Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1898-12-05

a better class Of customers.
AS it happened Semantha's birthday
fell on Thanksgiving this year-the
first Thanksgiving in this far-off land.
It seemed strange that all of their
preparations were for the Exchange.
where there was to be special menu,
including turkey, CRANBERRY sauce and
mince pies, for in the old days Saman-
tina and her mother had been given to
hospitality"
Two pies they had reserved when
| they sent off the last basketful, one
for the family down stairs, and one
surreptitiously decorated by Mrs
Snow with Semantha's initials cut in
the corner, IS. ST." in honor of her
birthday. 1t was very mild cele-
bration, certainly, but Semantha's
mother felt secretly elated over it, and
then little sobered and subdued as
she counted up the years and realized
that her baby would be 81.
"She's good girl, I dunno what I'd
of done without her." she sighed, as
her thoughts ran back over the thirty
eight years of their life together.
"She only had one Offer / always
wondered why twas she couldn't
make up her mind to take Hank Slo-
cum He was kind of humbly, to be
sure, but he was good and kind, and
dreadful fond of Smanthy. Hen Ed
Tompkins was always kind of naggin'
one 'nuther. The only thing they
agreed about, I guess, was my pies =
and complacent smile stole over her
wrinkled face, as she recalled the
universal tribute paid to her culinary
skill. She was not surprised at the
sale of No. Ills mince pies. It kept
them both busy and almost happy,
for nothing is so exhilarating as sue
cess.
! When a note came from the Ex-
change for Samantha, Thanksgiving
day, while she was at church, with
| the bearer waiting for an answer,
Mrs. Snow having opened and read it,
beamed on the small messenger over
her iron-rimmed spectacles. No. Ills
pies were all sold, could she send two
or three for use in the lunch room
that noon?
Mrs. Snow hustled about thanking
her lucky stars that she felt too full
of rheumatism" to go out that morn
ing. The pies reserved for the folks
down stairs" and even the one with
| the birthday lettering must be sacri
! feed. Mrs. Snow was thrifty New
England woman; sentiment was very
well in It's way, and it cost her
pang when she thought OF the birth
day surprise she had meant should
give so much pleasure to Samantha,
but business was business. More
over, the Exchange board had always
treated Samantha ''as one lady should
another" and Samantha mustn't
disappoint them now
TELL them, hubby" said she, not
to cut the one with the letters on un-
less they need it. We'd like it back
if the other holds out"
The boy departed with both pies
neatly packed in basket, and with
particularly crisp cooky in his ready
right hand. His pay was small, but
he had learned that there were per-
quisties pertaining to his responsible
office, and being neat and rosy and
Wiling, that they could in most cases
be relied upon. This particular per-
quisite being speedily disposed of, he
went on his way whistling carelessly,
all unconscious of all that was de-
pending on the faithful discharge of
his duty as errand boy of the Wo-
mans exchange. If he had fingered
by the way, for instance, to read the
ing played that morning between
their own high school team and that
of rival school at a neighboring
town (for was not this Thanksgiving
day?). Fortunately, a glance at the
returns only stimulated him to hurry
through with his work in order to get
off for the great university game in
the afternoon.
So his two pies reached their des-
tination in time, and as fate would
have it, one having been sent to the
kitchen for instant use, Semantha's
birthday pie, with it's mysterious S. S.,
was just being placed in the showcase
in the salesrOom when a man entered
and looked about him with some in
terest and curiosity, it being his first
visit to Woman's exchange. Nat
urally his eye fell upon the pie. He
regarded it with what seemed to the
clerk such fixed and strange stare
that she was almost alarmed. But
they were used to all kinds of Gus
toners. If the man were unbalanced
mentally, he looked quiet, and there
were plenty of people in the lunch
room If she needed help.
you serve lunches here, I be-
lieve?" said the man at length.
Eyes, sir; next room beyond"
could l." hesitatingly, have a
piece of this mince pie?"
I'VE have orders, sir. not to cut it
unless it is necessary, but another of
!. is is being served now in the
lunch room"
ooh, who is No. Ill ?"
skYTyl.-