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

there would be no addition to his
orders. He could hardly get through
by half past 2 now.
Send 1t if you please. I will give
my address to the little fellow"
But as the door closed behind them,
the clerk, to his surprise, saw the
stranger take the package from the
boy, evidently several questions and
answers passed between them, a
quarter changed hands, and with a
smile on his face, and a quick, alert
step, the stranger turned in an op-
posite direction from that taken by
the boy, and before the clerk had re-
covered from her surprise, was out Of
sight.
When Samantha came home from
church that noon, her mother opened
the door for her with a somewhat
confused and guilty air. 81 dunno
how you'll like what I've done,
S'manthy," she began, "but I had to
do it, there want no two ways about
it,
Then the mother told how she had
sent both the reserve pies to the ex-
change.
What for, mother?"
Because they was sent for, and
guess the folks down stairs, not bein'
used to 'em won't miss 'em, and we've
got to where 40 cents amt to be
sneezed at, though it does seem a poor
kind of Thanksgivin dinner, bein'
it's your birthday, too, with only but
nut cakes and cheese for dessert"
ooh, that's all right, mother, but
it doesn't seem like Thanksgiving,
not having anything to give to any
body. I wish we could have found
someone lonlier and poorer than our
selves to share our dinner
Il was wishin' that, too, S'manthy
1t int the time of year not to do, nor
be done for But the folks down
stairs amt so poor t. I feel uncom-
Portable bout them, and as for bein'
lonely, there's plenty of 'em such as
they are
"Oh, yes. / wasn't thinking of
that, mother, only" the tears
came to her eyes and her lips
trembled.
Her mother took off her spectacles
and polished them deliberately on a
corner of her apron, clearing her
throat very audibly the while.
Nov, S'manthy,' said she, look
ing up and wiping her eyes frankly
there's no use denyin' that we're
lonesome and hOmeslck, as is only
natural, bein it's Thanksgivin' and
we situated just as we are, and havin
been situated different But things
might be worse, in fact they hev ben
worse. The prospects now are for
food and coyerin' and we'd ought to
praise the Lord, For His mercies
ever sure, which from age to age en-
dure.' This was your fathers fav'Tite
hymn What a hand he was for
singin' in church, to be sure
Just then a very audible step was
heard ascending the steep, bare
stairs. A mans step Enthusiastically,
and as Samantha and her mother
stood looking at one another ques
tioningly. mans knock ON their
kitchen door re-echoed through the
bare hail.
Samantha FASTENED to open it. A
tall middle-aged man stood before her,
his brown hair slightly tinged with
gray, his clear frank eyes looking
into hers with almost an expression
of appeal.
you don't remember me" he said
quickly.
eyes, I do faltered Samantha
growing red and white by turns.
Mother, here is one of our old friends
come to see us"
well, want to know" said Mrs.
Snow, coming towards him with
puzzled smile, and holding out a
trembling hand. She peered at him
curiously for a moment, carefully ad-
justing her spectacles for the purpose,
then queried, s'You amt Ed Tompkins
are you? declare if it don't beat all to
come acrost you way out here.
How'd you know where we was? Set
right down. S'man6hy take his coat
and hat"
II was afraid you would
UOLn udfC lOISOLGGA luG, SdlU uG.
Mother wrote me that you had set
tied here, and so I thought I'd look
you up, and see if you wouldn't give
me a Thanksgiving dinner"
"You don't live here, do your"
asked Mrs. Snow.
"No, but it's only a couple of hours
by rail from the town where / do live,
and thought I'd run over
well I call that friendly. Smanthy
d'you hear that?" to Samantha, who
had slipped into the other room
to lay aside her hat and jacket. Eds
travelled two hours on the cars just
to see u.s..
"And how did you find where we
lived?" asked Samantha softly, her
eyes smiling and her cheeks glowing
like young girls.
That's the strangest thing said
Ed. II don't know what I should
have done if / hadn't happened to
come across one of your mothers
Mos WHOM want into tho Wow n &c