The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1879-07-17

shall do" she decided.
She put her handkerchief under her
veil, wiped away the tears, and had her
face reasonably tidied, when she pre-
sented herself and submitted the ques-
ton
"Do?" said Cousin Hannah, with
prompt sharpness; "pd tell him he was
pretty Christian to cheat dead SOL
dler's widow
"But that won't get me any money"
"Then," said Cousin Hannah, in an
other spasm of promptness, "Pd pub
lish him!"
"That wouldn't make him pay the
BILL"
But, don't you see, my dear, it
would ease your mind, and that is worth
great deal to one in your trying cir
cumstances."
"But you don't know how much l
need money. There isn't any thing due
from my boarders, and they are limiting
that mince-pies would taste good; and
it'll soon be Thanksgiving, and where
are the turkeys and the cranberry jelly
to come from?"
Mrs. Wiley gave q heavy sigh, and
Cousin Hannah gave heavier one.
"And when l opened for boarders,"
the widow continued, 81 opened with
scant two pounds of coffee and not
five pounds of sugar. I'm out of both,
and L owe Mrs. Sewage a bowl of sugar.
She has already sent twice for it. owe
you quart of rice, and lump of but
ter, and two tablespoons of vanilla, and
pint Of raisins, and half cup of bak-
ing-powder, and three eggs"
"Excuse me, Eliza, but it's four eggs
you borrowed" said Cousin Hannah.
Eggs are three bits a dozen," she add
ed, by way of justifying herself. "You
remember it was four, don't you?'
81 don't remember but three" said
the widow. "My pudding recipe calls
for three, and it was a pudding l want
ed them for.''
Whether it calls for three or three
hundred, you borrowed four eggs from
me-" said Cousin Hannah; *but I'm
not going to let one egg hatch out hard
words and feelings between me and my
own second cousin, especially when she
looks so bewildered and lost-like as you
look in widows cap and black bonn
bazine"
81 do feel bewildered and lost" said
Mrs. Wiley, getting to her feet. 8" I owe
SO many and so much, must 60 along,
and try to do something"
She went out of the house, hardly
hearing Cousin Hannah's exhortation to
look on the bright side.
"There is no bright side," she said
RI ho,. hoorf bo b,,r,-;oI o1oocr ~ n
street like one pursued, crying again,
under her veil.
She went around to the back door,
and into her kitchen, wiping the tears
off her face. There, right at the sill,
she stumbled against large basket,
and would doubtless have fallen into it,
face forward, but for the fact that it
was filled and heaped with bundles.
Whose basket was it? What were all
those packagesP-big packages, little
packages, middle sized pa kages.
She stood wondering over them. She
felt of some; she got down by the bas-
ket and smelt of others. There was a
rap at the door. She started like a
thief. She was conscious of coveting
those packages, for she had found out
that they were groceries. Opening the
door, she faced delivery-man.
"I've come for the basket" he said.
81 didn't find any body to hum, so
just set the basket in, till l was gong
back" All the while he was speaking,
he was briskly laying the packages out
on the table.
"But whose goods are these?" asked
the widow
"Ain't they yoursP You're Mrs. Wiley,
amt youp"
eyes," said the woman, "but I dom It
think they can be for me.''
"Here's the name," said the man,
referring her to q card tied to the bas-
ket handle.
She stopped down, and read on it her
address, "Mrs. Wiley, Pearl Street."
"Where are the goods from? Who
sent themp"
"They're from Farmers grocery
store"
The woman's heart went up with a
leap. 1t was hard not to cry for joy-
not to laugh aloud-not to 90 down on
her knees. She saw how it was; her
importantly had conquered; Mr.. Farmer
had relented, had been brought to do
justly.
sob yes, 1 understand now," she
said; 81 it's all right" at which assur.
ance the man threw the basket over bis
shoulder and went out to his wagon.
Then straightway there was a little
figure in black kneeling at the table. the
head resting on pound package of tea
When the thanksgiving was ended,
Mrs. Wiley got to her feet and began
eagerly opening the bundles. What an
Invoice there was! There were raisins,
cranberries, citrons, spices, tea and
coffee and sugar, butter, starch and
cheese; crackers and baking-powder
dried beef and chocolate; almonds and
eggs; corn starch, vanilla, CASTLE soap
a brace of ducks, and a package of des
located cocoanut; and the bill, $751;
When all the bundles had been inves
tigated, and were lying on the table
and the grateful woman was standing
crying over them-sh he shed a good
many tears in those days-her boy Sid
came stamping in and whistling-whist.
ling as though that was the only thing
| in the world ho cou1d do pov, III