fifties el tl s not for the public good says Bays she and I being so hasty wit me tim per I shuk me fist In her er face then and herself shuk ber her fist at me rust Just then Father Brady come by as luck arder d dan an us would we keep the Deace peace He lie knew well Id had my provocation to herself he he spoke first yo d think she owned the whOle hole r corporation I wished Id her over into int the wather w ther so I did eTore he tome orne by at all on the bridge the thet t to o of f us were yere I was st home by bv very t in the tn to put my on nn supper and md 3 d dh h hrc re ir overtook me meIn ain t she the bold uIni tUh S 4 J How cr w an ar you the tay W M Ms t s run Tun I runS ul S 1 JS she so O mirin an pren pre preIn In ami anI I knew well welI d put hor lIN mind on cm ha hn rp rv J words wit wi ie ze 1111 that minute Im one that likes to have peace in the neighborhood if it for tor or the likes of her that makes the he top of me head lift and clat dat wit rage r ge like a Dot pot lid lidIt tr It t What was the matter with the two of you ou asked a listener with interest terest in t erest S Faix Fab indeed t vas herself hersel had a of melons planted the other side of the fince acknowledged Mrs Dun Dunleavy Dunleavy Dunleavy leavy She said the pumpkins would be the ruin of ot them I says S and throe for me that hat I Id me mc S pumpkins planted the week before shed shedS S dropped anny old melon sed S a into the ground and the same beio bein already y front from so manny bugs Ob Th but to give me the e about it and say SR them poor things was all up and shed thrown lim lime on em 01 to 9 Ii keep away aw their 9 i when she first S set see me ne dit b tune me cabbage cabbageS rows How well she knew what I might be doing Me cabbages grows far apart and Id plinty of room and I if a pumpkin vine gets attention TU TUan can an entice it wherever you Jou plase I and grow fine and long while the poor cabbages ates and grows fat and round and no harm to ann body but she mv must I pick a quarrel with a quiet oman in inthe Inthe Inthe the face of every everyone one We e were on the bridge dont you see and plinty was passing by with their grins and loitering and stopping S after they behind b her back to hear what was wa going on b tune us I does be liking to get the to t sound of loud talk an they the having nothing better to do Biddy Conly seeing she he was well watched got the S airs of a and nd set down what I e or she B e mi pt ht lt happen h pp n to be carr carrying m S I S 1 S S and tried would she get et the better of me for the sake of their admiration i Oh but want ant she all and wet et from the roads and the world knows for a very ery very tidy walker I Clane dane the mud from your shoes If f youre oure going to dance all I said to her and she being that mad she did I be stepping up bp ip and down like an old turkey hin and shaking her first all the time at me Coom now Biddy says I what put you out so says I 1 Sure It creeps me skin when I looks at you Is the pig dead says I or any little thing happened to you y U maam Sure this is far beyond be the rights of a few pumpkin seeds that has just cleared the ground and all the folks fonts laughed S S Id no call to have tark with Biddy Bidd Conly before them idle bys bOys and gerris nor to let the two of us become their stock I tuk up me rue basket being ashamed then therE and I meant tg t i go mad as I was as Coom Mrs Conly says I let bygones be by bygones bygones bygones gones all this were a aether having about nothing says I Ivery very verv pleasant t S May lay the divil fly away with you OU Mary Dunlavy says she then spoil spoilIng spoiling spoilIng Ing me garden ground as tU every everyone one can see and full of your our bold talk Ill IllIK let IK me hens heng out into It this afternoon so I will wm says ays she and a good deal dealt t more Hold off says I and rem em JIll ber what fell to your our aunt one day when she sint her hins in to pick a neighbors piece and while her own OW back was turned they the all aU come home borne and had very every sprouted bean and po pot V taIe t ie heeled hee out in the hot ht sun and all Ifer eF fine lettuces C picked into Irish lace Weve Wee lived neighbors says I thir thirteen teen years saYS I 1 and w weve v often orten had words word together above the fince says gays I but were ivere ere neighbors yet ye and S weve no call caH to stand here bere ere in such S spectacles and disgracing ourselves and S each other Coom Biddy Bf dy says I again going away way with me basket and re S Father Bradys caution L LS S It wa was w too late Some o 0 the bys bOys went nt off too all done I r dont want any 8 Y o 0 your Coom says saS ay she he stepping at me with Witha Ith S a black bla k stripe across her face she was wa that de tl o dv b I stepped back and held up me basket between n nus us she being bigger than I and I get j ting Ung no chance and herself slipped and Fell and her nose got a clout with the hard liard edge of the basket basl et it would trou trouble trouble ble the saints to t say how then I picked her up and wint home hom with her herto hero to o they th and anCL the blood Sure SUt I Iwas Iwas Iwas was sorry for the an she hay hav having ing lug such a timber boiling in her heart Look at you now Mrs Ir says I kind of soft you be fit for moss these two Sundays with a black eye ee eyelike eyelike like this and your face arl an scratched and every bl guard has ha gone the of ot o the town to tell tales of us Im a quiet oman says I J and I dont thank you ou says sa s I the blood was stopped nO na I lont thank you for dis gracin an old neighbor like me of our prayers and the graves we should be and not be having bold lold words at the bridge but butI butr I r fought I was after very vely quiet and up p she got and caught up the basket and I 1 dodged it by good goodluck goodluck goodluck luck but after that 1 I walked off and left her to satisfy her foolishness with bating the wall if it plase 1 her Id no call for her company anny more and I took a vow Id never a word to her again while the world stood So all U Is over s nee then be between between between tween Biddy Conly ConOly and me No I dont look at her a at all 5 S II S Some time afterward in late sum summer summer mer Mrs Dunleavy DU stood s large and noisy 1 ls but bu address addressing a addressing dress dressIng ing some remarks from front her front door doorway doorway way to a goat on the sidewalk He was pulling some of her cherished fox foxgloves foxgloves gloves glo es through the picket fence and eagerly devouring their flowery stalks How well you rache through an fince you black pirate she shouted but finding that harsh words had no effect she took a convenient S and advanced to strike a gal gallant gallant gallant lant blow upon the creatures back This had the effect of making him himi i t p a little to one side and modestly begin to nibble at a tuft tun of grass Well if I aint plagued plague said Mrs S Dunleavy sorrowfully if I aint with Ith every wild baste and S me cow that was some use gone dry very unexpected and a neighbor worse than none tione at all Ive rye nobody to have an honest word with and the morning being so fine and pleasant Faix Id move away awa from it if there was any place Id enjoy better Ive Iveno Iveno Iveno no heart except for me garden me poor little crops Js is doing so well thanks be to God me cabbage is very fire There does be those that thal over overlooked overlooked overlooked looked me mc pumpkins for the poor cow no size at all wit wR so much t train rain The two small white houses stood I close together with their little gardens behind them th m The road was wa just in ft L front and led down to a stone bridge I i I which crossed the river to the busy manufacturing village beyond The Theair air Ir was fresh and cool at that early hour the wind had changed hanged after a season of dry hot weather it was just the morning for a good bit of gos gossip gossip sip with a neighbor but summer was almost done and the friends were not reconciled Their respective acquaint acquaintances acquaintances ances had grown tired of hearing the story of the quarrel and the novelty of such a pleasing excitement had long been over Mrs Connelly was thump ing away at a handful of belated iron ironIng Ironing Ing 5 and Mrs Dunleavy estranged and solitary sighed as she listened to the iron She was sociable by b nature and she had an Impulse to go in and sit down as she used at the end of the ironing table the poo thing hing is mad at atme atme atme me yet I know that from the sounds of her Iron a shame for her to togo togo togo go go picking a quarrel with the likes of me and Mrs Dunleavy sighed heavily heavily ily fly and stepped down Into her flower flowerpot flowerpot flowerpot pot to pull the distressed foxgloves back into their places Inside the fence The seed had been sent her from the theold theold theold old country and this was the first year I thy had come into in to full bloom She hard had been hoping that the sight of them would melt Mrs Connellys heart into some expression of friendliness since they had come from adjoining parishes In old County Kerry The goat lifted his head and gazed at his enemy ene my with mild Interest he was pas pasturing pasturing pasturing turing now by the roadside and the foxgloves had proved bitter In his mouth S Mrs Dunleavy stood looking at him over the fence glad slad of even a goats company S S S Go long there see that fine little tuft ahead now she advised him for forgetful forg forgetful g of his depredations Oh 0 h to think Ive nobody to to th the I day At that moment a woman came in insight Insight insight sight round the turn of the road She was a stranger a fellow countrywoman an and she carried a 3 large newspaper bundle and a heavy handbag Mrs Dunleavy avy stepped out of o the flowerbed toward the cate and waited there un til the stranger came up and stopped to ask a question Ann Bogan Boga dont live here do she She dont answered the mistress of o the house with dignity I thought she you dont know where she lives do you S I 1 dont said Mrs Dunleavy I dont know niver mind Ill find her a fine day maam Mrs Dunleavy could hardly bear to let the t e stranger go away aVay She watched her far lar ar down the hill hm toward the bridge before she turned to go o into the house houseS She seated herself by the side window next Mrs Connellys and gave herself to her thoughts The sound of the flat flatiron flatiron flatiron iron had stopped when the traveler came to the gate and it had not begun again Mrs Connelly had gone to her front door the hem of her calico dress be plainly seen and the bulge of her apron and she was Avas watching the stranger quite out of sight She even came out to the doorstep and for the first time in many weeks looked with friendly intent toward her neighbors Then she also came and sat down at her side window Mrs Dun heart began to leap with ex excitement t Bad cess to her foolishness she does be wanting to come round Ill not make mal e It too aisy amy for her said Mrs Dunleavy seizing a piece of sew sewing sewing sewing ing and forbearing to look lo k up I I dont know who Ann Bogan is any anyway anyway anyway way perhaps herself does having lived in It five or six years ears longer than me Perhaps she this woman by her looks and the heart is out of I her with wanting to know what she asked from me She cant sit there then and let her Iron grow cold There was Bogans when I first come here living down by the brick mill neighbors to folks continued Mrs Dunleavy more and more aggrieved Biddy Conly ConOly ought to know the they belong to her cousins a fine oman sure Biddy Bidd might well wel enough have haye heard her inquiring of me and have stepped out and said if she knew Ann Bogan and satisfied a poor stranger that was hunting the town over No I dont know anny one in inthe inthe inthe the name of Ann Bogan so I dont said Mrs Dunleavy aloud and theres can ask a civil question que tion with every everyone one that ought to be me neigh neighbors neighbors bors hors stopping their mouths and keep keeping ing black grudges got all the Faix got the whack on me nose responded Mrs Irs Connelly quite unexpectedly She was looking squarely at the window where Mrs Dunleavy sat behind the screen of blue mosquito netting They were both conscious that Mrs Connelly made a definite overture of peace That one was a very civil spoken i oman that passed me just now an announced announced flounced Mrs Dunleavy handsomely I Ii O S I Jd t t Lm I J E 7 I fh 7 Ill S 1 iL 4 i V i 11 11 z I Shuk Me Fist in an Her Face Then S waiving the subject of the quarrel and aid a d c coming oming frankly to the subject of pres present present present ent Interest Faix a poor day for Ann Bogans shell find that out before she gets far in the place Ann Bogans was plinty here once then hen t God rest them There was two Ann Bogans mother and daughter lived ived l down by when I first come here They died in the one year too most years ago said Bridget Connelly in her most friendly tone Ill find her says the poor oman as if shed only to look loo indeed shed got the boldness reported Mary lary Dun Dunleavy Dunleavy Dunleavy leavy peace being fully restored to shed go first and they all moved to Larence twelve years ago and all shell get from anny one would be the address of ot the cime try There Thee was plenty here knowing to Ann Anft Bogan once That oman is one Ive Iye seen long ago but I cant name her yet Did she say who she was asked the neighbor She Im sorry for the poor oman too continued Mrs Dunleavy in the same spirit of friendliness Shed the look of ot one who came hoping to make a nice visit and find frends and herself lugging a fine bundle bundie Shed the looks as If shed lately come out very decent but old fashioned Her bonnet was made at home anny ways did yu ye y mind Ill lay Itty It was bought in Cork when it was new or maybe from a good shop In Bantry or or some o 0 those old places If shed seemed satisfied to wait walt Id made her the offer of a acup acup acup cup of tay but oft off she wint with great courage I dont know but Ill slip on me bonnet in the afternoon and go find her said Biddy Connelly with hos hospitable hospitable warmth Ive seen her ber before perhaps long whiles ago at home Indeed d I thought of It myself said Mrs Dunleavy with approval Wed best wait perhaps till tm shell be com corn coming coming cornIng ing back theres no trains now till 3 She might stop here till the five and well find flud out all about her herShell herShell herShell Shell have a Very very lonesome day she he is Did you OU see that old goat aUng the best of me rae that all bloomed the day she asked eagerly afraid that the conversation might come to an end at any moment but Mrs Conn took no notice of or s trivial a subject Me lIe melons is all getting ripe she announced with an air of satisfaction Theres heres a big one must be ate now while we can its down in the cellar pooling cooling itself an Id like to be drop dropping dropping dropping ping it getting down the stairs picking it I was before break breakfast breakfast breakfast fast itself having hating begun to crack open Himself was the by that loved loveda a melon an I r aint got the heart to look at it alone Coom over will ye e Mary Iary Deed then an I will said Mrs Dunleavy whose face was close against the mosquito netting Them old pumpkin vines was no good anny way did you see how one of them had the and wint |