Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1888-11-29

hand "How do you do, Aunt Sally ?
You are going over to dinner, aren't
you? Mother is expecting you.
"Oh, yes; but here, | want to intro
duce you to my nephew, John Gilmore.
John, this is Ruth Gray. 1t is to her
house we are going" shs explained to
him; "she will take care of you, and
make You acquainted with the other
young folks"
John, who was unaccustomed to the
society of young ladies, instead of m TX
ing complim entary speeches about her
guardianship, bowed gravely, aud
walked by her side across the road to
the big gate which led in.o the
meadow. He opened it and let her
through, and found himself, with her,
following small pro, essi IN, which
proved to be the "other young folks I"
Ruth at first felt shy OF him, as he
was city man, but soon concluded he
was bashful; AMI then, being naturally
kind-helrted, set herself to entertain
ing him by talking OF the sermon, the
weather, and other commonplace top
les, until they reached the old-fashioned
farmhouse.
The dinner was brave affair. The
guests, some twenty or thirty, sat at
one long table, graced with turkey, OF
course, cranberry sauce, potatoes,
white and light as snow-mound, hllf
dozen kin Is of vegetables, stands of
plumy celery, luscious Jelly, preserves
of every kind, and cakes; in fact, all
the prodigal profusion of country
Thanksgiving dinner. To John the
crowning glory was goodly array of
pumpkin PIES which graced the side
board. Ruth, with two of her young
friends, waited on them all, handing
the coffee, hoaping the plates, and cu.-
ting the pie. This last operation John
watched with interas., for pumpkin pie
cannot be cat properly by carele IS
hand. Ruth cut it with two quick
strokes, leaving clean edge OF deli
cious custard and an unbrolen crust.
After the repast John, whose reserve
had thawed under the inhu ,nce of the
good things of which he had partaken,
said to Mrs Gray: "You must let me
thank you for that delicious plmpkin
pie. 1t was as good as my mothers,
and that is the highest praise l could
bes ow."
Mrs. Gray looked pleased and slid:
"Im glad you liked it. Ruth made it;
she was up at five o'clock 50 as to have
them fresh. She says if there is any
thing detestabie it is pumpkin pie
with crust soaked till it is soggy.'
The older folks hal assembled in
the parlor, but the younger peo-
pie who had eaten remained in the
dining-room for the fun of waiting on
the "waiterJ," which John soon dis
covered, and thought he would like to
try. He found his way back, and was
soon busy filling the plate of Ruth,
whom lie had elected to serve, so full
that she laughed and said: "Mr. Gill
more, ynn must havo sro0t opinion
Of my powers OF Digestion" He looked
little teased us he contemplated the
pyramid he had Just constructed, took
the vacant seat at her side and said to
her: 81 thought you might have an
appetite; making pies at six O'Clock in
the morning is hungry work.
"Did mother tell you that?" she
asked:
"No; j asked her, in manner"
az had my breakfast afterwards"
said Ruth, "but you may bring me
piece O. pie now, ii you please"
He went to the sidebolrd TO do her
bidding. As i'll luck would have it,
there was none cut, so he took the
knife in hii TN 'killful hlnd and held
fast to the plate, but not to the pie,
which went slipping to the for spat
tering him well i'll its descent. Ruth,
who had been watching him, saw the
mishap, which none of the others had
noticed, came quickly to the rescue,
and soon had the pie deftly cleaned up
and in the kitchen, where she INDUCED
in the laugh, which her po itene IS and
sympathy for his discontinue for
bade, and no one the wiser.
"You nay be a good lawyer, but you
are a poor butler" remarked Ruth.
The rest of tn afternoon was spent
in walking about tie fl elds, eat ng nuts
and drinking cider around the fire.
But the best part of the day was the
evening, for it was the custom of these
good people to stay till ten o'clock
The long kitchen was cleared, and
every one, old and young, played
games-"Puss in the Corner" "Blind
Mans Buff, and such like. Ruth was
blindfolded. Such scampering and
giggling, as she dashed wildly around
the rooml With arms upliftod, she
brought them down on the shoulders
of John, who, to tell the truth, made
no great effort to escape. With one
hand she clasped his neck affectiona.e-
ly, while the other sid down his nose
till it struck his mustlche. This set
tied the question of his identity, as he
was the only person resent so adorned.
With her hand still unconsciously
about his neck, she t1ok the bandage
off her eyes, while he, with an audacity
new to him, said, softly, "A delightful
situation, if it could only las longer"
Ruth, becoming consci )us of it,
blushed brightly and withdrew her
hlnl.
Turn around; you are eau ght; have
to be it," quoth Ruth
"Yes, and by you" he softly answer
ed, as he turlel to have the handker-
chief bound over his eyes, enjoying the
ensation of making pretty girl blush,
and his own newly acquired boldness.
The next day, rs in duty bound,
John called on his late hoste IS, found
Ruth at home, and persuaded her to
wax with him tn ough the leahess
woods, which, to true lover OF nature,
are aim )st as pleasurable as in their
early leafnQ. He showed her where he
had played in his boyhood, told her of
his childish pranks, and something of
his pres mt mode OF life. In the inrer-
obonua of oooE1anooo aba toll HIN (. f. "a