The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1893-11-30

16, whom nobody could look at with
out thinking of a rosebud almost
poisoning. The only other person at
the fireside was Robert Moore, formerly
an apprentice of the blacksmith. but
now his iourneymen, and who seemed
more like an own son of John lngle-
field than did the pale and slender
student.
Only these four had kept New Eng
lands festival beneath that roof The
vacant chair at John Inglefeld's right
hand was in memory of his wife,
whom death had snatched from him
since the previous Thanksgiving
With feeling that few would h We
looked for in his rough nature the be.
reaved husband had himself set the
chair in its place next his own, and
often did his eye glance thi herward
as If he deemed il possible that the
cold grave might send bacl, its tenant
TO the cheerful freside, ~ east foI
that one evening. Thus did he cherish
the grief that was dear to him. b I
there was another grief which he
would fain have torn from his heart;
or, since that could never be, have
buried it too deep for others to behold
OF for his own remembrance. Within
the past year another member OF his
househo d had gone from him, but not
to the grave. Yet they kept no vacant
chair for her.
While John Inglefeld and his family
were sitting around the hearth, with
the shadows dancing behind them on
the wall, the outer door was opened
and light footstep came along the
passage. The la ch # he inner do 7
was lifted b me familiar hand, and
! a young girl came in, wearing cloak
and hood, VIII ch she took off and laid
on the table beneath the looking.
glass. Then after gazing n moment
at the firesIde circle, she approached
and too the seat at John Ingleheld' S
right hand, as it had been reserved
on purpose for her.
Here | am at last father" said
she. "You ate your Thanksg wing
dinner without ne, but l have co ne
back to spend the evening with YOU
\ es, il was Prudence lnglefied. She
wore the same neat aud maidenly at
tire which c had been accustomed 70
put on when the household work was
over for the day. and her hal was
parted from her brow in tn simple
and modest fashion that became heI
best OF all. If her cheek might other.
wise have been pale, yet the glow OF
tn fire suifus6d IL with o healthful
bloom II she had spent the many
months OF her absence IN gui anc
infamy, yet they seemed TO have LEFT
no traces on her gentle aspect ht
could not have loo ed less altered hao
she merely stepped away from hei
father tireside for half an hour anC
returned viii the bl ze was quiver
ing upward from the same brands
that were burning at her departure
And to john Inglefield she was th'
very image of his buried wife, such a
he remem bered her on tho Il S
Thanksgiving which they had passe'
under their own roof Therefore
though naturally n stern and rugge'
man, he could speak unkindly Il
his sinful child, nor yet could he TAX
her TO his bosom.
"You are welcome home, Prudence,
said he, glancing sideways at her, ant
mis- voice faltered Your mot e
would have reioiced 20 see you, bu
! she has been gone from us these fou
| months
~ know it, father, | know it, rC
! piled Prudence, quickly. And yei
! when ! first came Ia, nv eyes were S
! dazed by the tirelight that She SCENE
! 10 be sitting in this very cha +. "
BY this time the other mem bers O
: the family had begun 70 recover from
. their surprise and became sensib bl
5 that it was no ghost from the grav
4 nor vision OF treir vivid recollections
i but Prudence her own self. lie
: brother was the next that greete