Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-11-21
OLD C|SSH'S THANKSGIVING
BY LOUISE r. BAKER.

BY LOUISE r. BAKER
The fog rested over the little station and
came quietly into the ''gentlemen's wait
Ing room " with every fresh arrival. These
early corners had no intention of going on
on the train: they were known loosely as
the cowboys" and their duty was to
haul milk to the station once or twice a
day.
The cowboys. grouped about the coal
stove on this foggy morning, were in earn
est conversation. There were omincus
shakings of wise old heads, intermittent
g.ggles from the witty youngsters, solemn
and emphatic stamps of well-shod feet
whistles. mutterings and now and then a
hearty espousal of a clever idea
No. faint no use for an old man to be
cranky, 1t don't pay. Thar comes a time
when a body's got to be looked after
whether he likes it or no. and his own
peoples the ones to do it. If an old Teller
son can't put up with him, how's the neigh
bors gunno do it?'
This somewhat lengthy speech on the
part of Farmer Gibbs met with universal
approval
That's it," said Williams, land he was
could a been kinder and more like a real
datter to old Cissel than the boys aunt
It's said as the Cissels never 81. sorry.
out It's against reason If down in his Heart
somers Bub Cissel amt sorry bout all this
rumpus. And while the law of tre land
allowed the place to be handed over to a
slxteen-year-old boy to be carried On in
the name o the uncle who bought up the
mortgages. thar's higher lawn the law
o the land that gives John Cissel a right TO
live his life out in the home place"
The Cissels is the quarest sort O. family
l ever SEEN" remarked Burdette. THE
neighborhood's taken hot sides with the
OLD man. but nary one of us knows who s
in the right and who's in the wrong. All
we know is that the furse occurred out In
The Cissel barn: that the boss was in it.
Some state as the boy knocked the old
man down, and others state that i'm the
fracas the boss rared and thataway the
old man was knocked down, but neither the
:. old man nor Bub has give out the facts O.
the case. We jest know that the old man
rode over here on the boss and is putin
up wharever they'll let him in and a-offer-
in the boss for sale. They state as Bub
says that the boss can't be sold; that il
was bought up by his mas brother aid is
his'n. but the old man Is offern' the critter
right and left
That's a good horse" said youthful
cowboy in Illuminating way. "A first
rate boss, fur,s l kin jedge. Nary white
regular trotter, and he kin go. That boss
is wuth more money'n the times'l bring"
Yes. feeds scarce" said Shacklett. Its
q powerful ROOO moss won eat MS neau
this winter
But faint every day a Teller can pick
up a boss like Cissel's," continued the en-
thusiast "'Twould pay to keep the critter
to town In the spring. He'd fetch fancy
price in town this spring. But hundred
and fifty dollars is considerable money to
git hold of nowadays
But how bout the raffie?" another of
the youngsters inquired eagerly. Il heered
they was speakin O putin the boss up to
rattle
They was speakin' of it," said Will
Jams, but the old man wouldn't hear Oh
it. He says how rattle amt nothin' but a
lottery business and the lottery's forbid,
printed and nailed Up in every post office
in the United States. He says he's been
cheated out Of a home, but that amt no
reason for him to swindle the neighbors
cut of dollar q piece all but the one man
and give the one man a boss for dollar.
He says as he can git more'n a dollar for
his boss
That sounds well enough said Bur-
dette, but when it comes to bein' turned
out Of a iodgin', havin' the tick took off
Yer bed to show you wasn't wanted 10
longer. then, l say, lottery or no lottery,
the raffie's the only thing to come at
That were true about the bed, 'hen?"
inquired Shacklett
YES, and IT seems hard, but Ann Eara
couldn't afford the eXtry expense. She says
as she amt sure he has the right TO sell
for the money nohow: she couldn't keep
her own family in meat much less a
boarder thai wasn't payin'. Yes, old Cis-
sci stayed in yer one night, sat thar On
the bench. He didn't sleep none, the night
telegrafter says, and was holler-eyed reXt
mornin'. Then the Washingtons took him
in: but they's worritin' about the board
money Already"
"Rub hears the talk: he knows how it's.
If he can't stand the old man in the house,
why don't he come forward and pay his
board elsewhere?'
Williams stamped his foot That's it."
he said impressively. why don't he?
Because Bub Cissel won't allow to nobody
that he can't stand the old man in the
house. He says If the old man can't stay
to his home, let him find what home he can
out of it. The old mans stubborn, but it
amt no more'n human If the straits he's
in hasn't weakened him down considerable.
Some folks say if Bub was to come along
and offer to fix things up the old man
wouldn't make no objections. But the boy S
got the Cissel stubbornness along with his
mothers tarnal perseverance. Sary Hop
wood cut enough o chicken feathers off the
quilts for to make a twenty hve-p pound bed
The sunlight was something beautiful to
see as the cowboys showed their milk cans
into the car and began to dSperse around
the station: it lay along the fence rails in
brilliant streaks and on the frosty ground
were silver sprigs and silver stones. Even
the half-froZen road dirt lay in ridges of
crusted wilderness. 1t looked If there
would be a right good freeze soon and a
healthy winter
Walking across the frosty road. on his
way from the store to the station, was old
Cissel He was a tall old man with stoop
in his shoulders that was becoming more
and more pronounced. His beard was rough
and straggly, the ragged lining of his coat
showed at the pockets; he needed Bulbs
aunt to see to him, the plying neig hbors
said
He looked up and spoke gravely and po-
liteIy to Shackett Then his face bright
ened perceptibly. Want to buy a boss,
Shacklett?" he inquired. Il can sell you
as fine hess as you'll happen across in
the country. I've got to sell him. III sell
him dirt cheap to you, Shacklett. I'm
wantin' money. The world amt got no use
for a man without money. I'll let you have
the critter for 1925. You'd best take me up,
eh?'' He tried to speak all through in a
busiEess-like way, in the manner Of in
dependent man Offering his wares for sale
but his voice faltered when he said that
the world hadn't any use for man with
out money and the fear showed itself in
his eyes. "A hundred and twenty-five dol
lars amt much for boss like Hawk, eh,
Shacklett?
No, faint much,' acquiesced Shacklett;
but times is hard. / tell you what you
do, Cissel," he laid his hand upon Cissel's
shoulder, you git on that thar boss, ro-
body rides him better'n you, though you's
most eighty: you jest git on that loss and
he fall m "