The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1882-11-30

suddenly open. He locke about him
IN q bewildered way, and then clutched
mt the reins that were still in his hands,
shouting: "WhOa, Fan. whoa!" Then
he slowly raised himself ON his elbow,
and seeing the planks scattered about
him muttcrcd: "Why! she's got away"
" Are ye much hurted. surP" asked
Biddy. concernedly. taking his arm as
II she would help him to his feet.
~ don'G know, I'm cold" said he,
slowly.
AN well ye might be. lyin' In all
that wather," and she told him how
they had found HIN lying in the gutter.
with the planks Ger him. but not on
him. and the water around him
Is that you, Dearp and has the horse
gone homeP' asked he after a momcnt
seeing the little. shak ng figure beside
him.
"ies. papa" and all at once the
convulslVc sobs leRped beyond her con-
troll, and she fell on her knees. quite
unable TO say or do anything but sob.
Tho SIGHT and the sound Of her sobs
did more than anything else to restore
her father to himsolf. With Biddy's
! help he slowly rose from the ground.
and, after standing moment, he said.
steadily: 81 believe am all right, only
cold and little confused. The fall
must have stunned Iue, and but for your
help, my good woman, / should have
been dead man soon.
"It was yer little gurl tould u.s. We
shouldn't have known"
lie held his hand to Dear, and she
caught it and he'd it under her chin,
still unable to speak.
do ye think ye could walk, sure
Ie'vc no right to be standin' hero wild
Yer wet clothes"
Ihus admonished they began TO move
Biddy and Mike and the "lanthern''
went with them to the top of the hill
By that time Harvey Gates had obta ned
full possession o! himself, and he bade
B!ddy good night, telling her he would
see her on the morrow.
Now, Dear said he, 'run home
and tell your mother. quietly, TINT the
wagon broke down, but that l am all
right, and will be in directly"
1t was not until near noon the next
day, when Dear broke into an irrerrcss.
ible fit of sobbing, that her mother knew
how near death had been to them that
night. She turned very white, and after
a moment said: "Children, we have
great reason to be thankful today"
"A little later Harvey Gates came in.
He had been down with Luke to got
the plankS out Of the rond and to soc
Biddy Mccoy. He told pitiful story
of the poverty in the little shantv.
"There will be no Thanksgiving supp
there to-day" he SAID. Mrs Gates
I Wincod little. She was q thrifty
woman, and it was not easy for her to
: understand the blessedness of giving.
"Anu such baby such n little mito re
baby" continued Harvey Gates, as if
speak ng to himself.
a baby?' repeated Mrs. Gates,
phusing on her way 10 the oven; did
you say Biddy had a bnby?'
"Yes, and the poor little thing looks
half starved"
"Mamma,' said Dear, eagerly,
"why can't we have them all up here
to Thanksgiving supper? We've got
enough for them"
Harvey Gates glanced Mt his wife.
After a moments hesitation she sad.
EYES. they can come, / suppose, ii
there amt more n forty or fifty of 'em'
and she opened the oven door and
bastrd the turkey with energy "IInr-
vcy.' she called, Us she heard him
going toward tho door, "toil r ddy to
br NJ the baby; and here. you take that
thick shawl in the entry to wrap it up
warm"
And so tho McCoy's had the grnnd"st
Thanksgiving supper Of their lives;
and no more thankful company gat athercd
in New England that day, the Gates
family feeling very tender o,cr their
escape from Il great calamity. ty.--JoSephine
Z. BAKER. IN 5. :. Times.