Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1901-04-03

| ~ leaving l0e poor little present., pack
age Of tea crackers and robin pie, the
boy was of before the old people had
reused themselves from the shock Of his
| news. sS@.1 Y$s5s~;
Real want at Tolstpne House,! The
place was their ideal 81 all that was rich,
| beautiful and generous. They both sat
silent awhile, casting solicitous glances
! at the robin pie and tea cakes. 1872 -.
There was long pause, then Rebie
said, IA young, tender goose amt bad
| eatin." -
| Now, though Easter, as they called
him, might, as the ages Of geese 60, be
expected to have many year before
| him, yet he could by no means be called
young and tender, but SO he seemed to
these fond old people.
Fer young masters sake" murmured
Neck, tenderly stroking the gander's
white head as Easter Kissed softly and
upturned questioning pink trimmed eye.
Us can put him live in a basket and
start by soon daylight
Il must carry dat box to young mas
ter
"You tote de box. I'll tote de goslin."
Latterly Meck's uneasiness over the
box had kept him wakeful, but that night
the knowledge that he was so soon to get
rid of the great responsibility acted like
sedative on the weary old brain.
Old Rebie, however, kept awake as
long as the pet Of the household remain
ed restless, and it was late ere she, too,
sank into heavy sumber.
But at midnight both old people were
shaken roughly from their slumbers by
loud note of terror from Easter. Oats
dat gander! Kill him." said muttled
voice in the cabin.
Instantly Meek snatched the old pistol
| from his pillow and cooked it with loud
click.
lord, have mercy on me-" groaned
Meek, but if you was my own son I'D
kill you if you got dat box. If don't see
| you git empty handed out dat do TO- I
count three, you is a dead niger fer
| sho."
Then Aunt Rebie screamed louder than
| Easter, and the two cowardly thieves
made dash for the door. AS they leaped
out the two old people saw that one was
their scapegrace, their sorrow, JOHN.
Neck made fast the door again. Easter
Kissed in exultation. The rest of the
night they sat by the hearth guarding
their trust. Next morning at dawn the
old couple were off, laden with box, bas-
ket and blunderbuss. The sweet April
air was all astir with fight and f1uttering
of bird wings. The fence corners were
blue with wild violets. The golden bells
of the jasmine sweetened every swamp
and field.
At last the white pillars Of Tolstone
House came in sight. The poor old peo-
pie were admitted, and Rebie presented
her gift-Easter.
Easter behaved very handsomely. He
| turned up one bright eye on the master,
the other on the mistress, who wept at
the gift Of her former slave. Master,
| too, must wipe his glasses. Meek put the
! box on the table before the colonel. From
I his neck he took the key on it's leather
| string. Old master had given it to him
| old colonel was wild spendthrift.
After much ado it opened. The lid was
lifted. The glow of gold and the sparkle
of jewels shone before the amazed eyes:
A yellow letter told part of the story.
The coloners recollections of his early
escapades filled up any blanks.
"And Easter save us all dat money"
cried Rebie, and she reiterated the story
of how the sagacious gander had awak-
ened them in the night.
easter shall never be eaten," declared
! mistress. Indeed, Casters age had al
| ready given bond that he should never be
! eaten with pleasure.
So it came about that the colonels
young son visited a home of rejoicing
| instead of one of sorrow.
The two old people went but once more
to their cabin in the lonely swamp, and
then only to move all their belongings to
house Of their own in sight of Tolstone
Place, gift of young master.-New
York Evening Post.