The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1881-11-17

POOK kELA CIOXS.
Thanh~sivi"g story.
"Oh. keziah, how l 10 wish we could
have ,hem:''
80 do I, Dcbby; but as wishing
won do any good. we might as we'll Lol
think about It at ALL" anu Miss keziah
bent closer over her sewing. that hel
sister might not see the tears gatheriny
in her e,es. - o. : -.. -
They enjoyed it go much last year, -
said Miss Debby. plaintiveiy. lit d d
my heart good to see those dear chill.
dren eat, and thought then that if we
We're spared they should come again
this Thanksgiving. know they won't
have so much as IA cranberry at home"
and Miss Debby sighed; Tor she had a
kind. warm heart. and was very fond
Vt those poor relations of hers in
Lynchield.
"lf another bad debt should be paid
up just in time for Than sgiving how
we should rejoice"' said Miss Keziah,
in a bright, energetic tone. lit
wouldn't take us long to get up big
dinner. DO YOU remember. Debby,
how surprised we We're last year when
that letter came, and the ten-dollar bill
fell out in my lap? l never had thought
johnson would pay me. l remember
how l reprOached myself for the injus.
tice I'd done him the i've years he had
been owing me-
II remember" cried Miss Debby,
land how we flew round to get ready.
We had to do ever. thing in day. And
l wrote right OFT for Lavina and the
Oh ldren before you'd fairly finished
reading what johnson had to say to en-
cuse himself! Oh. keziah, If only
Cousin Kane would think to help us to
dinner This year; he's so rich,
and
But he won't think" interrupted
Miss Keziah. "No. Debby, don base
any hopes on Cousin Kane. We can't
have Lavina thisycar and we might as
well make our m nds up to it.
loor old ladies'! they had SO few
Joys! There lives were so narrow, so
dull, SO filled with the monotonv of un-
rem tt Nc labor. 1t wa, Lard that on
Thanksgiving day they could not al
ford to have with them the niece they
loved so we'll; and the children whose
young voices were as music to the r
ears.
Miss Debtv and Miss Keziah Allen
lived together in small cottage,
which. with the few acres of land sur
rounding it. constituted their worldly
possessions. Their father had lett
them an estate OF considerable value;
but neither sister had any idea of bust
ness. and both were inpulsive. warm
hearted, and generous. So the pro-
perry had dwind ed away almost with
ont the r knowledge. They had sold acre
after acre of land at ridiculousIy small
prices. and had been cheated to a con-
siderable extent by their agent, and
thei esore it surprised no one but them
selves that they were reduced at last 10
tie small cottage in the suburbs of the
town which had been rented to a man
who had formerly been Mr.. Allen 8
coachman.
The sisters did not complain. and
they blamed no one but themselves for
the sad pass to which things had come.
They lett the small hotel where thew
had cen boarding, and went to keep
ing house i'll the cottage. where they
could exercise the most pin chiny
economy without people being much
the wiser. NJ So Debby knit stockings,
and made crocheted edging for the
fancy stores, while Mss Ke7iah, who
was five years Younger. took in plain
sewing. They had stout. smart girl
come every Monday to do the washing,
but the rest Of the work they did them
selves. and they kept the cottage as
neat as wax.
They were happy. contented old la
dies. in spite of their poverty and hard
work. their only great regret being
that they could do nothing to help their
niece, that beloved Lavina, who lived
in Ly nchtield, ten miles away, and had
been blessed with eleven children.
Kane Allen knew just how poor his
cousins were, and how hard it was for
them to make both ends meet, but he
never offered to help them. He said
they deserved to suffer for having had
so little idea OF business or regard for
their own interests as to let the property
their father had lett DRIFT away from
them, and they Bcould not reasonably
expect or ask aid from him. He was q
sour. closet man. who had COM
mitted the folly of marrying late in life
. woman many years younger than
himself, who was fond of life and
gaiety. and spent his money whether he
! ked it or not, aud kept his house full
OF company both summer and winter.
regardless of her husbands repeated
assurances that he was '.being eaten
out of house and home"
Miss Dehby's mind was 80 full Of her
disappo. ntment in not being able to
have Lavina and the children al the
cottage on Thanksgiving Dav, that she
could not give much thought to her
knitting. and presently she laid it
down in her Lap and looked musingly
out of the window by which sue was
sitting.
Suddenly she started to her feet, let
ting her WORK fall to the floor unheed-
ed; Tor she had caught sight of the tall,
angular figure of her cousin Kane. He
was coming down the hard road with
long, swinging strides; for though he
owned several carriages and over q
dozen horses he generally preferred
walking into town, his home BEING onlv
q mile from Harcote. and vigorous excr-
else having been recommended for him
by his doctor.
A sudden inspiration flashed into
miss Debbv's mind rs she saw her
cousin. She left the room. threw her
shawl over her head and shoulders. and
~ thout giving herself time TO cons der
whether keziah ought to be consulted
Or nots-ran out into the frosty Novem-
ber air snd stood waiting ct the little
KasIea :.s:e until Squire Allen should
COME "& As he paused & ais walk ON