"It's usually pretty serious when he gets 'round to givin' his picture," she said. "I wouldn't have believed it, Miss Sawyer, because Sam ain't exactly your kind. To be sure he's got some good points, but he ain't literary a mite."
"Mrs. Stout," said Mrs. Tweedie, angrily, "we came here this morning to transact business connected with our entertainment, and not to meddle with the affairs of others."
"Well," replied Mrs. Stout, good-naturedly, "we seem to have done both pretty well."
"I must be going," said Mrs. Jones, as she jumped up and bustled about getting her things and began putting them on. The others followed her example and thus again was the rupture that seemed inevitable between Mrs. Tweedie and Mrs. Stout postponed.
When they had gone Miss Sawyer took the photograph of Sam Billings from the mantel, looked at it for a long time, and then, with a sigh which could not be suppressed, she hid the picture in a drawer beneath a package of photographs of forgotten friends.
Chapter XV
Two Letters
Will—friend:—Since my last letter much has happened in Manville of interest to us both—more than I have time to tell now. The schools opened last Monday, and the children really seemed glad to get back—especially the dirty ones. I have discovered that work gives more happiness than idleness and the gossip of the village.