The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1890-05-16
ahead of it.

ou eAo udSn past or TWO m6ttle-
some bays, smart with silver-gilt har-
ness and many girths of musical bells,
hltched to two-seated sleigh, wherein
sat, under beautiful soft robes, two
young and two elderly folks, all laugh
ing and in the merriest of moods.
Why did you sigh, my daughter?"
asked Mrs. keene, anxiously, ''are you
80, I'm all right, mother! Did sigh?
thought I only breathed-oh-"
"What is it. Kate?"
But Katie was out at the gate before
her name was uttered, replying to ques-
lions asked by an old army-overcoated
farmer, who sat upon cushioned seat
In high, big, springless wood-wagon.
III give We nickel fur cup, gal, eff
it's steamin' hot-I'm nigh about ,fruz
stiffr'
AS 1t these words were magic that set
the heels of her heavy little shoes in
motion, Katie flew into the kitchen,
carefully poured out enough of the
steaming amber to fill big cup, and
with little tray upon which rested a
tiny bowl of sugar and a toy pitcher of
milk, she went swiftly out to the old
gentleman in the wood-wagon.
Five cents already! The success of
her venture was too grand a secret to be
longer kept, and she told her mother all
about t,wheu, the wood wagon fairly on
its snail-like way, she brought the small
salver indoors and put the nickel in her
mothers hand. Mrs. Keene, when she
heard her daughters wonderful plan,
covered her white face with her slender
hands and was very silent; but. though
the tears rolled down softly into her lap,
Katie knew that she was not at all dis
pleased, but was in some way very, very
happy,
Suddenly Katie heard again the warn
ing of the same silvery bells she had
heard before. Eagerly she listened,
this time not going to the window to
watch the return of the gay city people.
On came the jangle of sweet sounds,
nearer, still nearer, until-could it be
surely it must--yes, they have stopped!
With little gasp of joy Katie was
out of doors again, and, sooner almost
than it takes to tell it, was back in the
kitchen pouring out four cups of hot cof-
fee. A large waiter was quickly covered
with clean square of linen, and a larger
bowl of sugar and bigger pitcher of
milk was placed in the center between
the four steaming cups. Then, her very
gladness dancing in her starry eyes,
Katie made her way to the sleigh.
81 never enjoyed cup of coffee more
in all my life, little girl-who made it?''
81 did, SIR" said Katie, pink with
pleasure.
Father" said another voice, ''fifty
cents isn't aparticle too much for this
delicious treat; is it mammal"
"No, indeed" said the first speaker,
who wasn't mamma at all. "And we
must head our horses this way as long
as the snow lasts. Goodbye, little girl,
till we see you again"
Fifty-ive cents! I'm afraid the mists
that swell up in folks eyes at joy as
at sorrow must have blurred Katie's
own just then, for, without her being in
the least aware of it, DR.. Saltus had
driven his big black horse close beside
her, and was himself looking curiously at
her from under the hood of his buggy
top.
elias it become the fashion," he
asked softly; but even at this gentle
question Katie started.
"What, sir? Oh, it is you, doctor?"
Pm inclined to believe so. Why that
sign and all this coffee drinking?"
Katie told him. And somehow while
she was speaking something got into
his eye-an object that seemed to re-
quire good deal of brushing out with
the folds of his pretty, pale-blue, silk
handkerchief. And, when Katie had
finished, he said in voice rather diff
ferent from his usual tones, "bring me
bowlful-good measure, mind-I'm
your first regular customer. you know"
1t seemed that 'bowlfuls" were to the
little caterer very profitable things.
This first one melted her quarter of a
dollar, and the doctor said that she
needn't be bit surprised if good many
city folks took to driving out this way,
for he meant to tell his numerous &C
quaintances what splendid road it was
for sleighing.
The twilight of that happy day deep
ened upon joyful couple-a mother to
whom the world was no longer dark, but
full of rosy hopes, and glad child who
felt that this first day was but prom
Use of like days to come, and to whom
the silvery snow yielded silver harvest.
Miss Hyacinth was let into the secret
and as long as the snow lasted and the
sleighing carnival wakened the echoes
of the silent country round about the
little frame house of the Keenes, she
allowed Katie to manage so that all her
lessons were done in the mornings
both studying and recitation-and her
afternoons were her own in which, as
her teacher said, she could receive"
1t would seem as if there was no end
to the doctors popularity, if all were
friends of his who drew rein in at the
Keenes gate-and such a shower of sill
yer coin as ratified into the little tray as
the sleighriders put their coffee-cups
back with a sigh of satisfaction and
gathered up the reins for further dash
along the smooth, broad highway! No
day passed but some one stopped; and
often it was big sleighful of curious
people who had left their warm ireside
to see the little child who was so
bravely battling for the lost light of a
dear mothers eyes.
At the end of three w1,ks Mrs. Keene
was taken to DIR. Optics fine home in
the city and Miss Hyacinth left Farmer
Bassetts to 60 and help Katie keep
house. At the end Of four weeks Mrs.
keene was brought back to the little
frame house again, the happiest little
woman in the land, for, though her eyes
were carefully guarded from the daz-
fling, snow-brightened light of day, at
ninht she darad to noon out for a mo