Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1885-11-27

vainly her life was given to her art she
said. In her secret soul she knew that
her love was given beyond recall. Ross
might prove faithless, wound her with
cruel words or the keener pain of utter
forgetfulness, but she could not change.
There had been many brief visits to the
old home, the sunnieSt spots in these busy
years, and now as the Thanksgiving time
drew near she was promising herself Il
generous vacation, II fortnight of rest and
peace beneath her fathers roof. A letter
from Aunt Sabrina, which came the week
before her departure, added fervor to
her resolve.
"Dear Niece Kitty" it ran, 81 spose
don't write very promptly, as you say but
what with the baking and churning and
| looking after Frederiky-that Danish
lady as she calls herself, will be the
death of me yet with her airs and her mo-
| tions, putting onion in the pudding and
/ cinnamon in the potatoes when my back
is turned. She's got to go and, oh, Lord
! she's the seventh since Christmas. AS |
was saying, | have SO much to see to |
don't lind time to write I'm glad you're
coming home to Thanksgiving. Your
| fathers kind of poorly, and somehow
nothing suits him. He wanders around,
/ pi'lIg up your books and notions
/ from he tables and holding them us if
/ they were Il part of you and he sits look
ing at your picture for hours and never
speaking IL word. Music is all well
Is at home, Kitty Payne | never did
think much of u girls meandering off
| through the world in strange ways The
place by the kitchen fire is the woman's
place, and She doesn't find anything better
with all her seeking after grand things.
You'd never know the white calf. It's
grown tremendously, and Daisys colt is II
wonder to the whole neighbOrhoOd. I've
dried piles of crabapples and pumpkins,
ana we've got the fattc~t gubbler for
/ Thanksgiving you ever saw. | do hope
You'll he home in time to make the dough-
nuts and pumpkin pies. wont turn my
hand over to anybody making pies, but
your fathers got so nOtiOnal. Nothing
/ tastes as il used to when Kitty did the
| cooking. For my part I'd be- clad enough
| to let you do the whole OF it il you'd only
come.
"Your atIactionate aunt.
"SABRINA PAYNE
The sweet, safe corner Of the house
| hold fire behind Ire heads of children. '
quoted Kitty with moist ltshos. II don't
suppose Aunt sitb'na dreams that she is
almost poet, but will 90 home' Then
She turned the sheet AND "'gd this post
script:
- most forgot to tell you that Lou
Chamberlain is back here visiting. They
say the Chambcrlains have done remark
ably well since they moved to Dakota.
Ross is practiclnG in Yankton, and is look
]
| Territory. That sullivan girl was mar
ried last month to a Denver banker, so it
seems Ross didn't want her afte" all
Maybe | was il little hard on him, Kitty,
but meant it all for your good. Lou
says he's grown to be the quietest, sol
far enough from thinking that Ross Cham
/ berlain made the world, whatever his
opinion was four years ago
Don't forget the gray flannel for your
fathers shirts, and if you can find a box
of Sykes Resistlcss Liniment wish you d
bring it. They say it., extra for rheumu-
tiSm."
Four days later in the great farmhouse
kitchen Kitty stood at the long table max
ing pies. Aunt Sabrna stalked majesti-
cally back and forth. arranging and rear
ranging the piles of cups and plates IN
for Aunt Sabrina, but she welded her
weapons with a brave, undaunted heart,
and this morning the ghost of smile
played around the thin lips and faded
eyes. sunshine and cheer had come with
kitty's presence, and the feeble father in
his easy chair almost forgot his ailments
as he Toasted his eyes upon her bright, in
spring face.
a knock at the door and without mo-
ment's warning Ross Chamberlain
stood III their midst. He had grown thin
ner and paer than OF old there were
sadness III his dark eyes.
Il have just come from my father ),
Kitty he began, breathlessIy, where
yesterday came upon this letter written
you four years since, which through some
unfortunate accident never reached its
destinations | thought you scurned to an
swer me and have lived Il lonely, unhappy
life, and yOu-Oh Kitty, what have you
thought of me all these years ? Can not
that sad mistake be rectitied ? Have you
grown 50 far away from me that all my
love cannot bring you back :" and scan,
dalized Aunt Sabrlua with Il hysterical
ejaculation sped out of the room as Ross
emOUldened by the tears in the blue eyes
lifted to his took the aproncd, tlour-bc
sprinkled little figure into his arms.
Maybe it's just as WE'LL said Aunt
SaOrlna meditatively, as she piled up the
pans on the broad shelf of the back porch.
at amt every woman that's called to
single blessedness and Kitty always was
Il soft-hcarted little thing. Now that Ton
and Joe are going to get married we shou!C
have to break up anyway It's time fol
this family to swarm, and it's just as wei
for Kitty to be the queen bee and take th'
lead And just to think how it's com,
about Laws, it's most like II novel. May
be the folks that make books don't Ii,
about more than half of it after all
What If Sy Preutiss should come bacl
after all these years ?" She flung hel
apron over he head and with IA half sigh
went ont to the barn i'll search of eggs Tor
/ her fruit cake.
-