The Warner weekly sun. (Warner, Brown Co., Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1885, 1883-12-01

happened, /" said the GREATNESS Biddy,
| crossing herself as she came up 10 the
| wrecked wagon. lis any one hnrted2"
as Dear called her to help.
"I'm afraid-Pm afraid there's some
one under the planKs.n gasped Dear,
trying f~ngffe-thaIds to lit the tioadi.
"Here CURL, that's no way to warruk,
TAX the top first. Mike, We lazy
sowl, get along wild yer lanthern!' and
her voice went down the hillside like the
| blast OF d trumpet, starting even the
| slow Mike into q rGn.
aThere, hou!d that" said she, hand
ing the lantern to Dear, and with Bid
| dy's stout arms at one end and Mikes
at the other, the planks were flung over
into the road. Dear held her breath,
and before the planks were all off they
could see that a man lay there stretched
in the bed of the gutter. The planks
were over him like a roof, or the cover
of a box, and, when the last enc y7as
off. Dear saw her fathers face, still
and white, bat she could not utter a
sound.
"Howly Mother, help us" calculated
| Biddy. Take his feet, Mike, ard help
| get him out of the wather. He'll be
drowned intirely if he's no kit already"
For as ne lay damming up the narrow
| channel. the choked water had risen
and spread around him In an exercising
pool.
AS they took him up and laid him
down in the road, the molten seemed to
rouse him to life, for Biddy, STOPPING
over him with the lantern, saw his eyes
suddenly open. He looked about him
in a bewildered way, and then clutched
at the reins that were still in his hands,
shouting: whoa, Fe:, whoal" Then
he slowly raised himself on his elbow,
and seeing the planks scattered
about him muttered: why! she's got
away
care We much hurried, SURF" asked
Biddy, concernedly, taking his arm as if
she would help him to his feet
II don't know, Pm coid," said he
slowly.
"An' well We might be lynn in al that
wather,n and she told them how they
found him lying in the gutter, with the
planks v him, but not on him, and
the water around him.
SIS that v III, Dear? and has the horse
gone heme?" asked he after q moment,
seeing the little. shaking figure beside
him.
"Yes, papa" and all at once the con-
vuls We sobs leaped beyond her control.
and she fell on her knees, quite unable
to say or do anything but sob.
The sight and the sound Of her sobs
did more than anything else to restore
her father to himself. With Biddy's
help he slowly rose from the ground,
and, after standing q moment, he said,
steadily: II believe ] am all right, only
cold and a little confused. The fall must
have stunned me, but for your help, my
good woman, should have been q dead
man soon.a
"It was yer little girl tpuld us. We
shouldn't have known"
He held his hand to Dear, and she
caught it and heidi it under her chin still
unable to speak.
"Doye think We could, walk SURF Ye'ge
no right to be standin' here wild yer wet
clothes"
Thus 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 obtained
full possession of himself, and he babe
Biddy goodnight, telling her he would
see her on the morrow.
Nov, Dear" said he, H'run home and
tell your mother quietly, that the wagon
broke do n, hut that / am all right and
will be in directly"
1t was not until near noon the next
day, when Dear broke into an irrepres-
sible fit of sobbing, that her mother
knew how near dea.n had been to them
that night. She turned very white and
after a moments said: Children, we have
great reason 10 be thankful to-day"
A little later Harvey Gates came in.
He had been down with Luke to get the
planks out of the road and to see Biddy
Mccoy. He told a pitiful story of the
proyerty in the little shanty. There
will be no THANKSGIVING supper there
to-day" he said. Mrs. Gates WINGED a
little. She was q thrifty woman, and it
was not easy for her to understand the
blessedness of giving. And such a ba.
by, such a little Eoite of 8 babyl' con-
tinued Harvey Gates, as if speaking TO
himself.
"a baby?" repeated Mrs. Gates, paus-
ing on her way to the oven; "did you say
Biddy had a babv?"
Yes, and the poor little things 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"
Harvay Gates glanced at his wife.
After a moments hesitation she said.
Eyes, they can come, | suppose. If
there amt more'n forty or fifty OF 'em;"
and she opened the oven door, and
basted the turkey with energy. "Har-
vey," she called, as she heard him go
ing toward the door, ''tell Biddy to
bring the baby; aud here, you take that
thick shawl in the entry to wrap 1t up
warm"
And so the McCoys had the grandest
Thanksgiving supper of their lives; and
no more thankful company gathered In
New England ia It day. the Gates fam
ilv feeling very tender owe their es-
cape from a great Gala nifty .-Josephlne
r. Baker. In 3. 8. Times
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