The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1902-11-27

hhi bcl->b ~ bl- MA .tIIli-ID
was rainin' down. pnrsui Jarvis is
comm all the way froin s;lu4tesville to
preach tomorrow. ana the quire's
larned a bran new anthem just a-pur-
pose, about Dein' thankful for harvest
and all that sort of thing. I'm sure l
don't know what else you'd have"
Mrs. Nisbett only answered by
sigh.
Il wonder if 'taint possible Stephe
III be hum tonight" she said after
pause.
He writ not. He thought he'd drop
in arly tomorrow mOruin' if he caught
the train he expected. Only think. old
woman; it's five years since Stephe
was hum to Thanksgivin'"
Old Nisbctt rubbed his horny hands.
with n chucllle. adding:
And | s'pOse, if all accounts is true,
he's gettin' to be Il great man out in
that western country. 1t WAS kind Of
a hard pull when he went off and left
us, but maybe the boy was in the
right"
Yes" said Mrs. Ni>hctt GOlOrOuSly,
but somehow can't get rcconciled to
the idea of his marryin' Il strange gal
out there
Joel scratched his head This was a
phase of the subject .:r:it he scarcely
felt competent to disci:ss.
MAYBE You'll like her. stephen says
she's nice gal
stephen says! As If a man over
head and ears in love wouldn't say
anything"
Il wish he'd told us who she was"
Mrs Nisbett rrnaned again. Joel
went out to the wopdpile, the everyday
shrine whence he generally derived
what little of philosophic inspiration he
had.
Mrs. Nisbett,
1t was q soft little voice. and the old
lady's face relaxed instinctively as it
sounded Oh her ears.
"Why. Ida Tromaine-'tain't yOu.'
1T is. I've done everything that Aunt
Constance wanted and now I've just
run over to see If you don't need a bit
of help
She stood In the doorway, fair little
apparition. all flushed and rosy with
tie November wind. while her blue
eyes sparklCd as if they were twin
saDphires hidden away under her long,
dark lashes. She was neither blond nor
brunette, but 4 fresh checked girl, with
nut brown hair, skin like the leaf of
damask rose, straight. refined nose
and lips as ripe as a red crabapple,
though by no means so sour Generally
she had dcmurc sort of gravity lin
lNIIf a
did laugh Il dimple came out upon her
cheek and a row of pcarly teeth gilm-
mered inStantancouSly.
In one hand she carried Il bunch or
late autumn flowers.
"Seer' she cried. holding them up.
81 ransacked Aunt COnstance's garden
for these knew that big vase on the
mantel needed something. and. with a
branch or so of scarlet leaves. I'll have
a royal bouquet TO help you keep
Thank sgivfng."
Mrs. Nisbett took the fair oval face
between her two hands and kissed the
fresh little mouth.
"Set down, Ida" she said. Il wasn't
a -calculatin' to have no sech tixin's up,
but you've sech 4 way, chilc, l can't
never say no to you.
But you're going to keep Thanks
giving" cried Ida, throwing OF her
outer wrappings and dancing up to the
looking glass like little gale of wind,
because you invited Aunt Constance
and me to dinner and because your son
is coming home"
Yes, child, yes" said Mrs. Nisbett,
subsiding once more into the mournful
key from which Lida's sudden appear
ance had momentarily aroused her
"Joels got the turkey shut up IN
coop, and the bakin' s done. and I'm
lust a-fixin' them apples, and
"Oh, OH" cried Ida, who had nut
tered to the window. what glorious