Hot Springs weekly star. (Hot Springs, S.D.) 1892-1917, 1902-03-28
At the End Of the Road
@HEY amt to know a thing about
IT unless they mistrust. Its to be

~ ssSJ 49, NSSs . = III W
- a real surpliae." said Lou Harlow,
posing herself, like one about to take
fight, in the doorway of Mrs. Green's
kitchen. You must come. Mis- Green.
II will do you good to get out. You re
too much shut up. Sarell will miss you
If you don't come. She'll want to see
her near neighbors. il nobody else is
there. Get 'Rastus to bring YOU
down."
Mrs. Green set the teapot farther
back on the stove and murmured an
indefinite Mn" The milk-house door
opened with a rattle OF pals. Louis
eyes turned Slightly in that direction
as she talked OH pcrsistently.
Brother Ed was going to step yester-
day and invite you. but he had to go
another way, so l stopped i'll now. 1t S
rather late to be giving invitations,
know; but it's all been Planned in such
a hurry that we are out and out tius-
tered. l thought, too. that ! might stir
You up to coming better than Ed could.
1T does seem too bad not to have IL lot
of folks at a tin wedding surprise par
ty. Everybody's to bring something
besides refreshments, you know. I've
the cutest little oatmeal cooker that
got at the scent store in the city. and
l shall take that. We'll, l Won t hinder
you any longer from your'supper. Good
by. Now DO come ii you can. Good
by"
The kitchen door timed its closing
with mathematical accuracy IL the is
suing Of a young man from the milk
house. Through the window Mrs.
Green saw Louis innocently surprised
start and cordial bow. but the bit of
talk that followed was inaudible to her.
She felt certain, however, that it was
about the surprise party.
of these Harlows amt m%anagin'!.'
was her mental comment. But it'll
take more'n u pretty putin OH to make
Lou one mite engagin' to 'Rastus. l
guess"
'Rastus came in presently. and, after
washing at the sink, sat down to sup
per. He al thin and not over tail.
with a vivid boyish complexion and Il
chin like his mothers, marked by IL de-
cision that almost severe GOODNESS of
gray blue eyes accentuatcd. 1t was
only when 'Rastus smiled that one
knew how winning his face could be.
Lou Harlow stopped in 10 ask lis to
a tin weddin' surprise at her brother
Willis. Probably she mentioned it to
YOU" said Mrs. Green, us SHE poured
the tea. II shall have to carry some
thin in the shape of tin. wonder if
the dipper ! got of that peddler last
week won't do. l took it Tor rags.
They do pay so little for rags now. l
declare it's hardly worth savin' 'em.
If it hadn't been for them old over
alls Of yours l shouldn't made out
enough to get this Upper"
Likely they won t have more'n seven
dippers." said 'Rastus. helping himself
to IL second dish of apple salice.
Mrs. Green looked disturbed.
We'll, dippers is handy. Every house.
keeper needs two, and they use up
quick. Clippers nowadays ain't what
Clippers used to be. There $ hardly one
to be got but has a weakness in the
solderin't. l don't know what's more
%provokin' than to have Il dippcrful of
water come splashin' on to the floor
and leave nothin' but a handle in YOUR
fingers"
The quick, bright smile flashed over
'Rastus' face.
Better carry a pan or something Of
that kind"
His mother took the suggestion as
profoundly serious.
81 haven't one l could spare. Can't
we stop for the Blake girls, 'Rastus?
They like to get out. and it's rather far
for 'em to walk now they're failin'. 1
declare it goes to my heart to see Door
Miss Betsey so meechin' lately. She
doesn't seem to know whether her
things is on straight or not. Last Sun
day twas all l could do to keep NV
mind on the sermon for wantin' to
s%traighten her false front. Twas twist.
eel so the partin' was over n eve.
And it's real pathetic to see Miss Har.
riet hOverin' about her sister and fuss.
in to make her comfortable, when all
the time Miss Harriet's the Oldest. Miss
Betsey amt but GS. l shouldn't won
der if 'twould chick 'em up considerable
to so to the surprise party this even
in'."
We'll, you can take 'em; I'll walk.
'Twould he too crowding in the buggy
for us all, and l don't want to get ont
the business wagon. There's a smoke
loose"
Mrs. Green looked narrowly at him:
the repose of his face indicated moth.
ing.
But, 'Rastus, l can't hitch old Nell,
You know how she acts the minute. we
get out-a caperin' and pullin'."
III be OH hand to look out for you"
'Rastus pushed away his chair, and
the door closed after him.
'Rastus was not long in finishing the
chores. When he had harnessel old
Nell to the Concord buggy and hitched
her to q post by the back door he came
in to shave. Mrs. Green was sitting
by the kitchen window. dressed in her
best gown-a black alpaca. with fash.
lonably large sleeves. 1t had Just been
made over. and the size of the sleeves
was supposed to offset the scantness
of the skirt. At any rate, as she told
thn OofvI,hOr droccp,ol,or .s%l,o., ,,o.,,,x