The Cooperstown courier. (Cooperstown, Griggs Co., N.D.) 1902-1913, 1904-12-29


So -
SIX years previous to this new year to-
day. 1t didn't matter II it were five or
six.-or seven or eight,-so long as you
subtracted four Of the years. The '".sig-
nal code" was in the back Of all the rest.
Desire turned the pages to it with trem-
ulous fingers. She read It aloud az II to
Roxy:
"Red-trouble. Come over. "
White-all's we'll.
blue-nothtngb but rheumatism. Will
come over as soon as Il clears OF.
Green-comato tea. Have made pork
cake" ##| &
The little code ran on through one
OF; two more colors. But Desires eyes
went back 70 tho first and third signals.
"Red-trouble. Come over," and then
the third With its quaint ending-Desire
smiled over that She and Delight had
always spoken Of their rheumatism as
clearing on, instead Of getting we'll.
She and Delishthad always had rheuma-
tism; It. had been q strong connecting
link between them always. Delight had
inherited hers from her mother, Desire
hers from her father. They used to
laugh and say they couldn't see that
there: was much choice between the fem
mime kind and the masculine! Both of
'em hurt!.@ Il
How often they used to laugh! That
was another connecting link. Whenthey
we're little bits. they had cried together
over their names and made long lists of
the beautiful 'poetry-names" they
longed for, on the walls Of Delight'sshed
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
Mathilde,-how they had pored over the
lovely names and chosen" again and
again! But when they grew older.they
had laughed over the quaint old names
their mothers had put their heads to-
gether and given them. For. they. had
been named on the SEINE day, whenthey
lay, little red-faced, equirming morsels
In the same big cradle. The mothers
had waited until they were a month old
and then met together for mutual coun-
sci.
"Red,-trouble. Come over" Desire
shut upthe diary sharply, but the words
kept saying themselves over and over to
her. She could not forget them. OF
course It was spot in the red table
cloth, drying in tho sun, but it kept on
saying: Trouble Come over" "Trou-
BILE. Come overall the morning. It
took the pleasure out Of the sunshine and
clear, sweet air,-the soft, new-fallen
snow and the CHEEKY calls of the chicka-
dees,-out Of the whole brightsNew
Years day. Even Roxy could not settle
down to her alternate maps and placid
Emeditations in the sunny Window: She
followed her uneasy mistress shout,
uneasy, too, and full Of wistful sympathy.
But Roxy was wise and said nothing.
Some things It's better not even to purr
to one another. b
Four years ago trivial misunder-
standing had separated these two lonely
women. It had not amounted to much in
the beginning little grievance only.
but with true New England pertinacity
they had clung each to her ownshurt,
nursing it into vigorous life. Il was
four years old now. The narrow width
Of q country roadway that ran between
the two little brown houses might have
been the breadth of the sea.
In the early afternoon, Desire and
Roxy had New Years callers. The min
lister came first and prayed with them in
his simple, heartfelt way. He thanked
the Lord for peace and goodwill on
earth,-for the pleasant old year and
the beautiful beginning Of the new one.
It was q grateful, comforting prayer:
there was nothing in it about misunder-
standings and trouble and rheumatism.
Then the doctors wife came ii with
her baby, and stayed long enough to
patch pair Of little stockings. Then
Mrs. Deacon Blinn came,-then Hosy
TodA's two little girls,-last Of all, laugh
ing Jeny Rand.
MERRY Christ mean Happy New
Year," laughed Jeffy. Thought I'd
come an wish 1t. I've been to Ill the
this-side- -the-street houses up to here.
an I'm comm back on the other side
'xceptin' shan't 60 to Tolly VILLAGES
house. ].
''Why not to Tolly's, Jelfy?"
Jeffy laughed. -he always laughed.
"'Cause we've fell out," he said, cheer
lily. you don't go to folk s houses you've
fol- out with an wisa 'em Happ1' New
Years. Do you7"