Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1902-11-05

| nan turned abruptly back, hliHeud
bent over her stocking again with such
a mist in her eyes that she could see
| neither needle nor heel; and presently
the tears began to rain down upon her
| fingers, and she got hastily UP and
closed the door.
But tho Hannah could not speak
| to her sister about the letter, she con-
| trived to leave 1t without the envelope,
where Kimetia was sure to pick it up.
And when Kimetia had done so, and
! had glanced at the opening sentence of
the letter and its signature. She under
stood her sisters intention, and read
the letter from beginning to end. 1t
was from the one old friend of their
youth who survived, and who was to
| both the sisters, not only the dearest
person left in the world, but the dear
est of kin as well, her mother having
| been second cousin of Hannah's and
Kimetia's mother. They had always
called her cousin Jo,' and had loved
her like an absent sister.
| And now Cousin 10 wrote that she
was coming all the way from her wes-
| tern home to spend one more Thanks
giving with, Hannah and Kimetia
among the scenes Of their youth. For
| twenty years the sisters had not seen
! her face-and now she was coming
back, perhap s for the last time, at the
height of their unfortunate quarrel, to
spend Thanksgiving day.
| The silent struggle going on in the
minds of the two sisters during the
fortnight intervening between the re-
ceipt of Cousin JOS letter and the day
!, set for her arrival-what words could
| describe it? 1t was a struggle between
! love and will-love pleading necessarily
and nightly for reconciliation, at any
! cost of pride or opinion. and will Stern
| ly resisting and standing fast in a
] strength born of generations of native
stubbornness and doctrinal bigotry.
And will conquered.
Hannah and Kimetia Deering had
both been watching for Cousin 10, one
| from the parlor window and one from
the window of the sitting ROOM. AS
Cousin 10 came up the path, accom-
panied by the stage driver Juggling bag
and baggage, the sisters both went to
the front door. Hannah opened 1t, for
the knob was on her side of the hall,
and Kimetia pushed 1t back against
| her side of the wall; and there they
stood, each on her side of the chalk
/ line, ready to greet their beaming guest.
The scanned ola faces were thin and
worn; the eyes looked out sadly and
hungrily; there was no smile on the
| thin lips, but they We're set so tightly
together that the mouths of the sisters
made only thin, straight lines, like knife
edges. The almost eleven months quar-
rel and arrangement had worn sadly on
Hannah and Kimetia.
Cousin JOS face was like a peony as
she came up the walk. She was fieshy
and f1oriS and did not look as old by
ten years as the two angular, gray
haired spinsters who stood in the door
way, tho she was older by two years
! than Hannah. But then, she had mar
ried young, and had a good home all
her life-and she had never quarreled.
You blessed girls!" cried Cousin 10,
trotting forward with both hands ex-
tended, II declare, If you don't look
like your own grandmother"
Hannah and Kimetia gravely held
out hand, one from each side Of the
doorway, and each grasped a hand of
their visitor. They never looked at
each other as they drew Cousin 10 into
the hall. The stage driver set down
the travelling bag, the bandbox, and the
shawl strap, full of wraps and bundles,
just inside The door, and went discreet
~ away, with the ugly white chalk line
printed on his eyes. He seemed to see
it everywhere, against the grass, the
trees, and the sky. He had said nothing
about the chalk line to his passengers.
He could not bear to mention it. He
10. H. a ~ -, I,;<,
cnce-and mis- brother had died before
they made it up.
Cousin 10 kissed both of the sisters
twice, and then stepped briskly into the
hall. The first thing her eyes rested up
on was the long straight, heavy chalk
mark running back thru the hall and
across the kitchen floor.
why, girls! are you going to have
some carpentering done in the sacred
old house?" she inquired, gayly.
Hannah shook her head. "Cone into
the parlor with me, Jo,' she said. Let
me take your things. There, sit down
by the fireplace and warm up a little.
It's pretty cold day for November"
Cousin 10 sat down and rubbed her
hands before the fire. My! 1t seems
good to be back again with you girls!"
she exclaimed. Then she glanced over
her shoulder. why, where's KIP"
"Kimetia is on her own side Of the
house, / expect" replied Hannah, stiff
fly. This is my side"
Cousin 10 started up in amazement
"Why-girls!'' she exclaimed. Then
she marched out to the door and looked
out in the hall. The broad glaring
chalk line stared her in the face. She
could not mistake it's meaning now!
Miss Kimetia was standing wistfully in
the doorway of the sitting room OPP
posite.
Xxi tell me the truth" cried Cousin
10, imperiously. Have you poor old
girls quarreled?"
kimetia bowed her head and did not
look UP again.
And drawed that mean, spitefu.
chalk mark betwixt you, and never
told me a thing about it, and let me
come on here to visit you and spend
the last Thanksgiving Day I may ever
spend with you In this world!"
The tense, indignant voice quivered.
There was no answer from either of the
sisters, Kimetia still stood with bowed
head. Hannah had slipped far back in
the gloom of the parlor.
Hannah" exclaimed Cousin 10.
turning upon the elder sister. What |
does it all mean?"
I'VE quarreled," said Hannah faint |
ly. She saw the tears standing in the |
eyes of her girlhood friend, and back |
of them the blazing fires of her right |