Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1889-11-29
DEENSON'S THANKSGIVING.
BY CHARLOTTE ROGERS.

like beauty could be said to touch the
settlement.
Half dozen cabins divided by du.y
roadway, blacksmith shop, and store,
constituted the settlement The road
was never empty from a procession of
pigs and chickens, with occasionally q
cow-the property of the inhabitants. 1t
was kind of public barnyard.
The store and smithy ran each other
close as to which should have the latest
bit of gossip to retail to its customers. 1t
was not unfriendly rivalry, however,
and one proprietor was never too proud
to listen to what the other had to say.
The settlement did not pretend to be a
mining village. Its men were hunters
in a desultory way, and had lived there
some time before the gold fever broke
out around them. Some had caught it
and gone away, but the majority pre-
ferred the old way of life-it involved
less worry and responsibility.
The place was unusually lively this
evening, for some miners had come up
the valley with wonderful tales of a
claim down there that was paying out
gold by the handful. They stood in the
center of an eager group that completely
surrounded and filled the doorway of the
store.
Presently a girl came up the path,
with bucket ON her head and her sun
bonnet under her arm. She was small
and dark and very pretty, but sad look
ing.
Il wish you all would let me in" she
said.
The men separated, and as she entered
the store one of the newcomers asked
who she was.
''She's Deenson's daughter" said a
member of the settlement, running his
thumb under his suspender and giving
it hitch. "Ain't you never hearn of
old Deenson-him as lives over on Pow
erty Flat? He's mad, they say, an 1
guess he must be or he wouldn't go on
iJ II on n worked out claim. He says
the Colds there yet; but the other man
as owned it hadn't patience. Lord! he's
got patience, but that's about ALL Deem
son so poor and the claim so low down
Poor we calls it Poverty Flat"
An embarrassed silence fell upon the
group as the girl passed through it; but
if she had heard she gave no sign, and
she now wore the large limp sun bonnet,
which completely hid her face.
As soon as she was gone, a man de-
tached himself from the edge of the
party, and hurrying round the store,
struck a trail that a few minutes would
cross the one that Deenson's daughter
was following.
He was tall, fine looking fellow, of
any age between twenty and thirty. He
wore the typical miners clothes, but
walked with an easy grace that sug-
gested much mountain climbing.
When they met she expressed no sur
prise at seeing him.
"Ye can carry the pail if We want ter, +"
she replied to his offer, "but there's not
enough in it ter-night to make it heavy.
1 wonder what we're goin' to do this
winter, Jack?" she went on, with a sigh.
dad will stick to the old claim, though
thar's nothin' in it. He amt much fit to
work, if thar war. Sometimes 1 think
as how he's little teched right here,
she said, pushing back her bonnet and
putting her hand to her head.
Jack wondered uneasily if she had
heard what they said at the store.
Tell We what it's, DOLL" he began,
hurriedly, ''it's a dreadful lonely life fur
We down ERE on the Flat, with no I'm
but the old man fur company"
She didn't seem to think this required
any answer, and they walked on for a
time in silence.
The path that they were following
was a very pretty one, but it is doubtful
if either noticed it. The tall, dark pines
met overhead, their soft brown slippery
needles" made a carpet under foot,
while the hazy November sunshine, now
slanting through the tree trunks, cast
their long shadows across the path.
After a while he began again, but
slowly, as if wishing to impress her with
the earnestness of what he was saying.
1--WE knowed ye now, Doll, this six
months back, an [ dun know how We
feels-but, afore God, I'd ruther hear
you say, Jack, love ye,' than strike the
best payin' claim in the state"
She stopped with little gasp, and her
hands tightly clasped before her; down
went the old sunbonnet all UNDECIDED.
"Jack," she cried, "Jack, do you mean
it?"
81 amt got no Bible, DOLL" he said,
solemnly, laying his hand upon her head,
.'but l swar it by the next one of Gods
works I hold most sacred, and that's We. u
Then, jack" she sobbed, 81 do love
We. I've most aided fur fear We wouldn't
care fur me. Let's go home an tell dad,
Jack-an' yell stay to supper" she added,
returning to the practical.
Outside the cabin they fingered for a
time, unwilling to interrupt the first
charm of their happiness by another
presence. The pine woods lay behind
them, the mountains before them, with
long stretch of rocks and isolated pines
between. Where they stood it was
already twilight, but on the mountain
tops the sunshine still fingered. 1t was
desolate outlook, and calculated to sub
due the most buoyant spirits. No won
der Dolls eyes were sad.
When they entered they found the old
man down on his knees before the fire
trying to coax it into blaze.
Dad" Doll said, ''here's Jack Seton.
He's-he's come to supper"
Some finer instinct told her that the
important news she had to communicate
ought not to find her father in such an
undignifed position. She waited until
supper was over and the two men were
sitting before the fire smoking. 1t was
a scene that would have looked well on
canvas. Doll had put out the lamp, to
save oil, and the only light in the room
vas from the fire. 1t threw warm, red
glow over the faces and clothing of the
:hree people before it, and sent their
shadows, long and Pickering, across the
door, to be lost in the obscurity of the
corners. 1t brought out strongly the
lines and burrows in old Deenson's face,
and curious watching look that comes
TO people from hope deferred. 1t showed
Jack young and vigorous AID deter
mined; bu: around Dolls soft young
beauty it seemed to Hnger lovingly, yet,
compared with her eyes, it died away to
1arkness-for the light of love was shin
ing there.
Oh Deenson spoke but seldom, and
L. i