How Janice Day Won | Page 9

'spect Hopewell will be hangin'
about there most of his time like the rest o' the ne'er-do-well male
critters of this town, an' a-lettin' of what little business he's got go to
pot."
"Oh, Miz Scattergood," said Aunt 'Mira comfortably, "I wouldn't give
way ter sech forebodin's. Hopewell is rather better than the ordinary run
of men, I allow."
Uncle Jason chuckled. "It never struck me," he said, "that Hopewell
was one o' the carousin' kind. I'd about as soon expec' Mr. Middler to
cut up sech didoes as Hope Drugg."
Mrs. Scattergood flushed and her eyes snapped. If she was birdlike, she
could peck like a bird, and her bill was sharp.
"I reckon there ain't none of you men any too good," she said; "minister,
an' all of ye. Oh! I know enough about men, I sh'd hope! I hearn a lady
speak at the Skunk's Holler schoolhouse when I was there at my
darter-in-law's last week. She was one o' them suffragettes ye hear
about, and she knowed all about men and their doin's.
"I wouldn't trust none o' ye farther than I could sling an elephant by his
tail! As for Hopewell Drugg--he never was no good, and he never will
be wuth ha'f as much again!"
"Well, well, well," chuckled Uncle Jason, easily. "How did this here
sufferin-yet l'arn so much about the tribes o' men? I 'spect she was a
spinster lady?"
"She was a Miss Pogannis," was the tart reply.
"Ya-as," drawled Mr. Day. "It's them that's never summered and
wintered a man that 'pears ter know the most about 'em. Ev'ry old maid
in the world knows more about bringin' up children than the wimmen
that's had a dozen."

"Oh, yeou needn't think she didn't know what she was talkin' abeout!"
cried Mrs. Scattergood, tossing her head. "She culled her examples
from hist'ry, as well as modern times. Look at Abraham, Isaac, and
Jacob! All them men kep' their wimmen in bondage.
"D'yeou s'pose Sarah wanted to go trapesing all over the airth, ev'ry
time Abraham wanted ter change his habitation?" demanded the
argumentative suffragist. "Of course, he always said God told him to
move, not the landlord. But, my soul! a man will say anything.
"An' see how Jacob treated Rachel----"
"Great Scott!" ejaculated Uncle Jason, letting his pipe go out. "I
thought Jacob was a fav'rite hero of you wimmen folks. Didn't he
sarve--how many was it?--fourteen year, for Rachel?"
"Bah!" exclaimed the old lady. "I 'spect she wished he'd sarved fourteen
year more, when she seen the big family she had to wash and mend for.
Don't talk to me! Wimmen's never had their rights in this world yet, but
they're goin' to get 'em now."
Here Aunt 'Mira broke in to change the topic of conversation to one
less perilous: "I never did hear tell that Hopewell Drugg drank a drop.
It's a pity if he's took it up so late in life--and him jest married."
"Wal! I jest tell ye what I know. There's my 'Rill cryin' her eyes out an'
she confessed that Drugg had gone down to the tavern to fiddle, and
that he'd been there before. She has to wait on store evenin's, as well as
take care of that young one, while he's out carousin'."
"Carousin'! Gosh!" exploded Marty, suddenly. "I know what it is.
There's a bunch of fellers from Middletown way comin' over to-night
with their girls to hold a dance. I heard about it. Hopewell's goin' to
play the fiddle for them to dance by. Tell you, the Inn's gettin' to be a
gay place."
"It's disgustin whatever it is!" cried Mrs. Scattergood, rather taken
aback by Marty's information, yet still clinging to her own opinion. It

was not Mrs. Scattergood's nature to scatter good--quite the opposite.
"An' no married man should attend sech didoes. Like enough he will
drink with the rest of 'em. Oh, 'Rill will be sick enough of her job
before she's through with it, yeou mark my words."
"Oh, Mrs. Scattergood," Janice said pleadingly, "I hope you are wrong.
I would not want to see Miss 'Rill unhappy."
"She's made her bed--let her lie in it," said the disapproving mother,
gloomily. "I warned her."
Later, both Janice and Marty went with Mrs. Scattergood to see her
safely home. She lived in the half of a tiny cottage on High Street
above the side street on which Hopewell Drugg had his store. Had it
not been so late, Janice would have insisted upon going around to see
"Miss 'Rill," as all her friends still called, the ex-school teacher, though
she was married.
As they were bidding their caller good night at her gate, a figure
coming up the hill staggered into the radiance of the street light on