The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1886-11-25
TWO THANkSGlVlNGS.
Why Kitty Sent Her Lover Away And
What Came of II.

and eight are sixteen" counted KITTY
abs,raotedly, as she set the hot pies On
the pantry shelf,
a low, sarcastic laugh came from the
depths of the great armchair where
Ross Chamberlain was lounging witha
newspaper in his hand
Wont you send me copy of your
new arithmetic when you publish it,
kitty?' he asked in q bantering tone.
THAT will do to go with the spec
troscopic views you told about last
evening"
"Well, | wasn't the only one who
spoke Of DR., Holmes as the author of
the Bigelow papers, anyway" retorted
Kitty, tainted beyond endurance.
"Ross Chamberlain, for one shall be
heartily glad when your vacation is
over
Ross threw down his paper straight
ened himself up and bent pair of keen
black eyes saarcltfngly upon her.
"" 'o'i ' hiN'h tiiSNO hiNl,
"But | do" answered the girl pas
sionately. al have never known so I'M
happy time as these last six weeks.
If my ignorance is so annoying to you,
why do you seek my society? You can
find plenty of girls who have had better
advantages. Am to blame that my
life has to be spent in the kitchen in
stead Of the school-room, where should
like to be? ! am doing my duty; I
please father and the boys, and that is
sufficient. You presume too much on
your friendship, Mr.. chamberlain, when
You take it upon yourself to tutor and
CriticiSe me i'll that cOntemptuOus fash
ion. You are at liberty to go where
your fine sensibilities will not receive
such Shocks" and Kitty took up her
eag-beater and attacked the innocent
ya!ks with an energy which threatened
to demolish them.
You'll be very sorry for this be-
fore the week is out Kitty Payne, and
when you want me back, just remember
TIA; YOU sent me away" The young
mln rose to his feet. put on his hat and
oyercoat, and stalked down the path,
the pcrsonilication of offended dignity.
kitty's lip quiyered as she saw the
tail form moving steadily along between
tie rows Of leaileSs lilacs without one
rpcntant backward glance. Already
i.1r heart was longing for reconcilia-
m, but pride forbade her to recall
him.
He will come tomorrow" she said
with sigh. He will not fail to eat
his Thanksgiving dinner with us; it
wouldn't be Thanksgiving without
Ross" She wiped away her tears and
turned again hopefully to her work.
1t had been a wearisome, trying day;
outside a gray mass Of clouds hung
gloomily over the bluffs. and the keen
winds sweeping across the prairie now
and then Whitened the holloWs with
sudden flurrie3 of snow. There had
been an extra amount of work to do in
preparing for Thanksgiving, which
was always celebrated by the Payne
family in royal style, an innumerable
army of lncles, aunts and cousins re-
spending gladly to the annual summons
to the capaciouS homestead. Kitty had
risen unrofreshed from disturbed and
troubled sleep, and was poorly prepared
to encounter the toll and yexation
which lay before her.
1t began directly after breakfast,
while she was rolling out the tlaky
crust for her pumpkin pies. Aunt Sa-
brina, who had Lately become member
of the family. was washing dishes at
the sink opposite, giving voice now and
then to an ejaculation which Kitty had
learned to interpret as the signal of a
coming storm. In the few months dur
ing which her aunt had been her con-
panion, the girl had learned to dread
her relatives sharp tongue, and shrank
from imparting her confidence to her.
"NVhat's that Chamberlain fellow
hanging around here for all the time?"
she demanded sharply, setting down
the milk pals with savage crash. 81
hope you haven't got the idee into your
head that he means to marry you,
Kitty
The girls face turned from crimson
to deadly pallor. Was it not enough to
battle constantly against her own
doubts and misgiyings without having
to endure her aunt's cruel thrusts? She
made no reply, but bent her head a
little lower over her work, as with
quick, def fingers she filled the tins for
the oven.
Aunt Sabrina's keen eyes were fixed
pitilessly upon her, and she saw that
the shot had told.
Now. it's easy enough to see," she
went on, flourishing her dishcloth by
way of emphasis, " that he feels HIM
self a heap above you. Hes always
twitting you with your comtryiied
ways and with his being educated
which, the land knows, you amt. !
attended select school myself when !
was girl, and can tell a scholar as well
as the next one. But that don't make
it that you amt too good for him the
best day he ever saw, and here he is
morning, noon and night, all over the
house from garrett to cellar, helping
himself to fried cakes and cookies il
the pantry, like one of the family, and
sitting right down here in the kitchen
to bother, no matter how busy we are
And the neighbors tell me its been go
ing on SO for the last five years. How
do you suppose its going to end? Yor
can't look me iii the face, Kitty Payne
and say he's ever asked you to hay,
him."
No, Kitty could not: and the faint
sick feeling her aunt's words produced
paled her lips and drew dark circlet