will do your best to set a good
example to the rest of the young folks round here; not, of course, that
_I_ would say anything, whatever you might do, but then, everybody ain't
so careful of the 'unruly member,' as the minister calls it. You know
people will talk. For instance, Miss Pryor dropped in here a few minutes
yesterday, and while we was taking a sociable cup of tea together, she
told me that Mis' Parsons told Caleb Sharp, and he told her, that you
looked a little too sanctimonious to have it natural, and she meant to
keep her eyes on you, for all you seemed so wrapped up in your own
affairs. They think you feel pretty big, I guess, for Miss Pryor said
she wasn't agoing to wait to be put down by you, but took particular
pains to flounce past you, with her head turned the other way, and never
pretending to know you was there. Mind, though, you don't say anything
to anybody about it. I am one of that kind that don't believe in making
mischief, and if there's anything I do _dispise_, its tattling about my
neighbors. It's a thing I never do, to talk against folks behind their
back. There's plenty that do, though, in this very town. Now, there's
that Mis' Swan, where you're going to board next week, she's been pretty
well talked about, first and last, and they _do_ say not without cause,
for you know the sayin' about there always bein' some fire where there's
any smoke. She makes believe all innocence, but I could tell some things
that I've seen with these two eyes, if I choose.

"The last teacher we had before you came, was a single young gentleman
by the name of Sweet. He was a nice, fine-looking man, with a real
innocent face, and pleasant ways, and I took quite a motherly interest
in him. He used to be at the Swans' very often, and I had a few
suspicions of my own. I used to send Rose in, kind of sudden like,
whenever I see him go by to their house. Mis' Swan felt guilty, for she
knew what I meant; but, will you believe, the malicious creature
actually insinuated that I had designs on him, and positively had the
impudence to send me a saucy message, one day, by Rose, right before her
husband and that young Sweet. I was so mad that I published the whole
affair over the place within twenty-four hours. I put on my bonnet, and
went in one direction, and sent Rose in another, and Mis' Swan found
herself in a pretty mess, with her name on everybody's lips. But, will
you believe in the ingratitude of human nature, the w