posted 06-17-2004 02:47 PM         

Mildred, the church gossip and self-appointed arbiter of the church's
morals, kept sticking her nose into other people's business. Several
members were unappreciative of her activities, but they feared her
enough to maintain their silence.

She made a mistake, however, when she accused George, a new member, of
being an alcoholic after she saw his pickup truck parked in front of the
town's only bar one afternoon. She commented to George and others that
everyone seeing it there would know what he was doing.

George, a man of few words, stared at her for a moment and just walked
away. He didn't explain, defend, or deny, he said nothing. Later that
evening, George quietly parked his pickup in front of Mildred's house
and left it there all night.