Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1894-11-29
COUPLING PINS.
A Story of Thanksgiving.

/
The wind had changed, and driven
the little gray clouds into an ominous,
leaden mass.
1 Miss Emerson, the teacher, now
boarding round" AZ the Starr farm,
looked at the first flakes as she would
have looked at any other personal enc
mics, had they come floating down to.
darken the clear skies of her promised
day of delight
I 1t was seldom Miss Emerson gave
herself pleasure; and now that she
had bargained with haggling Mrs.
Starr for little turkey, nicely roast
ed, mince pie, glass of plum jam
and loaf Of bread to donate to the
big feast to be given the Sharpsburg
/ benevolent institution, ycleped The
Widows Rest" on this Thanksgiving
day, she wished the little gray clouds
had kept to their first inclination to
scatter before the shining sun.
Augusta King was going. She was
cousin-in-law who kept, and enjoyed
keeping, the stalwart Starr boys in a
state of feud. She was big, beautiful,
vain, and something of an heiress.
Miss Emerson had with amusement,
not unmiXed with Indignation, silently
watched this little comedy pastoral,
THE Rivals" Her quick sympatbies
went out to Giles Starr, the elder
brother a tall, splendid youth, with
the torso of a gladiator that held the
heart of woman. For the daring,
lawless, handsome younger brother she
instinctively reserved her dislike, turn
ing on the faucet of the fountain of
worded disfavor at every aggressive
attention offered her by Valentine
Starr.
Augustus basket had been officiously
carried by both brothers TO the snowy
platform, where, when 1t was properly
signaled, the local accommodation"
TO Sharpsburgh, which lay thirty miles
to the north, stopped to take on pas
sengers. The railroad officials had pre-,
pared for the days extra traffic by
adding four passenger coaches to the
usual complement that, once day,
piled between Madison and Sharps-
burgh on the rather rusty little snar
row gauge.
1t CHANGED that when, at Walls sig
nal. the train stopped, the engineer
put at fault by the unusual length, of
his following, slowed up only as the
last -and empty-car drew alongside
the platform. With q gay laugh at
their utter isolation, Augusta, when
aboard, began talking to Val, who sat
beside her, in low, confidential tones,
and laughing in loud maddening
roulades the better 10 incense poor
Giles. who, worm Of the dust that he
was, turned, at last, and began con-
versational attack upon Miss Emerson.
He even sat down opposite her, with
his back to his brother and Augusta,
and made a successful pretense Of hay
ing forgotten their existence.
Miss Emerson's pity for the worm,
whose squirming she alone saw, drove
her headlong into channels of argu-
mentative harangue, where the waves
were strong and the waters frightfully
deep. To her qualification and sur
prise, Giles plunged after her and
swan as swimmer does who knows
his strength and joys In the exl u.
arating sport.
She had never talked to him in just
this way, and to hold her own In the
under-tow through which his mascu-
line mind buffeted its way with mas
terly ease brought the pink to her
cheeks and the light to her eyes.
Again the train stopped, and Mrs
Bassett and her daughter, Matilda,
numbered into the second coach ahead.
Augusta, observing her, and wishing
to summarily punish Giles for his
daring INSTRUMENTATION, loudly declar-
ed her intention of going to Matilda.
Bidding Val follow with her basket,
Miss King, with a sharp glance Of
swapping black eyes that was lost upon
Giles, fiounced up the aisle and out OF
the coach.
From the Bassett farm 70 the next
probable stopping place was a stretch
of nearly ten miles; beyond this farms
and villages began to thicken, and
slowing up would be the order OF the
day
AS If ignorant Of Augustus deser-
ton. Giles took up the thread Of con-
yersation where 1t had dropped, and
began so brave a winding Of ii upon
so manifestly pitiable reel Of good