The Republican journal., 1899-01-26
places the law is disregarded; but hard

ly believe that
Eyes, MISS" said Moon again, speak
ing very humbly, with his head bowed
bashfully over the little empty cup.
Il have been told that unless store
sells liquor on the sly or openly, it will
not prosper;' and now she threw back
her head and smiled, showing her dim
pies and her pearly teeth. ''Why, look
at this store 'lsn't there prosperity
here?'
''It's finer than the one you was in up
to Limestone, aim it, miss?' questioned
Moon.
every much finer,'' said the tea lady.
Dave Kelly had been widower for four
years; he was making money rapidly; but
this was the first Saturday night that he
had ever allowed his boy to remain in the
store. Little Dave was warm friends with
the tea-lady; he was in the back of the
store, close to that dazzling whiteness of
the impromptu tea table. Every now and
then the tea lady's eyes met tie boy S and
smiled. and little Dave smiled back, eager
ly. keep your shop and your shop will
keep YOU" Kelly had believed in the
truth of this saying from the time when
he wrote the line out in a discreditable
manner in a country sehoolhouse; but he
purer light until that night Why, it
seemed to him, in bewildered way to be
sure, as if it were a sort of home, a place
of education and refinement. He could
almost laugh at himself, it was so very
foolish, and yet certain halo formed it.
self around that back end of the store,
where the white hands were busy serving
tea. The Saturday night customers were
in no hurry to depart. They sat about on
stools and kegs telling stories-interest-
ing and remarkable stories tit for the ears
of a lady and tit for the ears of little Dave
''They re feelin' a heap better than if
they got what the most OF EN- come
for" said Dave to himself; and then he
sighed. What would the tea lady think
of him if she were suddenly informed that
he was a breaker of the law? What would
she think if she knew of those barrels in
the cellar? Suppose every Saturday night
she could be there, handing out her cups
of tea, talking to the men, laughing at
the stories of adventures and country
life? What different place Kelly's store
would be.
Then a thought came to Kelly and up
lifted him. 1t is never too late for man
to turn over new leaf. He could do
away with the cellar traffic, he could tear
the United States license off the soap
box and be done with it for good and all
But the tea-lady would depart from
Harvest on Monday morning. On Sunday
she would 60 to the town church; she had
promised to take little Dave with her.
She would say her prayers in the church
and have kindly thoughts towards the
people of Harvest and she would 20 away
knowing nothing of those Saturday nights
in the kelly's store and of that moment
in which the storekeeper honestly desired
change for the better.
The customers observed that Dave was
in the old doleful dumps, when at last the
judge decided that the folks had best be
goin' home and not keep the lady up till
Sunday morning.
''We've had a fust-ra time, Kelly, |
bel be blessed if we amt" declared
the station master
81 amt seen the stars on a Saturday
night for years" calculated old Billy,
pleased and surprised. "Cracky. Think
o. thatr'
Cheer up, cheer up, manr' cried the
old soldier; you can afford a spell o.
dull trade, you bloated bOndholder, you.
Thunder, but we've beat Limestone all t
piecesn'
YES, said Kelly, with feeble grin,
''we'v beat Limestone; that's certain
A month later, however, Mr.. Kelly was
the recipient OF warm congratulations
The storekeeper had, according to the
gossip of the town cleaned out his cellar
and decided to go into the tea business
NThere's no doubt of it but Harvest has
beat Limestone in this instance" said
Toots Little, with a cackling laugh
Harvest mas got the tea lady,
lie d never had the spunk to ask her
eft tie boy hadn't egged him on, decar-
ed old Billy. '',They re goin' to have a
powerful big weddin', so L hear When
we was beatin Limestone we beat her
thunderin' good, | bel be
"Blessed is a good word, BLY, said
the station master Independent.