Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1890-11-26

Kitty. If hard work would have done
| 1t, you should have walked in velvets
and worn silk and satin all your days.
Luck has been against me, that's all;
| here's dollar / did mean to keep
it to get that pane of glass in the show
window mended, but I'll manage some
how with piece of brown paper for a
day or two-until Bolton pays the BILL"
But suppose he doesn't pay it ?'
Then my pane OF glass won't be put
in; Run-quickly, now while the
that last tooth that nobody can do any
thing with her but you"
But, even on the threshold, Mrs
| Sepple met little wrinkled old man,
dressed in faded olive suit, cut after
most antiquated fashion, and carrying
shabby leather valise in his hand.
SIS this Simon Sepple's place % said
he. eyes, you are Kitty BEght's
daughterr' to the astonished house
mother. II should have known you in
Caffraria. Kiss me, my dear. am your
great uncle. Benjamin Blight -
''But-but," stammered Mrs. Sepple,
unable all at once to dissociate her mind
from old ideas, "you died in Australia.
At least, my great uncle, Benjamin
Blight, did"
mo, l didn't" said the old man, with
some acerbitv. 'If I died in Australia
how could [ be here? 1t isn't my fault
if people said what wasn't true"
'.Dear Uncle Blight" said Kitty II
am very glad to see you. Your eyes
are like my mothers, now that look at
you, and"
The old man set down his shabby
valise with sigh of relief.
I'm thankful to find some one that is
| fr1oI RI coo MO - co; n bo GfT,1o 4 o,,.b4
good many times, of late, that it would
have been better if I had died in
Australia. / came back here to end my
days among my relations. And the old
house is sold, and the folks have moved
away those Of them that aren't lying
in the churchyard, and it's only here
and there that a very old person re-
members that there ever was such
person as Benjamin Blight You're
the last card in the game, Niece Kitty.
Nobody else wants me. Your Cousin
Calvin said it wasn't convenient to
receive me into his family, but knew of
Home for INDECENT Old People that
he could get me into if I'd join the
Baptist Church. And Hiram Blight,
old Hiram's grandson, you know, he
saddle himself with relations whom he
had never seen or heard of. | might be
an impostor for all he knew; and if 7
wasn't, it was quite inexcusable for me
to. be penniless at the age of eighty
four. And Zoe, that's Hiram's grand
sons sister, a grand lady on Fiftieth
Street, says that she is very sorry that
she cannot help me in any way. All,
welladay, Kitty, it's a queer feeling,
when man crosses 5000 miles of ocean
to spend Thanksgiving with his
kindred, and finds nobody glad to see
him!"
"Come inside and sit down." said
Simon Sepple, heartily. "We're not
like Zoe; but we'll make you kindly
welcome to such as we have. Kitty"
| he whispered to his wife, "you had bet
ter buy little roasting piece of pork
and few apples for sauce. Your poor
old uncle looks as if he needed some
thing to brace him up. Don't be
afraid, child. III make him comfort
able while you are gone"
So these supplemented people took
| in the old man, who-except on the
subjects of fifty years ago-was really
nothing more than an additional child
| to care for.
ssThose people are crazy growled
old Mr.. Bullion, the landlord. Cant
pay their own debts; six weeks behind
in their rent, and yet they must needs
assume the feeding of another mouth
and the clothing of another back"
| "Would you let the old man starve 90
bluntly demanded Sepple; and Mr..
Bullion could only mutter something
about the principle of political economy
and the improvidence of working peo-
pie.
Mrs. Sepple was sitting by the win
dow of their small dining-room one
day, doing an odd job of dressmaking
earn enough to buy an unpretentious
Thanksgiving turkey, for Uncle Blight's
mind dwelt with serious persistency ON
the idea of the festival which had been
nothing but dream to him for so many
exiled years.
eff tits only asmall turkey" said she,
with a pint of cranberries, and the
cheapest pie that we can buy at the
bakers, it will satisfy Uncle Blight and
the children. I'll get along with my
alpaca dress for the present, and my
bonnet isn't SO very shabby if | keep
the veil well-pinned over it. Uncle
pleased if they can have a genuine
Thanksgiving
And Mr. sepple smiled sadly and
said:
"You are always thinking of other
people, Kitty
She was stitching busily at the founces
of Mrs. Meeker's garnet merino dress,
and Uncle Blight at the other window
was amusing the children.
He loved them, and they were fond
of him; and Mrs. Sepple, quick to seize
upon any salient point of gratitude,
declared that the children were no
trouble at all since Uncle Blight came.
He had been an actor once, in that far
off country where his life was spent,
and in the old brown valise were
remnants of stage finery that filed the
hearts of the little folks with glee.
And when he could be induced to re-
hearse the funny parts as little
Molly called them, Mrs. sepple declared
''that it was every bit as good as a play"
and nearly died with laughing.
Suddenly, Molly broke away from the
rest and darted into the shop, dressed
in quaint robe of imitation ermine,
with a brass-mounted tiara on her
head.