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

when the words reached him. He
turned abruptly and faced Miss Debby,
. curious look on his grim face.
lyon are pleased to be sarcastic"
he said, and without another word re.
sumed his walk.
"Just like him." murmured Mss
Debby, as she went back into the
house. HE always was Just 80 queer.
suppose he didn't want to be
thanked"
The Squire had long kept an &C.
count at Mr.. Payson's grocery store,
which he settled every three months.
One morning. the last dav of January,
he came into the room where his wife
sat, in spasm of rage.
''What do YOU mean by telling me to
order things. and then ordering them
yourself??'' he asked. angrilv. ~ won't
supply this house from two stores!
Here Payson has charged me for over
twenty dollars worth Of groceries for
Thanksgivin y.''
"Weil," said Mrs. Allen, very quiet
". THAT is all right, but as they did
not come, l concluded you were disn-
clined to entertain my relatives on
Thanksgiving; SO [ said nothing about
it. but sent to Payson's and ordered
what wanted myself"
but Ibid order them, and not only
that, but paid for them, too!' cried
the 'Sqnire. II bought them at Dugby's
new store. for it was more convenient
for me. [ was busy that day. and
hadn't the time to goover to Payson's."
"Weil, Dugby never sent them" re-
piled Mrs. Allen. You'd better see
him about it.
II shall" said the Squire, and that
very morning he went into Harcote to
attend to the matter. ...
The grocer at first insisted that the
goods had been properly delivered; but
when he came to cross-que sti0n his cr-
rand-boy, he found out the mistake that
had been made, and that the parcels had
been left at Miss Keziah Aliens cot
tage, instead of Mrs. Kane Aliens
mansion.
Its your mistake" said the Squire
to Mr.. Dugby, land, of course, your
loss. Hand me over m, eighteen dol
lars and iifty-seven cents"
The grocer demurred. but the Squire
was firm. and finally de parted with the
replaced money IN his fat wallet.
He was hardly out Of sight before
Mr.. Dugby went to the Gotta se and told
Miss Keziah and Miss Debby the whole
story.
~ am q poor man aud just starting
in business" he said in conclusion.
II can't afford to lose such a sum-"
"And you shall not lose it, said
Miss kez all, who felt as if an icy hand
was grasping her heart. 1--WE are hon.
est. thou yh We are poor, anl you shall
have the money just as soon as we can
80. Keziah'' walled Miss Debby
when the man had gone. "How are we
erer to save that mueh?''
1--WE must save it," answered Miss
Keziah, firmly. "Where there's will
there's always way We must econ
omize and work harder, too.
II can do without my tea" said Miss
Debby. signing. Her tea was almost a
necessity to her.
''And we must give up butter, milk
and meat said Miss Keziah 1--WE
can learn to do without thSln, and sell
denial is good for every body once in a
viii e.
She spoke cheerfully and tried to
rake the best of things; but when Deb
by had gone out of the room she put
her he id down on the table and cried.
Did they not make a hundred sacrifices
every week OF their lives, already? Had
they not Systematically practiced self
denial for years and years? 1t was
hard, indeed, to see where they could
do more.
They spoke of their troubles to no
one, but went to work bravely to make
up the money they owed. Penny by
penny they saved, and oh. how greatly
they rejoicei when the last of April
they were able to clear themselves of
the terrible debt which had hung over
them ike pail.
But they were weak and worn with
the struggle. They were old, and not
able to make sacrifices a. we'll as
Younger people might have done. Miss
Debby's health had suffered greatly
under the unaccustomed strain, and
the day after the money was paid she
Vu N"o y III Vic xIOuG Sdlucu
When she regained consciousness,
her cousin Kane was bending over her,
and she heard him ask Keziah what had
made her i'll. But keziah did not an.
swer. She was proud, and would not
speak OF their troubles.
s luire Allen did not ask the question
! second time. He babe his cousins
good by and walked off up the road to-
ward his home. But he had gone only
= little way wnen the sound If some one
behind him made him stop and
urn around. 10 his surprise he saw
the girl who had so long done the wash
ing at the cottage. She had been in
he garden when Miss Debbv had
tainted and had heard the question he
had put to Miss Keziah. which had re-
NAMED unanswered.
She was an honest, warm hearted
creature. much attached to the two old
lad es, aud now she told the Squire the
whole story of the sacrifices they had
made, and the selt-denial they had
practiced, and the hardships they had
undergone ever since Mr.. Dugby's visit
IN January. And she told it with
simple elOquence which moved the
SIuire's heart as it had seldom been
moved before.
He said nothing when she had fin
shed, but she saw by his face that he
vas deeply moved, and she left him,
that the two dear old ladies'
lad seen their darkest days.
And she was right; for week later
Miss keziah was startled and surprised
~ visit from the 'Squire's lawyer,
who had come to convey to her the
delightful news that there was no fu-
;urc need for her or her sister to labor.
|or their Cousin Kane had settled upon
hem an income Of fifteen hundred dol
ars q year.
It seemed a large fortune to Miss
Oebbv and Miss Keziah, who had
Known poverty and toll so long. and
hey could hardly believe at first that
t was true. And they never knew what
t was that had softened their cousins
heart toward them. They never i'm.
sgined that he had learned how hard
hey had struggled to pay for that
Thanksgiving dinner, which had made