The gold leaf., 1898-11-24

1t was growing dark when Miss Mat
tie, with her basket on her arm, came
into the corner market to buy her
Thanksgiving dinner The basket was
absurdly small, but Miss Matte was
little herself, and when she set it on
the high counter and stood blinking in
the bright light, the calf's head at her
elbow seemed to be grinning at them
both.
We'll, Miss Mattie," called out the
market man, in his hearty fashion, Il
see your mind is not set on a turkey
this time, but just wait till l start this
basket off for Cap'n Lawson's and I'll
show you the right thing-a plump lit
tie duck 1 clapped into the safe this
morning, thinking to myself that's the
very moral of a treat for Miss Matte"
Miss Matte looked embarrassed and
rubbed her forefnger uneasily over a
small coin that lay in the palm of her
hand under her glove. 1t was a silver
fve-cent piece, and she had taken it
with much hesitation from little store
Of pieces, most of them given her when
she was a child. For herself she could
have got along very well with bread
and tea, but somehow it seemed dis
honor to all her happy past not to have
something special on Thanksgiving;
and so she had a feeling of real pity
for it, lying there warm and snug in
her palm, and so soon to go tumbling
into the heap of clashing, jingling
coins tossed about by the butchers
greasy fingers, or perhaps into the
pocket of that horrible apron with
blood-stains on it. Miss Matte shud-
dered, but quickly recovered herself to
say, cheerfully:
ooh, thank you, Mr. Simmons; but
don't you think ducks are a sight of
trouble, what with the stuffing and the
roasting and needing to be looked after
and basted regular? l made up my
mind to something simple, and I don't
know anything that's easier got or
more relishing than lamb chops. Two
lamb chops is about what thought of,
Mr.. Simmons. You know there's only
me-"
Mr.. Simmons had not seen the five
cent piece, but he understood just as
we'll as if he had, and began to cut the
chops at once, talking all the time to
relieve his own EN- oarrassment and as
suring Miss Matte that ''if folks only
knew it, there was nothing like lamb
chops to encourage your appetite and
strengthen you up all over"
But you'll have to take three
chops" looking curiously at the money
Miss Matte laid iE his big hand, cor
I'll have to make change, and change
is scarcer than hens teeth tonight.
You might have company unexpected,
| you know, and an extry chop would
come in handy"
Miss Matte laughed SO genially that
| the market man ventured to slip a
| sweetbread and a bunch of yellow Gel
| cry into the basket on the sly. He
would have loved to put in the duck,
| but that would have looked as if he
| suspected her reason for not buying
it, and, bless you, he knew better than
| that. Some people have feelings,
though their faces are red and their
hands coarse and greasy.
Miss Matte went very happily down
the street. She had lighted her lamp
| before she went out, and a cheerful
little ray smiled encouragingly at her
as she came to the gate. All the other
windows in the weather-beaten old
house were black and empty and look
ed to the lonesome little woman AS if
all sorts Of hobgoblins might be peep
ing out at her from the gloom behind
them, for Miss Mattie's neighbors had
gone away on a Thanksgiving visit and
taken the whole family. At least they
said "the whole family" but at the
very moment Miss Matte came to the
gate a member of the family was hud-
died up in a corner Of the doorway
cold, hungry and much perplexed tc
understand what had become of all his
friends and why, iD spite of his pitifu
plea, no one came ID open the door fol
him. He heard Miss Matte and rar
hopefully to meet her, limping as he
came, for he had "a stiff leg.
why, Tommy Barnes" said Miss
Matte, STOPPING to pat his rough yel
low head, you don't mean to say youl
folks have gone off to Thanksgiving
and left you behird Well, if / ever!
How dreadful-thoughtles you {
cripple besides!"
Tommy kept on crying, but he ha(
his eye on the door while Miss Matte
was fitting her key, and the moment i
opened he darted in.
That's right, Tommy" said Mis-
Matte; "just make yourself at home
You and I'll have our Thanksgiving to
gether. That extra chop will be want
ed after all, and I'm going to make Ri
biscuits
She put away her bonnet and shaw
and hung the basket on nail in tn,
back room without even looking at tn
contents, though Tommy Barne
watched her keenly with a shrewd sus
picion Of something good, and fain
hope which nothing in his past expert
ence justified that he might come il
for a share OF it. Miss Matte was ac
customed to being alone, and sh
scarcely thought Of Tommy, as sh
trotted about, setting the spong for he
biscuits in pint bowl, putting littl
cup Of broth on the stove to warm fo
her supper, making her tea, toastin
her bread, and at last sitting down b.
the table in the little green chair wit
patchwork cushion. Up to this poin
Tommy had sat quietly by the fire
having learned by many severe lesson
that little folks should be seen and NO
heard, but when Miss Matte poure
out the savory broth the delicious odo
was too much for his fortitude, an
with one bound he sprung into her LAP
BLESS me-" said Miss Matte, "if
hadn't clean forgot you, and you half
starved, I dare say. There, get down
I never could abide cats around N.
victuals."
She put Tommy gently On the flool