The Canton advocate. [volume] (Canton, D.T. [S.D.]) 1877-1897, 1880-12-09
AN ACCIDENTS RESULT.

what's the use o. Thanksgivin' wher
there amt nothin' to be thankful for
And where's the use o'runnin' after an
Onsartainty? A rollin' stone gather:
no moss"
"And gangin' foot is aye gettin',
said ST Pettingill, the country store
keeper Not but that he agreed witt
his old friend Joe, deploring the wick
edness and wilfulness of his only son.
leaving the homestead and going GU
west ST Pettingill hated to see an extra
wrinkle in his neighbours fine and tloril
face, who was only known as old JOE
because there was young Joe grow
to manhood: 1t was only a week be
fore Thanksgiving, and a queer time
for extra wrinkles, but ST couldn't aftorC
to lose an opportunity for proving hi:
knowledge of proverbs, and combating
the oracular prophecy of one by tina
Of another. The country store was
the high centre of argument. No sub
|iect was too solemn or too frivolous, too
high or too low, too light or too pro
found for discussion. .
"They do say" said Monk, the mil
ler, chat the heft and richness O grain
out there is most amazin', and the silt
is that soft you can put your arm clear
down to yer elbow in it. If l was as
yOung's Joe" And here the miller
paused, for his friend the farmer
brought his hand down heavily on al
adjacent box of soap.
'And amt his own land rich enough
Look at that ten acre field O corn anC
look at them punkins! Though, fol
that matter, where's the usO O corn for
turkeys, or turkeys for Thanksgivin', il
a mans own flesh and blood flies in the
face of Providence like my Joe?'
"He amt goin' before Thanksgivin'
surely?"
"He calkilates to start tomorrow
night" said the farmer dolefully.
Then the group about the store eS,
perforated with mournful precision
and shook their heads, and hoped he
wouldn't regret such precipitate
abandonment of this worlds blessings
Old Joe Comstock united his fine pain
of mules, and went jolting away to the
Comstock farm. followed by the sym
patbizing remarks of his neighbors
And as the cart rolled away, another
vehicle was seen approaching, a high
seated jaunty affair with yellow wheels
drawn by long limbed creature thai
was out of sight before his points coulc
be we'll discussed and criticised. II
truth, the good folks upon the porch
of the country store were more inter
ested in the couple that were seated
fashionably aloft upon the gay box O
the wagon. A fceting vision Of laugh
ing blue eyes and yellow curls wanton
ing with the November wind, and the
pale, dark face Of Il stranger in close
proximity to these charms, caused tho
wise heads upon the porch to wag again
with melancholy unison.
''Tain't the natur' of the sile tina
young Joe complains Of" said one.
! "Nor yet the corn, nor the punkins,
said another, SITS that he amt got thu
stomach for 'em he used to hev before
that city fellow broke his wagon in from
of the widow Benson's door, and took
notion to Kitty"
'And l swan to man eff the widow
amt that set up about it she's hevin
black Sam to do her fail whitewash
in"
"She'd better not count her chicken
before they're Matched. That fellow
don't mean to marry Kitty Benson
she'll fall between two stools, that
what Kitty'I do. She'll get shet Of Joe
and lose this city chap, after all. Jo
was in dead earnest, poor fellow, bu
this chaps only foolin'"
Which was not altogether true. Th'
Getty chap" had begun perhaps il
rather a trihing mood. He considered
the remarkable interest which he tool
in this little rustic was all due to hi
artistic perceptions. About six week:
before in passing through the village
his horse had stumbled upon big
bowlder in front Of the widows door
and one Of the big yellow wheels ha(
come to grief. 1t was the most natura
thing in the world for Mr.. Morton tC
knock at the nearest door, and equally
natural that the widow should ask him
in. Kitty lay sound asleep, with hel
curly head on the kitchen table, al
the yellow tangle OF it tumbled care.
lessly about the exquisite line of hel
brow and curve Of her rounded cheek
Her brown lashes just merged into the
flush upon her face, and her red lips
were parted, showing the white even
teeth within.
claws mercy" said the widow
with kindly curiosity, "there amt no
body hurt, | hope?'
"Only in the wagon Wheel said Mr..
Morton.
"And you want to git to town? Well,
now, reckon Joe Comstock must be
up and about yet If Joe's up, he'll
take you down to the railroad. He
can't be done his chores YETI
81 hope he'll bungle long enough
about his chores to be up when get
there" said Mr.. Norton
He had not taken his eyes from the
sleeping beauty, and was surprised
to see her lift her head from her
arm and open wide her eyes upon
him, while the flush deepened in her
face, and even stole down upon her
throat and the white bit other neck that
was visible.
"Joe never bunglcs about anything, "
she said.
us he friend Of yours?" said Mr..
Morton, modulating his voice to Won
derfully gentle tone.
"Never mind what he is" replied
Kitty, hotly; "but he's no bungler-of
that you May be sure.'
Here she slipped away and vanished
upa dark little staircase, and suddenly
all the charm went out of the picture.
chat central figure taken away"
said Mr.. Morton to himself, as he pick
ed his way to the Comstock farm, "of
course the whole effect is marred; but
it was fine interior-very fine"
That central figure followed Mr.
Morton to the farm, and all the way
down to the railroad. He found Joe
Comstock up and ready to accommodate
him, and had to concede with Kitty
that Joe was no bupgler; there was
quick capacity about the sturdy hands
that handled the reins, and a natural
grace and igor in allhis movements
the little that he said was terse and to
the point, but Mr.. Morton found him
taciturn and reserved after the first
mile Or two. He had ventured to
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