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

IL . llhc dohlIlS ~ IIldu W IIlu "
needle in hay-mow," said Mr.. Sepple,
the jeweller, as he looked up at Col.
Granger, with the odd, near-sighted
look that the jewellers have after they
have pored over the tiny mechanism OF
watches by the hour.
Il don't ask you to find it," said Col.
Granger, little impatiently. 81 don't
expect that any one will ever find it
now. But | am always on the lookout
for it. Strange things have happened"
Eyes | know" shrewdly assented
Sepple. But when thing has been lost
for hundred years, it don't generally
turn up on the hundred and first
especially little thing like gem"
"You never studied the theory of
chances, did you?" said the colonel.
"No."
"Humph [ thought not. I have. "
cit was an astoria, you say ?'' asked
Sepple, after few minutes silence.
81 don't know anything about
your asterias,' retorted Col. Granger,
lmpatiently. "My grandmother always
called it a star-sapphire.
eyes, [ know the Variety" said
Sepple, noddlng the head which, even
at forty, was beginning to be bald on the
crown and slightly silvered with gray at
the sides. almost as priceless as a
diamond, if only one could lay hold of
it. But mine isn't fashionable bust
ness, you know" with a little sigh.
There aren't many sapphires that 60
through my hands in the course of
year-or of ten years, either, for that
matter The car conductors leave their
watches here to be repaired; the trades
men around on the avenue bring me a
decent custom of clocks and music
boxes, and that sort of thing, and on the
holidays | sell bangles and brooches and
silver thimbles to the shop girls. I
don't handle gems much, except when
Laurent q Co. are hurried and their
foreman sends me batch of work to do
for them But / used to know all about
those things when was young man,
learning the trade. You don't see
many of those asterias."
ut had been in our family nobody
knows how many years." said Granger,
leaning idly over the show case, where
the morning sunshine corruscated
among the cheap earrings and plated
chains and piles of eyeglasses "But
my grandfather was little inclined to
be wild. He engaged himselfto young
actress girl whom his friends couldn't
recognize. Ofcourse they broke up the
match, and sent him to Bombay. How
were they to know that he would
be drowned on the voyage out?"
"Did he wear the sapphire? Usually,
[ mean?"
solutelv follow that it was lost with him.
He may have sold it; he was one of
those fellows-the breed isn't entirely
extinct yet-who are always wanting
money. Or he may have given it to the
girl"
"Who was she ?"
81 don't know, [ never knew"
Sepple laughed a short laugh as he re-
turned to the magnifying glass which
commanded such an array of tiny brass
wheels and cogs.
81 don't think much of your theory of
chances" said he.
Col. Granger laughed as he went out.
He rather liked the eccentric jeweller
than otherwise, in spite of his odd,
blunt manner.
He had scarcely left the store before
the curtained doorway at the back
opened softly, and pale little woman,
dressed in rusty black, glided in.
Simon?" she asked almost in whisper.
NO." he answered. sadly.
II thought perhaps that gentleman
"He didn't come in to buy" Sepple
interrupted; che only came to talk"
Mrs. Sepple sighed.
"The children need Shoes" she
said. "And my best gown is too shabby
to wear of Sunday any longer. But
we could get along somehow if some
thing could be paid on the butchers
account. And the children are already
beginning to count the days until
Thanksgiving"
"They had better let it alone p said
sepple sharply. 1--WE are not likely to
have any very extensive merry making
this Thanksgiving.
Mrs. Sepple looked wistfully at him.
said, 'sto give up all idea of keeping
Thanksgiving Day. Athome, we always
looked forward to it half the year, and
backward the other half"
Sepple laid down his magnifying glass.
and rising, came close to his wife and
put his hand kindly on her shoulder,
while an odd spasm contracted his
features.
eyes, I know it, Kitty" he said,
"don't think, dear, chat I've forgotten