The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1877-11-29

Wv CoA get 6lOuS very we'll W1tnOut
that; and SO, until Pm unable: to provide
myself with one I won't have any,
What the captain would have said, must
forever remain mystery, a., ::s&zkst at that
moment, the disputed dinner; sll the shape
Of Miss James donation, drove ZIP to the
door. -.
It was in vain that MI. Finch protested
that the load was not for him. His namo
nd address on the card were correct,
ed.
Then the captain was impaled as the
sender; but his astonishment was so cvi-
IDENTIFY genuine, that the veriest skcptic
in the universe could not but have be-
ieved him innocent.
But that mystery! Mrs. Sarah was q
utilitarian. She did not waste her energies
in trying to imagine where the things
came from-not she! She rolled up her
sleeves, put on a big apron and went to
work.
Oh, the marvellous time she made that
dayl But, after all, it was little wonder,
for she impressed everybody-from the
big, good-natured captain to little six
year-old Jimmy-into service.
Miss Jane made her appearance, bright
and early, on Thanksgiving morning.
Mrs. Sarah was alone in the kitchen when
she entered.
"How do you do, Sarah ~ said she, not
very cordially it must be confessed for al
though prepared to extend the right
hand of fellowship to James and the llt-
10 0vN00 ch0 ~ l.
upon her sister-in-law except as traitor.
whom she would be obliged to make the
best of.
"Oh, janet" and Mrs Sarah, with one
rush, left her cranberries to take care of
themselves, and gave her husbands sister
heartier welcome than she deserved bv
a good sight.
Miss Jane didn't return her kiss, but she
suffered it; and though she did mutter
"Judas!' under her breath, I think she
was good deal more comfortable than
she would have been if her hostess had
been as cold and stiff as herself.
Draw right up to the stove, and take
off your things" and the little woman
bustled about, in a whirl of delight
"Oh, won't James be glad! Dear, dear! !!
He ought to be. here this minute. And
to think it's Thanksgiving Day, and we've
got so much to be thankful for!" And
then her thoughts went back to their un-
known friend Of the day before, and, like
a flash the truth came to her. "Oh,
Jane p she went on, with gasp, II see
now, it was you sent us the things.
Oh, dear! how can we ever thank your"
Then she rushed back to the cranberries,
which showed signs of stewing over, and,
for the first time since her entrance, Miss
Jane had chance to put in a word.
She had just opened her mouth to say
something in explanation of her sudden
appearance, when the door opened, and
in walked Captain Abel.
= "Got anything for me to do, Sally2"
he asked, with laugh; and then the
great-whiskered man stopped short, per-
ceiving the stranger, who sat just in front
of the fire.
Miss Jane had been beauty in her
youth, and even now was not at all ugly.
Her eyes were bright, her teeth were as
white as ever, and her dimples were not
things Of the past, by any manner of
means. But for few wrinkles, and a
hard look, which was the natural result
of her hard life, she would have been a
very handsome woman. She had not
changed so much as had the captain; but
both were recognizable, and each, after
one glance, knew the other. Mrs. Sarah
looked up from her cranberries eagerly.
"Oh, Abel, here's Jane-Jane Finch!"
Captain Abel came forward, and ex-
tended his hand; but it was an awkward
meeting. They had not seen each other
since the breaking off of their engage
ment- score Of years beforehand
both of them were uncomtortably con-
scious of the fact. But Captain Abel
drew chair up to the stove, and tried
to talk as if he had forgotten all about
it; they discussed the weather. the crops,
and everything else they cared nothing
about, until Mrs. Sarah, who was all in .
whirl with the surprise of Miss James WIS.,
it, and who could not keep still-try as
she would broke into the conversation
with: :, a. ~; '.''.:
"Oh, Abel, do you remember the last
day we saw Jane, dear2 What a mess I
was in! I was engaged to Jim, and no.
body knew it; and mother was bound you
0AO / 9AOulN u0AO q 1u0lNl1 u L uGVCx
shall forget tie afternoon we decided to
tell her all about it. Goodness, how I cried
on your shoulder, too, Abe -and how
you tried to convince me that poor ma
didn't care much about you. a id had just
as lieve I'd take somebody else, if you
only explained;it to her | rsperly-and
you were right, too!'' '''5.1 - -, :'..:
And tho little woman, quite overcome
~ these "reminiscences, opened the oven
eoor, and commenced an energetic bast-
ing Of the turkey contained therein. .
Poor Miss jane was too much astonish-
ed by this revelation to be prudent
"And wasn't you in love with Sarah?''
she asked, breathlessly, Of the captain.
"Why. I was engaged you."y,5 js+:1
II know it!p 81 she said. :'"'Rut I thought
you-" ...~', 49,, ;,.... ..;x,ats,,ns,. :.
Thought what?" and the captain. drew
his chair eagerly toward her UWaa fhaf