Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1890-11-13


never sought quarrel, and never continued
one long if forced intot' 10 = Sly and TO
all time dismissed her en-, kSpm he
friendship and affection. a.
When am done with an; Uody," sh
said ''I'r: done with EN-
Acting . his unkindly and unchristian
like principe, she had ''dropped' FRIEND
| of her girlhood and early womanhoot
twenty years before the death of her nus
band
Her son had quarreled with the only so,
of her dearest friend, Mrs. Rachel Day
The mothers had unwisely taken up the mat
ter, and not even the common sorrow tina
came upon them in the death of their SON
Il. after years had waited for the other Il
speak, and both had kept silence.
Mrs. Day came to the vendue, as Mrs
Pickett had predicted
| Mrs. Pickett sat In the big rockingham
on the little porch and watching the pro
gress Of the sale through mist of tears.
Other friends came and spoke words Of
cheer and sympathy, but Rachel Day, pros
porous and happy, kept aloof. Occasional
| ly she glanced toward her old friend as she
sat on the porch, pathetic figure in her
widow weeds, her gray head bowed and
her handkerchief often at ner eyes. but il
Mrs Day felt sorry for Mrs. Pickett she
did not say so.
Going, going, going, gentlemen and
! ladies. Fodr and d half has been offered
! for this solid oak chest, as good as it was
the day it was made! Four and a halt
I'm offered. Who'll make it five? Five,
FIVE, fve-who says it? Are you all done,
! ladies and gentlemen? Third and last
call, and-sold for four and half to the
lady with the brown silk dress and black
lace shawl"
The lady with the brown silk dress and
black lace shawl was Rachel Day Mrs.
Pickett fancied she saw a CLEAN of tri-
umph In the eyes of the new owner of the
chest.
Mrs. Day bought several of the things
offered, and Mrs. Pickett added to her sor-
row sting of resentment and injured
pride with each purchase Rachel made.
Nhe does It only to aggravate me, "
MIS-. Pickett thought, ''but let her go on
If 1t does her any good. kin hold spite
rs long as anybody, but | wouldn show
1t IN such way as this, if | was Rachel
Day
The vendue came to close early in the
afternoon and the people departed, taking
Day was the last to go, and when she
drove out of the farmyard her wagon was
we'll laden with the things she had pur-
chased.
Mrs. Pickett broke down entirely when
she and Dorothy were left alone in the al
most empty house Mr. Parks had given
them until the next week to complete their
arrangements for leaving. Then he pro-
posed to take possession of the house and
farm.
Dorothy found much to do during the
rest of the day. The one COW her grand
mother had kept had strayed away, and
when milking time came Dorothy went in
search of her.
1t was nearly dark when she returned,
driving the COW through the grass Of the
meadow lot. She had left her grand
mother alone, md was surprised to hear
voices in the kitchen when she returned to
the house with her milking pail.
Looking In at an open window she was
still more surprised to see in the gathering
gloom a woman kneeling by her grand
mothers chair, while Mrs. Pickett was
shaking her head in Il dazed kind OF way
and saying:
Il don't understand it, Rachel. 1t
seems to me must be dreaming and that
Ill wake up pretty soon and find it amt
so!''
But you ant dreaming, MahaIa.
hysterical and fearful little laugh. Its
ali true as gospel. Here | am, kneelin'
right by you, and there's the money right
in your lap
And you found it in the old oak chist
that | tbo1nbt had haop on, NJ for ,t1
years?"
Yes, in the secret place in the lid.
Don't you remember it?"
II do, now that you speak of it, Rachel,
Eut ID forgotten all about it before. It's
been so many years since the chist was
used.
well, | remembered it as soon as I saw
the chest, replied Mrs. Day, land when
| got home with the things d bought to-
day, and they'd been carried into the
house, and | found time to look them
over, Iput my finger hight on the spot
where the spring was in the chest lid.
The little door dropped, and roll of bills
came tumbling down into the chest. |
was so upset at first, Mahala, that
couldn believe my senses; but when |
pinched and shook myself to prove that
was awake, FOUND it was true, and that
the cavity in the lid was full of bills
more than enough to pay off the mortgage,
and almost enough to pay off the note.
And you brought it right over to me?
Oh, Rachel!'
Course I did, MahaIa! Whatever my
other failing are, hateful and holding spite
for years and all that, I'm honest, Mahala,
and | would not touch pin | had no ri gnt
to-
II know you wouldn't, Rachel, and
didn t mean to hint that you would. But
m so glad you brought the money your
self. -
Il did think of sending it, said
Mrs. Day: but as | set thinking it all
over, and how glad you'd be to get it in
the middle of your trouble, begun to feel
sorry for you, Mahala, and the sorrler got
the more 'shamed | was Of myself; and the
chest and everything together called back
old times until just laid my head on the
chest and had good long cry. [ got up
feeling kinder and tender toward you than
I've felt for twenty years, though there s
been times when I've wanted to make up
bad enough, but | was afraid that you
wouldn't"
ia been so glad too. Rachel!'
For long time the old ladies sat. for
getting and forgiving the past, and renew
ed a friendship not to be broken in the
future
With thc money grandfather Pickett
had secreted so carptuIty in the old chest
,lad the proceeds OF the sale Mrs. Picket
easily made up enough to pay off her hus-
@3nd's Indebtedness. Mrs. Day returned
the articles she had bought at the sale.
and Mrs. Pickett gradually regained pos
session of her most cherished household