The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1903-11-21
THE THANKSGIVING GUESTS.

Frances McErath in Woman's Home Companion.
As Mrs Tom Cray ferreted out the last
speck of dust in her parlor, and wiped it
carefully away, she smiled. She was
thinking of the feather in her new Chicago
hat. 1t was Thanksgiving, and she was
going to town. and was going to dine at
the Grand Interoceanic Continental Hotel,
where there was sure to be Il general turn
out Thanksgiving evening.
IL guess them city folksll see fur
wunst that they ain a bit stylisher than
ranch folks can be when they We mind, .
she said, drawing her tall, raw -boned fig
ure up finely.
Mrs. Cray stylish tastes were cultivat-
ed, but her immaculate neatness was in
born. She had been up since before day
light reducing her house to perfect order
preparatory to leaving it for twenty four
hours, and every tin in her kitchen reflect
ed her face by the time she had finished
her work.
She was starting upstairs in some ex-
element to dress herself when Charlie
Ames abruptly opened the diningroom
door. His face was radiant.
':Mornin p he called, blithely. "Say,
Mis- Cray, Neddy's maxim a extry trip
to town today, an is bringin you two
folks fur Thanksgivin' dinner. S'long."
Mrs Cray rushed across the floor, and
flung open the door after him.
"Ames! You Ames!' she screamed
But Ames had already galloped past the
barn.
"Well, eff ever | was born to live!"
exclaimed Mrs. Cray, Indignantly. "Tom
Cray
Tom stuck his head out of the barn
door. sTn hev the team ready by ten, :"
he called out to her, placidly.
'Come here!'
A dubious smile overspread little Tom 5
face as he approached his wife.
"What's up now?' he inquired.
''Plenty's up! Charlie Ames says Ned
dy's bringin' two shoppers fur dinner to-
day.
| ~
ssThey won't get no dinner here!r
ssThet wouldn't look real hospital ful
Thanksgivin' would it 2
cts hospital or it ain hospital! re,
torted his wife Il don't care! I've
laid out we d go to town, and We re goin' y
Tom scratched his head thoughtfully
s"Wal," he said, ''seein' as how we re
runnin' road ranch, an folks sorter looks
to here to eat
II don't care what folks look to, Tn
goin' to town.
"Mebbe," Tom mildly suggested, "yor
might leave some stuff on the table, an
set out handful O kindlin's, SOS Neddy
could make the coffee.
can hev my clean house all hoofec
ND with lot O muddy boots! Wall.
guess not! Nobody gets in here while
, we re away!''
sWall, it amt altogether customable tt
lock the doors when there ain t no one tt
ct folks in. Mebbe they'd be took sick
'sTook sick Tom Cray, you re nuf II
set steer in the dippin' vat -laughin !!
make my guess it s thet high toned outfi
thet went through to Seeley's last week t.
look at springers thet Neddy's bringin
back today, seeip' he's maxim extry
stead O layin' off over Thanksgivin' lik
he'd calculated. Sick They was tn
healthiest bunch l ever put my eyes on
settin' back in my parlor chairs, rumplin
up the clean tides, like they was too goo'
: to wait out in the kitchen tell dinner d b.
ready An neither of EN- offerin t.
help wash up after, neither No, stree
J | amt stayin' home to keep the hous
open fur any New York doods like them
You better go hook up the team. Tn
goin' to get into my good clothes.
Tom stood looking out of the window
with troubled pucker on his bronze'
brow He was a quiet little man, and
was a rare thing for him to take stant
contrary to the opinions or purposes of hi
more ostentatiously determined wife, bu
there were certain principles so deeply in
grained in his makeup that it was working
! against Nature to oppose them. The un
written law of open hospitality on the rang'
, was to him inexorable His wife was hal
way up the stairs when he called her.
.''Hold on there, jimmy !"
There was an unusual quality in hi
, voice, and she halted.
; 81 guess" Tom said, slowly, .'me an
yous got to stop home an look out fu
Neddy's folks, seein' it's Thanksgivin'
aWell, my landr' returned Mrs. Cray