CHAPTER XII
MOLLY SIZER'S PARTY
The people of Chazy County were very proud of the _Millville Tribune_,the only daily paper in that section of the state. It was really a verygood newspaper, if small in size, and related the news of the day aspromptly as the great New York journals did.
Arthur Weldon had not been very enthusiastic about the paper at anytime, although he humored the girls by attending in a good-natured wayto the advertising, hiring some of the country folk to getsubscriptions, and keeping the books. He was a young man of considerableeducation who had inherited a large fortune, safely invested, andtherefore had no need, through financial necessity, to interest himselfin business of any sort. He allowed the girls to print his name aseditor in chief, but he did no editorial work at all, amusing himselfthese delightful summer days by wandering in the woods, where hecollected botanical specimens, or sitting with Uncle John on the lawn,where they read together or played chess. Both the men were glad thegirls were happy in their work and enthusiastic over the success oftheir audacious venture. Beth was developing decided talent as a writerof editorials and her articles were even more thoughtful and dignifiedthan were those of Patsy. The two girls found plenty to occupy them atthe office, while Louise did the reportorial work and flitted throughMillville and down to Huntingdon each day in search of small items oflocal interest. She grew fond of this work, for it brought her close tothe people and enabled her to study their characters and peculiarities.Her manner of approaching the simple country folk was so gracious andwinning that they freely gave her any information they possessed, andchatted with her unreservedly.
Sometimes Louise would make her rounds alone, but often Arthur wouldjoin her for an afternoon drive to Huntingdon, and it greatly amusedhim to listen to his girl-wife's adroit manner of "pumping the natives."
About halfway to Huntingdon was the Sizer Farm, the largest and mostimportant in that vicinity. Old Zeke Sizer had a large family--five boysand three girls--and they were noted as quite the most aggressive anddisturbing element in the neighborhood. Old Zeke was rude and coarse andswore like a trooper, so his sons could not be expected to excel him inrefinement. Bill Sizer, the eldest, was a hard drinker, and people whoknew him asserted that he "never drew a sober breath." The other sonswere all quarrelsome in disposition and many a free fight was indulgedin among them whenever disputes arose. They were industrious farmers,though, and the three girls and their mother worked from morning tillnight, so the farm prospered and the Sizers were reputed to be"well-off."
Molly, the eldest girl, had attracted Louise, who declared she waspretty enough to arrest attention in any place. Indeed, this girl was a"raving beauty" in her buxom, countrified way, and her good looks werethe pride of the Sizer family and the admiration of the neighbors. Theother two were bouncing, merry girls, rather coarse in manner, as mightbe expected from their environment; but Molly, perhaps fully consciousof her prettiness, assumed certain airs and graces and a regaldeportment that brought even her big, brutal brothers to her feet inadoration.
The Sizers were among the first subscribers to the _Millville Tribune_and whenever Louise stopped at the farmhouse for news the family wouldcrowd around her, ignoring all duties, and volunteer whateverinformation they possessed. For when they read their own gossip in thelocal column it gave them a sort of proprietary interest in the paper,and Bill had once thrashed a young clerk at Huntingdon for questioningthe truth of an item the Sizers had contributed.
One day when Louise and Arthur stopped at the farm, Mollie ran out withan eager face to say that Friday was her birthday and the Sizers were togive a grand party to celebrate it.
"We want you to come over an' write it up, Mrs. Weldon," said the girl."They're comin' from twenty mile around, fer the dance, an' we've gotthe orchestry from Malvern to play for us. Pop's goin' to spend a lot ofmoney on refreshments an' it'll be the biggest blow-out Chazy Countyever seen!"
"I think I can write up the party without being present, Mollie,"suggested Louise.
"No; you come over. I read once, in a novel, how an editor come to aswell party an' writ about all the dresses an' things--said whateverybody wore, you know. I'm goin' to have a new dress, an' ifever'thing's described right well we'll buy a lot of papers to send tofolks we know in Connecticut."
"Well," said Louise, with a sigh, "I'll try to drive over for a littlewhile. It is to be Saturday, you say?"
"Yes; the birthday's Friday and the dance Saturday night, rain or shine.An' you might bring the chief editor, your husband, an' try a dance withus. It wouldn't hurt our reputation any to have you folks mingle with uson this festive occasion," she added airily.
They had a good laugh over this invitation when it was reported at Mr.Merrick's dinner table, and Patsy insisted that Louise must write upthe party.
"It will be fun to give it a 'double head' and a big send-off," shesaid. "Write it up as if it were a real society event, dear, and exhaustyour vocabulary on the gowns. You'll have to invent some Frenchy namesto describe those, I guess, for they'll be wonders; and we'll wind upwith a list of 'those present.'"
So on Saturday evening Arthur drove his wife over to the Sizer farm, andlong before they reached there they heard the scraping of fiddles,mingled with shouts and boisterous laughter. It was a prohibitiondistrict, to be sure, but old Sizer had imported from somewhere outsidethe "dry zone" a quantity of liquors more remarkable for strength thanquality, and with these the guests had been plied from the moment oftheir arrival. Most of them were wholly unused to such libations, so bythe time Arthur and Louise arrived, the big living room of the farmhousepresented an appearance of wild revelry that was quite deplorable.
Molly welcomed them with wild enthusiasm and big Bill, her adoringbrother, demanded in a loud voice if Arthur did not consider her the"Belle of Chazy County."
"They ain't a stunner in the state as kin hold a candle to our Molly,"he added, and then with uncertain gait he left the "reporters" with thepromise to "bring 'em a drink."
"Come, Louise," said Arthur, quietly, "let's get out of here."
He drew her to the door and as a dance was just starting they managed toescape without notice.
"What a disgraceful scene!" cried Louise, when they were on their wayhome; "and to think of such a shocking carousal being held in good oldChazy County, where morals are usually irreproachable! I shall notmention the affair in the _Tribune_ at all."
But Patsy, who had a managing editor's respect for news of any sort,combatted this determination and begged Louise to write up Molly Sizer'sparty without referring to its deplorable features.
"It isn't policy to offend the Sizers," she said, "for although theyare coarse and common they have shown a friendly spirit toward thepaper. Moreover, the enmity of such people--which would surely resultfrom our ignoring the birthday party--would keep us in hot water."
So Louise, though reluctantly, wrote up the party and the manuscript wassent over to Miss Briggs Sunday afternoon, so it would get a place inMonday morning's _Tribune_.
Uncle John had the paper at breakfast on Monday, and he gave an amusedlaugh as his eye caught the report of the Sizer party.
"This is a good one on you, Louise," he exclaimed. "You say that MissMolly, 'looking more lovely than ever in her handsome new gown, greetedher guests with a roughish smile.'"
"A what?" demanded Louise, horrified.
"A 'roughish' smile."
"Oh; that's a mistake," she said, glancing at the item. "What I said wasa 'roguish' smile; but there's been a typographical error which MissBriggs must have overlooked in reading the proof."
"Nevertheless," remarked Arthur, "the statement isn't far wrong.Everything was rough, including the smiles, as far as I noted thatremarkable gathering."
"But--see here!" cried Patsy; "that's a dreadful mistake. That spoilsall the nice things you said about the girl, Louise. I hope the Sizerswon't notice it."
But the Sizers did, and were frantic with rage over what they deemed wasa deliberat
e insult to Molly. Several young men who had come fromdistances to attend the birthday party had stayed over Sunday at thefarmhouse, where the revelry still continued in a fitful way, due tovain attempts to relieve racking headaches by further libations. Mondaymorning found the dissipated crew still the guests of the Sizers, andwhen big Bill slowly spelled out the assertion made by the _Tribune_that his sister had "a roughish smile" loud cries of indignation arose.Molly first cried and then had hysterics and screamed vigorously; Billswore vengeance on the _Millville Tribune_ and all connected with it,while the guests gravely asserted it was "a low-down, measly trick"which the Sizers ought to resent. They all began drinking again, tocalm their feelings, and after the midday dinner Bill Sizer grabbed ahuge cowhide whip and started to Millville to "lick the editor to astandstill." A wagonload of his guests accompanied him, and Mollypleaded with her brother not to hurt Mrs. Weldon.
"I won't; but I'll cowhide that fresh husband of hers," declared Bill."He's the editor--the paper says so--and he's the one I'm after!"