Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1881-11-18


ner with 'em. don't know as I'll he well
come, but they can't do more than shut the
door in my face. l believe I'll try it any
how. James and l are the only ones left,
and don't think it is right we should live
longer in this way. According to all accounts,
Sarah's been good wife to him"
And so that night Miss Finch started of for
a visit to her brothers.
James Finch looked forward to Thanksgiv-
ing day with no great pleasure.
Capt. Abel Jones had returned from voy-
age to the Indies, and, as was his custom, re-
paired Immediately to the home of his cousin
Sarah, there to remain until such time as his
ship should be ready to start once more.
And you hear nothing at all from Jen-
ny2"
To him Jane Finch, spinster, aged forty
one was not the grim, formidable being she
seemed to every one else.
He had not seen her since her girlhood,
and his memories of her were all of that hap
py time.
No." said James Finch, sadly, 1--WE hear of
her, but nothing from her She still lives
alone, and refuses to hold communication with
any Of u.s."
Capt Jones looked around the poorly fur
nished little room, and sighed.
''She has changed greatly" he said, ''if she
can enjoy her wealth, while you are strug
Cling on in this style. 1 do not understand it.
But there's no use in talking it over. Years
ago we decided that it was incomprehensible.
Come, tomorrow is Thanksgiving, and we
must bestir ourselves to give it a hearty re-
ception."
The husband and wife well knew what that
meant.
Capt Jones proposed to provide the
Thanksgiving dinner. Jas Finch, with all
his poverty, was proud man.
II can't take it, f." said he, resolutely. "If
was in need, Jones, I'd come to you but 1
can get along very well withouttha and SO,
until I'm able to provide myself with one, 1
wont have any"
What the captain would have said must
forever remain mystery, as, just at that mo-
ment, the disputed dinner, in the shape of
Miss James donation, drove up to the door.
1t was in vain that Mr.. Finch asserted that
the load was not for him. His name and ad-
dress on the card were correct, and the ex-
press man refused TO be convinced.
Then the captain was. charged as the send
er, but his surprise was SO evidently genuine,
that the veriest skeptc in the universe could
not but have believed his denial
But that mystery Mrs. Sarah was a utili-
tartan. She did not waste her energies in try
ing 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 day
But, after all, it was small wonder, for she
impressed everybody-from the big, good ma
tured 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 2" said she, not
aOr1iallv II ha aOpfaccad ol
though prepared to extend the right hand of
fellowship to James and the little ones, she
could not, even now, look upon her sister-in-
law except as a traitor, whom she would be
obliged to make the best Of
"Oh, Jane !" and Mrs. Sarah, with one
rush, left her cranberries to take care of them
selves and gave her husbands sister heartier
welcome than she deserved by good sight.
Miss Jane didn't return her kiss, but she
suffered it and though she did mutter
Judas :" under her breath, 1 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 hustled
about in a whirl of delight "Oh, wont
James be glad. Dear, dear He ought to be
here this minute And to think it's Thanks
giving Day, and we've got SO much to be
thankful for 20
And then her thoughts went back to their
unknown friend of the day before, and like
flash the truth came to her. "Oh, Jane"
she went on with gasp, II see now, it was
you who sent us the things. Oh, dear, how
can we ever thank you" 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 bad Just opened her mouth to say some
thing in explanation of her sudden entrance,
when the door opened, and in walked Capt
Abel
"Got anything for me to do, Sally ?" he
asked, with laugh aud then the great
whiskered man stopped short, perceiving the
stranger who sat just in front of the fire.
Miss Jane had been a 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 hard look, which was the
natural result of her hard life, she would
have been 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-Miss Jane
Finch!''
Capt. Abel came forward, and extended his
hand but it was an awkward meeting. They
had not seen each other since the breaking
off of their engagement-over a score of
years beforehand both of them were uncom-
fortably conscious of the fact. But Captain
Abel drew up chair to the stove, and tried
to talk as if they had forgotten all about it !;
they discussed the weather, the crops, and
everything else they cared nothing about un-
til Mrs. Sarah, who was all in a whirl with
the surprise ofMiss James visit, and who could
not keep still-try as she would-broke into
the conversation with;
''Oh, Abel, do you remember the last day
we saw Jane, dear? What a mess was in
was engaged to Jim, and nobody knew it /;
and mother was bound you and 1 should
make match of it. never shall forget the
afternoon we decided to tell her about it,
Goodness, how cried, on your shoulder, too,
Abe-and how you tried to convince me that
poor ma didn't care much about you, and had
just as lieve I'd take somebody else, if you
only explained it to her properly-aud you
were right, tool"
And the little woman, quite overcome by
these "reminiscences, opened the oven door,
and commenced an energetic basting of the
turkey contained therein.
Poor Miss Jane was too much astonished
by this revelation to be prudent.
"And wasn't you in love with Sarah ?" she
asked breathlessly, of the captain.
'In love with Sarah !" he repeated. "Why,
1 was engaged to you"
~ know It'll she said. "But thought
you"
Thought what ?" and the captain drew
his chair eagerly toward her. "Was that the
reason you acted SO toward me"
If silence gives consent, Miss Jane confess
ed that it was and no went on;
"Well. now that you know it wasn't SO,
what are you going to do about it?" And
Captain Abel hitched his chair closer still.
Miss Jane didn't pretend not to understand.
"We're too old !" she murmured.
But week after, she was Mrs, Abel Jones
so it is to be supposed that Captain Abel
vetoed the motion.