The Kootenai herald. [volume] (Kootenai, Idaho) 1891-1904, 1893-12-02
in spite Of his odd. blunt manner.


opened softly and a pale, slim little
woman, dressed in rusty black, glided
in.
Have you any money, Simon'" she
asked, almost in a whisper.
''No," sadly.
81 thought the gentleman"
He didn't come in to buy" Sepple
interrupted; she only came TO talk"
Mrs. Sepple sighed.
TIE children need Shoes" she said,
''and my oest gown is too shabby TO
wear on Sundays any longer. But we
could get on some way if trife could
could be paid on the butchers bill. The
children are already beginning TO count
the days to Thanksgiving.
They had better let it alone" said
Sepple, with ring of pain in his voice.
We are not likely to have any very ex-
tensive merry-making this year"
Mrs. Sepple looked at him wistfully.
cit goes to my heart, Simon" she said,
''to give up all idea of keeping Thanks
giving Day. At home we always looked
forward to it half the year, and back
ward the other half oh, it was day
of days."
Sepple laid down his magnifying glass,
and rising came close to his wife and
put his hand on her shoulder, while
spasm contracted mis- features.
Yes, I know it, Efie, ," he said. ''Don't
think that I've forgotten how I took you
away from a comfortable farmhouse
where no such thing as want was ever
known. You've had hard times ever
since, my girl. The folks are dead, the
old house is sold, and Thanksgiving has
somehow passed out of our lives. But
it isn't my fault, Efie. If hard work
could have done it, you should have
worn velvet and silk all your life. 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, out I'll manage somehow with
a piece of brown paper for day or two
until Bolton pays the BILL"
"But if he doesn't pay it,"
Then my pane of glass won't be put
in. Run quickly, while the baby's asleep
She's SO fretful with that last tooth thai
nobody can do anything with her but
you"
But even on the threshold, Mrs. Sep
pie met little, wrinkled old man, dres
sed in faded olive suit, cut after Z
, most Anticipated fashion, and carryinG
a sha bby, leather valise.
us this Simon Sepple's placer sai(
he. Eyes, you are Efie Blight's daugh
teri" to the astonished house mother
~ should have known you in Caffraria
Kiss me, my dear. I am your great
uncle, Benjamin Blight"
''But-but,n stammered Mrs. Sepple
unable all at once to disassociate he
mind from old ideas, ''You died in Aus
tralia. AT least, my great-uncle, Ben
iamin Blight, did"
''No, l didn't" said the old man, will
. some ascerbity. eff died in Australia
how could I be here3 1t isn't my faul
I if people said what wasn't true"
"Dear uncle Blight" said Efe, 81 an
f very glad 10 see you. Your eyes ar
like my mothers, now that look at you
and"
The old man set down his shabb
valise with sigh of relief.
I'm thankful to find someone VIII
r is glad to see me-" said he. CIV
Y thought good many times of late
: that it would have been better if ha
died in Australia. came back here t
J end my days among my relations. An
t the old house is sold, and the folks ar
e moved away-those of them that ar
= not lying in the churchyard, and it,
a only here and there that very oil
f person remembers that there wer
/ ever such a person living as Ben Blight
S You're the last card in the game, Efie
a Nobody else wants me. Your Cousi
t Calvin said it wasn't convenient to re
t ceive me into his family, but knew Q
!. a home for INDECENT old people that b
. could get me into if I'd Join the Baptis
y church. And Hiram Blight-old H
/ rams grandson, you know-he told M
e up and down he coulhn't straddle him
e self with relations whom he had neve
J. seen nor heard of. l might be an in
e poster, for all he new; and if ] wasn't