Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1895-11-28

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What of THAR did / ever! Why,
you can't git this young one into the
poorhouse without seeing him about
It,"
A wave of color swept across Jacks
~sun-burned, unshayed face, but he
only replied hat he guessed they could
board her until Sunday, leastways no
one could be spared from the huSklng
now.
IND how dye s'pose I'm to do my
work md care fer a baby all that
time? Here it's only Thursday"
"She don't seem troublesome yet"
mo, of curse she'll be good while
I'm minding her all the time; but wait
till | put her by"
Before Jack had been at work two
hours he made an excuse to go TO
the house. His mother happened to
be out of doors when ne entered the
kitchen, but there sat the lovely child
in her basket, gleefully pulling the
strands of a skein of scarlet yarn.
The moment she caught sight of him
she gave a happy, gurgling laugh,
dropped the yarn and held out her
arms; but he pretended not to see
her. When next he glanced in her
direction, the baby's lip was trembling
and tears were yelling up into the
great dark eyes.
He made a step toward her, then
paused, looking from his dirty hands
and dusty clothes to the dainty gar
ments she wore.
Il Amt fit" he muttered, but then
thct look!
Once more the smile came like a
burst of sunshine through the clouds
and the dimpled hands reached out
alluringly.
Goo, goor" she said, but he thought
she mean good, and-well, when his
mother entered the room she was
simply d~umbfounded at the sight that
met her gaze.
Jack, who had never even touched a
baby before, was marching about,
the child on his shoulder, one hand
fastened In his rather unkempt hair,
the other patting his cheek.
Goo, goo" she cried louder and
louder.
Jack Kingsley. are you crazy?" she
cried. With a shamefaced expression,
he turned toward the basket, but
paused half way and turned, defiantly.
mo, ] amt crazy, but I'm goin' to
keep her."
"Goin' to keep her? Mercy on us,
you must be out en- yer head"
II tell you / amt, but I'd be 'shamed
TO put a purity little critter like her in
the poorhouse. Hain't we got enough,
I'd like ter know, to feed one sech
kid?'
but who'll take care of herr"
The poor fellow looked perplexed,
but Fay, at this moment. nestled her
bead against his neck. cooling content
cdly. "Da, da. da, da!"
II will, IL there's nobody else," ne
answered defiantly; ''leastways I can
hire a girl"
~ girl" Mrs. Kingsley fairly shrek
ed, for in all her life she had never
hired help in the house n day.
And then she poured forth a TRADE
of abuse that, could little Fay have un-
derstood, would have burned into her
very soul! Happily she could not I'M
derstand. but Jack did, after a fashion
at least, but the effect was exactly
contrary TO what his mother desired,
and his answer showed hes her mis-
take.
1T may all be as you think" he
said slowly; I'VE don't know anything
uDOul IL, Dtt Il no huO" tulS lihtI-
cent hahe amt to blame nd I'll he
blamed IL | don't stand for her nd
fight the hull world, IL need be. l
amt fit fer much! the Kingsleys amt
like other people nohow, nd if this
here kid amt respectable ii can't make
no great odds to us; we amt s'ciety
folks but all these fine fixens she's
got on shows she don't b'long to no
~Nx. trn-h rN.,ral haeo . u*hnra', I,
mystery about ii that l hope we won't
never understand"
After this uncommonly long speech,
Jack Kingsley put the child in the
basket and went out, his mother never
saying a word. We are inclined to
think she was a little alarmed for his
mental condition, though. When she
recovered from the shock a little, she
remembered a few other times In his
life when Jack had unexpectedly flung
out In a similar fashion liz defense Of
an abused animal, and once in the case
of a sick tramp. She blamed herself
severely for not using more strategy
at the outset; now the battle was hope
lessly lost. Well, he might hire I'M
body to care for ii; she would not;
and in five minutes after she had set
tied this point she was holding the OBJ
ject of controversy in her arms and
feeding 1t NEST tenderly. Then for
the first she remembered that this was
Thanksgiving day. Thanksgiving.
And, sitting and rocking, her mind
travelled back to q time when the day
meant much to her; to a time when
life was not so narrow. so s0rdid,
when she went TO church and enjoyed
human companionship. Then she re-
membered the first Thanksgiving on
this farm. when Jack was a sturdy
boy of five and the others younger:
how she had made a little feast almost
ont Of nothing. but. despite the home
sickness and loneliness. they had been
far happier than IN the years since
when love OF gain had ''eaten them
up" spiritually and mentally. With a
start, she heard the clock strike elev-
en-. The baby was sleeping; could
she manage TO get up a Thanksgiving
feast In an hour? She had intended TO
have boiled notatnes, fried salt pork.