The Magnolia Gazette

Strange How It Got Out.

"Oh! by the way," exclaimed Mrs. Limbertung, suddenly changing the conversation, "you know that Flossing girl? Well, her brother, he that was sent to State prison four or five years ago, is out. I saw them together just now. I do hope that nobody 'll know that he's been in prison, for his sister's a real good girl, and she's dreadfully anxious that Tom'll do well: and, of course, if it gets out, you know, that he's just out of prison, it'll be almost impossible for him to get anything to do. But, mercy! look at that clock! I declare I didn't know I'd been here so long. Good-by, Mrs. Smith: now do call, won't you?"

Mrs. Limbertung is next found at Mrs. Brown's.

"Oh! that reminds me!" she says, interrupting Mrs. Brown. "You know that Flossing fellow who got into trouble and was sent to State prison? Yes? Well, he's out. He looks as though he wanted to do right now, and I hope for his sister's sake, if not for his own, that nobody will mention anything about his past life. It ought to be kept secret. Both of 'em have suffered enough, the Lord knows."

Mrs. Brown promises not to say anything about it and Mrs. Limbertung goes out. On the street, a block or two away, she meets Mrs. Jones,

"Why, how do you do, Mrs. Jones? What a stranger you are! I have got some news for you. Fanny Flossing's brother's got home—what! you never heard of the Flossings? That's funny. I thought everybody knew them. Well, you see, Fanny's brother Tom stole a lot of money, four or five years ago—yes, and he got taken up and had to go to prison—strange that you never heard of it!—and Fanny's worried herself almost to death about him—Fanny is that pale-looking girl in a chip hat you saw me talking with this morning—and she says if she can only keep it from getting out—it would be awful, you know, if folks should find out that there's a State-prison bird in the village—she hopes Tom 'll get something to do. I pity her awfully, and I wouldn't lisp it to a soul, would you? But there's Mrs. Robinson over there. She's a new-comer, you know. I must speak to her a minute. Good-by."

"How do you do, Mrs. Robinson. How do you like Tawkville? You're a stranger now: but when you get acquainted, you'll find folks real sociable. That was Mrs. Jones you saw me talking with just now. I was telling her about Tom Flossing, a fellow who has just been discharged from State prison—a real likely young man. He stole some money, you know, but that was a long time ago, and before he came here. So nobody in town knows anything about it. I know all about it, 'cause I lived in Chinchin, where the Flossings came from, at the time when he stole. But there's no reason why anybody in Tawkville should know anything about it. Because a young man has gone astray once, that's no reason why it should be flung in his face forever afterward; and you know what folks are, Mrs. Robinson: they'll never stop talking about it if it once gets out."

Mrs. Limbertung, in the course of the afternoon, meets or visits perhaps a score of her acquaintances, and to every one she relates the story of the Flossings, and repeats the hope that it won't get out. The story and the hope are carried into the grocer's and the butcher's, and the hope and the story are left with the baker and the dry-goods dealer, and when Mrs. Limbertung lies down to sleep that night, her last thoughts are upon the Flossings, and her last hope ere slumber overpowers her is that "it won't get out."

A day or two later she meets Miss Flossing.

"Why, what's the matter, Fanny?" she exclaims. "How pale you look! And, I declare! if you haven't been crying!"

"I can't help it!" says Fanny, breaking out anew. "Poor Tom!"

"Why, what's happened?"

"Nothing, only I've tried and tried, and Tom's tried, too; but it's no use. Nobody will hire him. Somebody has been around and told everybody about him, and it's no use, it's no use!" And Fanny's tears fall thick and fast.

"It's positively shameful!" exclaims Mrs. Limbertung, mingling her tears with Fanny's; "that's what I call it, positively shameful! I wonder who could have the heart to do such a thing! I was in hopes that nobody would hear anything about it; and I did hope that Tom would do well—and I know he will, if he's given half a chance. You know I always thought a good deal of you, Fanny, and when Tom st—took the money, I nearly cried my eyes out. But cheer up, Fanny; perhaps he'll get a place yet. You know you can depend upon me, and if I can say a good word for him to anybody, you know I'll do it. There, dear, don't cry any more."

And Mrs. Limbertung kisses Fanny, and again tells her to cheer up, before saying good-by.

Mrs. Limbertung goes down the street wondering who could have told it, at the same time hoping—and sincerely hoping—that poor Tom will get a place, and Fanny and he will live "real happy" together.

But for the life of her, she can't think "how it got out."—Boston Transcript.