The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1883-12-14
POT LUCK.
A Thanksgiving story Dealing With
an Odd Train of Circumstances.

an Odd Train OF circumstances.
When Ortelia opened her eyes in the
morning she could look straight through
the side of the house at the blue sky
and the tops of the waving pines. II
wasn't a red brick house with a layer OF
smooth white motar between every
brick; nor was it q painted wooden
house with green blinds; neither did il
have a cupola on top, or a conservatory
at one end, or a piazzain front. Ortelia's
father and a few OF the neighbors built
the house, and as there were no archi-
tects among them they simply rolled
the logs on top of "a other and
didn't take time TO fill in the spaces be-
tween. But the sun and the moon
came creeping through the chinks that
the builders had left and Ortelia was
more than satisfied.
One Thanksgiving morning Ortelia
took Maggie out in the woods and to-
gether they trampled the few dead
leaves that had fallen. Ortelia didn't
know it was Thanksgiving Day. She
knew when Christmas came, although
no one had ever made her the smallest
present.
20, here's a heap O. dock" said Or
telia, getting down on her knees and
digging Il the roots with both fat brown
hands. "lNe'l take some home t, gran
ny. She'll maze a I'VE O. tea OF it.
Mebbe it will cure her rheumatic. 0,
look" she cried, suddenly; "Ive found
SIy0fp a tVNr ~ ~ 1N~S ,rsl> oil Ill ~.r~~
it."
Put it in my pockey," lisped chubby
Maggie.
Come yere, quick" exclaimed Orte-
liza, who had begun to dig again for dock
root, and before Maggie's uncertain
steps could reach her she had drawn
from the sand, where it lay half buried,
d small iron pot, covered with a thick
coat of rust.
Take home to Granny" said Maggie,
as she quickly threw the bright ber-
ries she gathered into the pot and tried
to drag it along by the handle,
Its a heap too heavy fur you," said
Ortelia. "Reckon you'll have to let me
carry it. You kin carry the berries and
We'll fill the pot full o'dock root"
Granny was sitting in the doorway
when Ortelia and Maggie came in sight
Of the house.
"What VI chillen got?" she asked
"Pears though you done a heap O.
walkin'. What's that your f-tchin' me?
Wherever did you git the pot?"
cit was IN the sand behind a heap O.
bushes" said OrteIia. Pm goin' to git
some ashes and see if I can't couri it up"
In half an hour the old kettle looked
as black as ink One more, and Ortelia's
arms ached hard with rubbing. "Put in
the dock root, Granny" she said,
"Meobe it will 90 your Rheumatic a
power O. good."
So Granny set the pan on the fire and
Dor the dock was simmering gently.
the dock. The pretty berries she had
gathered lay on the floor. and she picked
them up and dropped them one by one
in the pot. Her mother was out.in the
field husking corn. Granny was fast
asleep in her s%plintbottom clair, and
Ortelia sat on the doorstep trying to get
the baby asleep.
81 don't feel right we'll" said GRANNY,
after their THANKSGIVING dinner of pork
and corn-bread, "reckon I'll have a sip
o'the dock"
But she didn't feel any better when
supper-time came, although she had
taken several sips ofthe dock, and Or
telia's mother grew ANXIOUS.
ado you think you could git over to
the minister's?" she said to Ortelia.
Now the minister lived a long mile
away, and the path lay straight through
the woods.
1t was scarcely dark when Ortelia
came to the minister's long frame house
but the minister himself had gone to
the shore, a mile further on, SO there
was nothing for her to do but to h ,rry
back home again as fast as she could.
1t grew darker and darker. Sudden
lay in the path, and fell fiat on her face.
"Who is it," asked a mans faint
voice. .
"Mc," answered Ortelia, almost too
frightened to speak.
Il think l must have fainted," said
the man. did you stumble over me a
minute ago? l thought l felt some
thing"
II reckoned, you was a bear" said
Ortelia.
"Well, I'm as hungry as one, but 1
won't eat you up. | haven't had any
Thanksgiving dinner yet. I've hurt my
foot and Pm afraid | can't walk. Do
you live far from here?"
NO. said Ortelia. mot very fur.
Kin you cIawl"'
"Not very far, Pm afraid. Has your
father got a cart of any kind?"
"No," said Ortelia, Gathers dead and
we never had no cart But the minister;
he's got a mule" she added. "Mebbe
10 better 80. back an git him."
"Is it far?" again.
"Yes,,' said Ortelia, elisa right smart
ways IN the dark, but I'll 90 fur you
and started back through the woods.
The old colored woman who Kept
house for the minister lot Ortelia unite
the mule and lead him Of up the road.
"HuiloH called out the man when he
heard the patter of the mules hoofs, at
didn't take you long. was Afraid you
might lose your way"
When Ortelia's mother saw them com.
ing she came to the door, with tho baby
6sleep,in her arms.
"Ive sprained my foot, ma'a,n," ex-
planned the stranger, land yous daugh.
ter here thought perhaps you could
keep me over night I'll take pot luck
Anything will do. I'm too hragry to Ia
PARTICULAR
When he was seated by thu fire, with
his ankle hound Mp in calico, he looked
u olu wv olOUu pc'
side the hearth.
What a quaint old kett,ew he said.
81 found 1t In the sand sais morElng,'
explained Ortslia.
Its dock tsa in it,~ said GRANNY
cts good fur.a heap O things. Pears
though itlikea to killed me this time"
The visito. stopped and picked I'D two
or three OF the berries little Maggie had
dropped.
"Map sie brought home a lot O. them
oerries said Ortelia;''mebbe she threw
sont o them in the pot"
"dere, Orteiid," said her new friend,
20 and empty the kettle and then
bring it to me. l want to look at If
Now. Granny" he continued, "come
here and let me feel your pulse
know a great deal about sickness; III
have you all right in less than NJ, t;,,a u