What is Miss Strangeworth's reputation in town?

The matter of Miss Strangeworth's reputation is an interesting thing to think about. The narrative voice in the story is omniscient, yet much of the time it seems almost as though the story is being described via Miss Strangeworth's own thoughts. So when we read the statement "the town was proud of Miss Strangeworth and her roses and her house," the line comes across somewhat like a bit of self-assurance that Miss Strangeworth herself might have decided was true. Prior to that line, delivered as Miss Strangeworth is walking home from the grocery store, we have already seen multiple people acting uneasy when Miss Strangeworth talks to them. It seems as though there is another underlying feeling about her beyond the pride that she both feels and believes others feel about her.

After the scene in her house where we witness Miss Strangeworth writing several rude notes to people in her town, we begin to see what she is really like. Miss Strangeworth writes her notes anonymously, consciously choosing to spread suspicion in spite of having no factual cause, because she feels that she is doing a service for everyone in helping people be on guard against possible problems. But as it turns out, her method of anonymous gossip to warn people of possible evils in the world is worse than any evil she imagines they might encounter; Miss Strangeworth is the "possible evil" in the town.

In light of our discovery of her true nature, it is easy to see through the words that describe her after she leaves her house to mail the rude letters she has just written. When she arrives at the post office, the narrative says:

Most of the children stood back respectfully as Miss Strangeworth passed, silenced briefly in her presence, and some of the older children greeted her; saying soberly, "Hello, Miss Strangeworth."

If we visualize this scene in our heads, "respect" is perhaps not the word that comes to mind. The children had been happily skating and hanging out together before she emerged in the darkening evening to mail her letters. It seems like all of them froze. It is odd that children happily playing would suddenly cease all movement and noise in someone's presence unless they had a reason to stop. The feeling of discomfort is heavy here.

Miss Strangeworth is oblivious to the feelings of other people in regard to herself. Her own pride blinds her, causing Miss Strangeworth to have to speculate about people's thoughts. And because she is prideful, she never imagines they think of her in any other light than a positive one. Whether there had been respect for Miss Strangeworth before, we ultimately see that her facade is about to be torn away in the last line of the story. She cries about the "evil" that could have caused someone to destroy her roses (ironically not realizing that her own behavior is the evil that led to it).

It is not likely that the destruction of the acclaimed rose garden will go unnoticed. As an act of revenge and rage, it is rather likely that the mere destruction will not be the last thing that the rose-destroyer does about the injury he or she has received. He or she is likely to tell somebody about who and what provoked the deed. People will begin to put together the evidence and realize that the notes they have been receiving for the past year have all been written by the same person. Will the townsfolk pity her for the loss of her roses? Will people feel the "pride" that we were told they felt for Miss Strangeworth? Judging by the damage we have already seen alluded to in the story, it is not likely that Miss Strangeworth's reputation is going to come out of this situation unscathed.