Indian chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1882-1902, 1882-11-17
A STRANGER AT THE BOARD.


1t showed the night before Thanks
giving that year. Through the evening
there was half-defined mist In the
gray ar that seemed like tho all l-per-
vading chillincss taking form, and
everybody who was going away, or
who was to have company (and that
took in nearly all of New England),
went to bed with dim foreboding OF
disappointment on the morrow.
There Is four inches OF snow, at
least" said Farmer Draper on Thanks
giving morning, as be anne In from the
big barn, stamping his feet vigorously
upon the stone floor of the back porch.
-Four inches, at least, and that ism Z
D. the worst of II. 1t is covered with q
crust as thin and sharp, almost, as win
dow glass. declare here is a hole in
one of my rubber boots ready" 80
II don't know what. to do about
cooking the turkey" said Mother
Draper, setting large platter of steam
ing stewed chicken upon the breakfast.
table. "I don't see how Aunt Gather
Inc and the girls are TO get down here
10 day; or Frank and his wife, or the
boys, either. for that matter"
1T is bad morning for horses to
travel to be sure said William, COM,
ing in from the barn just then, "but
Thanksgiving is never postponed on ac-
count of the weather. SO / will tell YOU |
what ! propose to do; l VIII tackle IN !
the steers all four yoke. and hitch I
them. to the long wood sled and 90 for
the company. It will be great fun, be- |
sides showing my good disposition by
breaking track for my aeighbors,
fHnn rs tvn N as 10 H.. - \
to; we will start right away after break
fast" lI7u
1T viii be, pretty cold" said her
''And that amt the worst of it, nut |
in her father. Il expect she will be
needed he about the chicken fxens'w
" Mother will get along until Aunt
Catherine gets here; she is a whole /,
team and horse to let So nut ON
your waterproof, old maid, and come
down and help me ia kle. You need
not be afra d of your beau getting here
before you return. for certainly, II he
has to walk, he can't make great head
way this morning."
Jennie, bright, handsome, trim
little body. being the Oldest of the
Draper children, was Always teasingly
called ''the old maid'' by nor four
brothers. who delighted in Joking her
about an expected lover who never
came. r''Jennie's beau was a sort of
mythical scape-goat in the family TO
whom all imag nable, absurd blunders
and mishaps were attributed.
So now she made some laughing re-
sponse, and when her brother marshaled
his team, consisting of alternate yokes
of red and white steers, two yokes of
each, she took her place upon bundle
Of straw in the center of the buoc sled
There, sis. said William, taking his
seat upon the neap of the sled and
brandisfiing his long whip. s.you LOOK
Ike the genius of Thanksgiving going
round on tour of inspection among
the brick ovens. and your team Is &c
most as fanciiul as the reindeers of St /
Nicholas
IT grew more and more fauciful
momentarily. for it soon began 10 rain.
and rs the fine pelting drops froxe as {,
they fell. the whole turnout was trans \
formed into an exhibition of ice newly
frozen for the occasion from the Arctic 1
region. After having been round the l
square and picked up all the Drawer ,
blood in the township they retraced
--->-- -e>if@s ctofff1& - Hc14t{ 0fcfy
house for . merry interchange Of greet I
ings. "Jnst to break the gloom that the
storm had cast over every thing"
William said But at every house il was I
n0(icesbIe tlhat be threw out . lev suc-
gesfive words to the boys that set them | ,
thinking there was no fun quite 50 de-
sirable for Thanksgiving day as breaking ,
steers
The merrimest Of the morninR was
kept up through the day by the Young
people, while Mother Draper and Aunt ,
catherine moved mysteriously about
and compared notes over dripping |
pans. sauce-pans and pipkins in the
kitchen
Dinner was to be esrls.. 50 that the /
two Draper boss who were empIoyed /
upon the railroad that cut IN twain the !
b.oad acres of their ia hers farm could I
be back at the station at train time in
the afternoon