The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1903-11-19
A THANKFUL
THANKSGIVING


DON'T feel as if | should enjoy this
Thanksgivin', said Mrs. Joel Ms
q bett, looking down into the basket OF
glossy. red checked Spitzenbergs as If II
were a family vault and taking up an
apple as If it had been skull; mo,
don't"
"Then. Sarepta," observed her hus
band, who had just thrown huge loe
on the open fire, you don't disarn moth
in TO be thankful for! It's as harnsomt
turkey as ever tapped, and don
know of a year when I've had nlcei
pumpkins on that ar corn lot!'
"'Tain't turkey or pumpkin pies OF
cranberry sass as makes Thanksgivln' )
sighed Mrs. Nisbett.
What is it, then? Eff it's cold weath
er, l should ha' thought the last fros'
would ha' done the business for yor
pretty fairly. Them artemisias by tht
front door is scorched black, and the Ole
maple is losin' its leaves as If they was
rainin' down. Parson Jarvis rs comm
all the way from Sloatesville to preacf
tomorrow, and the quire's larned bran
new anthem just a-purpose, about beln
thankful for harvest and all that sort o.
thing. I'm sure | don't know what else
you'd have"
Mrs. Nisbett only answered by sigh
81 wonder If faint possible Stephel l
be hum tonight" she said after pause
"He writ not He thought he'd droi
in arly tomorrow mornin' IL he caugh
the train he expected. Only think, ole
woman: it's FIVE years since Stephe wa'
hum to Thanksgivin'!
Old Nisbett rubbed his horny hands
with a chuckle, adding:
"And l s'pose, if all accounts is true
he's gettin' to be great man out il
that western country. 1t was kind OF
hard pull when he went of and left us
but maybe the boy was in the right,
Yes" said Mrs. Nisbett dolorously
"but somehow l can't get reconciled t.
the idea of his marryin' a strange ga
out there"
Joel scratched his head. This was
phase of the subject that he scarcel!
, felt competent to discuss.
Maybe you'll like her. Stephen say
she's nice gal.
"Stephen says! As if man over heaC
and ears in love wouldn't say anything.
Il wish he'd told us who she was"
Mrs. Nisbett groaned again. Joel wen
out to the woOdpile, the everyday shrin'
whence he generally derived what httl
of philosOphic inspiration he had.
Mrs. Nisbett!'
1t was a soft little voice, and the oil
,lady's face relaxed instinctively as
sounded on her ears.
"Why, Ida Tremaine-'tain't you!
sit is. I've done everything that Aun
Constance wanted, and now I've just rul
over to see if you don't need a bit o
help"
She stood in the doorway, a fair littf
apparition, all flushed and rosy with tn
November wind, while her blue eye
sparkled as if they were twin sapphire
hidden away under her long, dark lashes
She was neither blond nor brunette, bu
fresh checked girl, with nut brow
hair, skin like the leaf of damask rose
a straight, refined nose and lips as rip
as a red crsbapple, though by no mean
SO sour. Generally she had a demur
sort of gravity lingering about her face
but when she did laugh a dimple cam
out upon her cheek and row of pearl
teeth glimmered instantaneously.
In one hand she carried bunch o
late autumn flowers.
See" she cried, holding them up. e
ransacked Aunt Constance's garden 70
these. knew that big vase on the man
tel needed something, and, with a branc
or so of scarlet leaves, I'll have a roya
bouquet to help you keep Thanksgiving.
Mrs, Nisbett took the fair oval fac
between her two hands and kissed tn
fresh little mouth.
"Set down. Ida" she said. Il WASH
a-calculatin' TO have no sech fxin's uI
but you've serh a way, child, l can
never say no to you
"Eut you're going to keep Thanksgiy
ing." cried Ida. throwing of her QUITE
wronn.ngs and dancing up to the lookin
glass like little gale of wind. "becaus
You invited Aunt Constance and me {
dinner and because your son is comm
home"
"Yes. child. yes" said Mrs. Nisbeti
subsiding once more into the mOurnfu
key from which Lida's sudden appear
ance had momentarily aroused hei
"Joel's got the turkey shut up in a cooT
and the bakin's done, and I'm just a-fz
In them apples, and"
"Oh. OH" cried Lids, who had nut
tered to the window, what glorious re
leaves speckled over with little drops 0
gold! May | make some wresths for tn
wall? oh. please say yes"
Mrs. Nisbett said ''yes"-it would hav
been hard work to say mo- to Ida
and the girl soon came in, her apron fu
Of the sprigs of the old maple tres
whose shsdOwy boughs kept the windo'
yeiled with cool shadows through u
giaring summer days and showered fad
ing gold upon the dead grass when tn
autumn came.
Mrs. Nisbett looked with tenderness
upon the graceful little figure seated o
the hearth rug. when the shine Of II
high heaped logs lost itself in her brigh
hair and made sparkles in her eyes, g
tie wreaths and trails Of autumn leavs
grew rapidly beneath her deft fingers
"I.ida." she said softly, Ida, n
aasrFw Tf9a lacked m