Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Benton County, Or.) 1900-1909, 1903-11-24
A THANKFUL
THANKSGIVING

III ThankSglVln, Saao MIS-. Joel MIS-
0bett, looking down into the basket OF
glossy, red checked Spitzenbergs as if it
were a family vault and taking up an
apple as if it had been a skull; mo, l
don't"
."Then, Sarepta,'' observed her hus-
band, who had just thrown huge log
on the open fire, .'you don't disarn moth
in to be thankful for! It's as harnsome
turkey as ever tapped, and l don't
know of a year when I've had nicer
pumpkins on that ar corn lot!'
t'Tain't turkey or pumpkin pies or
cranberry sass as makes Thanksg1Vln
sighed Mrs. Nisbett.
.What is it, then? Eff it's cold wealth
er, l should ha' thought the last frost
would ha' done the business for you
pretty fairly. Them artemisias by the
front door is scorched black, and the old
maple is losin' it's leaves as if they was
rainin' down. Parson Jarvis is comm
all the way. from Sloatesyille to preach
tomorrow, and the quire's larned bran
new anthem just a-purpose, about bein
thankful for harvest and all that sort OF
thing. I'm sure 1 don't know what else
you'd have"
Mrs. Nisbett only answered by sigh.
WONDER Tain pOsSiUlc NtCRhAS AZ
be hum tonight" she said after pause.
.'He writ not. He thought he'd drop
in arly tomorrow mornin IT he caught
the train he expected. Only think, old
woman; it's FIVE years since Stephe was
hum to Thanksgivin'!
Old Nisbett rubbed his horny hands,
with chuckle, adding:
"And> I s'pose, if all accounts is true,
10 ho ma
that western country. 1t was kind of a
hard pull when he went off and left us,
bu. maybe the boy was in the right
.Yes," said Mrs. Nisbett dolorously,
ssbut somehow I can't get reconciled to
the idea of his marryin' a strange gal
out there"
Joel scratched his head. This was
phase of the subject that he scarcely
felt competent to discuss.
MAYBE you'll like her. Stephen says
she's nice gal
sStephen says! As if q man over head
and ears in love wouldn't say anything"
s'I wish he'd told us who she was"
Mrs. Nisbett groaned again. Joel went
out to the woodpile, the everyday shrine
whence he generally derived what little
of philosophic inspiration he had.
Mrs. Nisbeht!''
It was a soft little voice. and the old
lady's face relaxed instinctively as it
sounded on her ears.
"Why, Ida Tremaine-'tain't your
''It is. I've done everything that Aunt
Constance wanted, and now I've just run
over to see if you don't need bit OF
help"
She stood in the doorway, fair little
apparition, all flushed and rosy with the
November wind, while her blue eyes
sparkled as if they were twin sapphires
hidden away under her long, dark lashes.
She was neither blond nor brunette, but
a fresh checked girl, with nut brown
hair, skin like the leaf of a damask rose,
q straight, refined nose and lips as ripe
as red crabapple, though Dy no means
30 sour. Generally she had demure
sort of gravity lingering about her face,
but when she did laugh a dimple came
out upon her cheek and a row of pearly
teeth glimmered instantaneously.
In one hand she carried bunch of
late autumn flowers.
''Seep' she cried. holding them up. Il
ransacked Aunt Constance's garden for
these. 1 knew that big vase on the man
tel needed something, and, with branch
or so of scarlet leaves, I'll have royal
bouquet TO nelp you keep 1uaukSSlVIng.
Mrs. Nisbett took the fair oval face
between her two hands and kissed the
fresh little mouth.
''Set down, Lida,' she said. II wasn't
a-calculatin' to have no sech fxin's up, |
but you've sech a way, child, 1 can't
never say no to you."
..I;ut you're going to keep Thanksgiv-
ing cried Ida, throwing off her OUTER
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.
'Joeps got the turkey shut up in a coop,
and the bakin's done, and I'm just a-dx- |
in them apples, and
"Oh, oh,' cried Ida, who had fut-
tered to the window, what glorious red
leaves speckled over with little drops of |
gold! May / make some wreaths for the
wall? Oh. please say yes
Mrs- Nisbett said "yes"-it would have