Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1895-11-25
A THANKSGIVING
MISTAKE.

house looked cheerful and bright Gin
spite of the somber sadness of the
November morning., with it's soft,
warm bued carpet, brilliant home
made rugs and abundance of rotundly
cushioned rockers, lounges and OF
tomans
A great fire rioted in the high arch
ed fire place, beside which sat Grand
ma Cherrybloom herself, ruddy, and
hearty like some thrifty winter plant.
Opposite sat yellow Tabby doing and
nodding in the mellow glow of the
fire, but occasionally opening her
green eyes and peering sharply in the
direction of the kitchen, as though
seeming savory odors from afar-as
we'll she might, considering the oc-
cupation of Miss EulaIie and her hand
maid lilly Stubbs-an occupation in
timately connected, as Tabby knew,
with certain plethoric turkey, fat
Cochin fowls and a juicy roast ofv
ison, not taking into consideration
such superfuities as New England
plum pudding, Yankee pumpkin pies,
and a general reckless prodigality Of
lemon tarts, wild grape puffs, etc.
But little Delph1ne Cherrybloom,
standing beside the window gazing
out at the sullen, vapor- hung atmos-
phere, and solid, muddy sky, threat
ening the earth with the first snow
storm of the season, was hardly pre-
pared to share Tabby's simple, light
hearted interest in the Thanksgiving
preparations.
Perhaps Tabby's spirit would not
have been so elastic either, if she had
had a grievous quarrel with her lover
and not seen him for two weeks; if
she had told him never to come near
her again, and he had declared he
would not until she asked him to, and
if now, the day before Thanksgiving
she was tortured between a desire to
send for him and be forgiven, and
miserable little streak of pride that
said stdon't."
The trouble had begun about fiirt-
ing black eyed girl over at Butternut
Branch, in whom Harry had been in
terested, and was yet, as Delphine
had heard, worried herself into believ-
ing, and flung up to Harry until he
grew angry and answered very sa-
vagely indeed; so what might have
been settled peaceablv ended in a gen
eral flare up. To add rasping edge
to the thing, lilly Stubs had been at
Perry's Landing, where Harry lived,
few days after the falling out, and
reported that Harry was on the point
of leaving for Butternut Branch to at
tend a sale; and Delphine was scepti-
cal about that sale.
"Any excuse to go and see Cherry
Towers after falling out with me-"
said she, giving her eyes furtive
rub with a corner of the gray ere
tonne curtain, ''not that he needs any
excuse as l see. It's all one to me
where he goes"
"Delphine, run here, honey, and
help us,'' cried Aunt Eulalie's voice,
! from what might have been the Spice
Islands, judging by the odor that ac
companied it as the door creaked
open. So Delphine dropped her re,
Elections and turned to the kitchen
half reluctantly, for she knew Miss
| Sparks was in there, having run over
to borrow a recipe of Miss Eulalie;
and Delphine was hardly in the humor
to listen to the spicy run of gossip
with which Miss Sparks entertained
her friends.
otis Just what I knowed ID hap
pen," she was saying to Eulalie as
Delphine entered the kitchen, "when
I heard lilly say he was agoin to the
Branch; but eff I was Delphine would
not keer-look out, Delphine, you're
about to set on that dish of aigs; bet
ter not let Harry Hardy's doin's upset
you that way. faint worth spilin'
Thanksgiving for eff he does cut
Shines"
"What shines has he been cutting?"
asked Delphine, sturdily, buttoning
on brown apron and tucking up her
sleeves.
"Wen," returned Miss Sparks,
"Louizy Jones, that used to be a
schoolmate of sister Jenny's, has just
moved to the Branch, right next door
to the Towers's, an she wrote to sis
ter Jenny atelling her how Mr.. Harry
Hardy, from Perry's Landing, he'd
been a cutting around with Cherry
Towers till everybody lowed they
was going to be married. Maybe it
isn't SO, but Jimmy says Louizy won't
lie, and she sayed she knowed they
was engaged"
"ShOO,n remarked Miss Eulalie.