The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1897-01-22
friend or that, and making all sorts

of excuses and evasions.
EYES," said Miss Eloisa Elton, Johns
maiden aunt, who had not been in
vited to the Christmas dinner, and who
resented the omission highly. She stood
in front of the little glass window in
the bank where John Jones stood all
day paying out money in various sums,
from thousand-dollar bills to packages
of the corroded cents. There's some
thing very queer about it. I've been
there several times Of late, and found
her gone out. And there's been more
times than one, John, when I've been
pretty certain she's been to home all
the time, only she didn't choose to open
the door, (Yes, I'll take it in small bills,
please-twos and ones). And that amt
the worst of it! I've seen her with
these eyes-that's a ragged bill, John,
and l amt certain O. bein' able to pass
it-a-comin' out of them downtown
law Offices with a regular dude of a fell
low holding the door open for her to
pass out, and grinning as polite as a
basket of chips. And I dunno what
you think about such carryings-on,
John, but I'm of opinion they'd ought
to be looked into! Much Obliged to
you'll" and she went away with the
proceeds of the check she had been
having cashed, safely clasped into her
al~ligator-skin reticule, leaving her
nephew with a heart as heavy as lead
within his bosom.
At this very moment Janey Jones
uoc 1Uo1 1yinO Nvor. tho Cwift1v
was walking swiftly over the snow-car-
peted roads past the Traxall burying-
ground, toward the old red farmhouse
with the wellsweep in it's rear, and the
small, many-paned windows.
"a merry Christmas, Aunt Chrysten-
ah?" she said, bursting brightly into
the room where the old lady sat pairing
deep-red apples for a dumping. Give
brought you a pair of knitted slippers
to wear over your shoes when your
feet are cold, these windy nights. I
made them myself. And, oh, Aunt
Chrystenah, may I just run up to the
garnet and get a bunch Of dried bone
set, Johns cough troubles him, and
your dried herbs are SO much better
than We can get at the druggist's!'
So the tw%enty-dollar gold coin was
put back among the blankets and
shawls in the blue chest, and the hun
heart at last.
"Stop Janey!" called out Aunt Chrys-
tenah's shrill old voice from the foot of
the crooked wooden stairs, "Tve been
kind O. thinkin' sence you was here
last, and I want o to open the old
blue Chest"
Eyes, Aunt Chrystenah."
"And look in the corner below the
till, where Grandmother Biggitt's
green striped coverlet is folded
eyes, Aunt Chrystenah."
and take out two O. them gold
double eagles you'll find there in an
old stocking-one for Q and one fol
your husband. You're young folks, and
it's most a pity you shouldn't enjoy
a little of your inheritance. A Christ
mas present, Janey, from the old aunt
Christmas day."
The tears were streaming down ia
ney's cheeks, as she Rugged and kissed
the wrinkled old fairy godmother; but
she was obliged to make haste to catch
her train, with the precious coins in
her pocket, and the bunch of dried
boneset in her hand.
John was sitting solitary and forlorn
by the ash-choked fire when she came
home, with sparkling eyes and cheeks
redder than Aunt Chrystenah's big red
apples.
"Ah, John, is it your she said
gayly. Come, we must make haste