Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1905-04-18
E05I6T Gi NiIduiNG.


= " rs Easter sunday at little cabin,
out on the prairies of western Kansas
CID Pete GRIPPE and his wife had got
ihto their OK wagon, and gone away to
spend the day in visiting with some
neishbOrs on Cheyenne creek, about five
miles distant
Tillie and Bonnie Lewis. who lived
With the Gripes, to whom they were
distantly related, and because they had
no other place to live, had been left
at home to take a general charge of
things. till Pete and his wife returned
In the evening.
Dave Lewis and his fair young wife.
with their children, had lived in Missouri
few years ago The father had got
the gold fever in 4 very siroH-, form.
and believed by going to the mining re-
gionS of the Rockies he would make a
fortune. such as would enable his fam
lily to throw aside the toll and poverty
that had been their portion in life.
Leaving his wife to keep house for
her brother, who was a single man, Dave
Lewis set out for the mountains. full of
ambition and hope. a few letters had
passed between husband and wife. then
long silence ensued. Several months
heart was filled viii the direst appre-
tensions, then came a letter from
Stranger, who wrote from some obscure
mining camp in Idaho, saying that Dave
Lewis had left that place with a party
OF Venturesome prOspectors, many weeks
ago. He went on to say that while
crossing the mountains. fearful snow
storm had suddenly descended. binding
and confusing them so they had wan
dered from the trail, and not one had
escaped alive. Only few bodies had
been found, and it was believed that
Lewis body, with several of his COM
Psnions. was buried far under a snow
Glide down the pass.
Mrs Lewis never fully recovered from
the shock, and soon after, her brother
having married and gone to a ranch in
Texas. and having no other relations
to go to. she took Tillie and Bonnie to
Kansas TO live with old Pete GRIPPE
who was her deceased fathers half
brother
But she did not live long to trouble
over her condition, and all too soon poor
heart-broken Tillie and Bonnie found
themselves alone on those wild prairies
children taken to the poor house in the
adjoining county, declaring it would
take too much To keep two biz ratin
yoEng-ns like them-uns. But Pete
had declared against the poor house bust
ness. so Title and Bonnie had remained
in the GRIPPE household after their moth
er's death.
A sad enough life it was, too, which
they led in the GRIPPE cabin, without
books, playthings, or loving words, all of
which are dear to the heart of children.
On that Easter Sunday when they
were left alone, Title was ten and Ben
hie seven.
Title was using an old stub oil a broom
to sweep the uneven floor of the kitchen.
While Bonnie, with his chubby little
&hnds clasped behind him, watched her
energetic motions.
& Say, Till" he said suddenly, ''wot's
Easter"
ooh, it's to stuff eggs, all they kin
bold, l reckon" replied Tillie. pausing
with her sweeping, and trying to look
Wise. Anyway it's mostly eggs. for,
yer know, las Easter Mis- Gripe let me
60 over an spend the day with Mary
an Emmy Curry. an they had fried eggs
an billed ones. Oh, it was NICE"
3 Such holidays were rare in the little
girls life and the memory of that Eas-
ter passed with the Curry girls was
very pleasant one. Bonnie, too, remem-
bered that Easter and the heavy cold
which had made Mrs. GRIPPE forbid his
Accompanying Title on her visit. Al
though he had often gone over the de-
tails of that day with his sister, he al
ways found some fresh pleasure in dis
GUESSING it anew.
AN hadn't yer nothin'~ else? nothin'
but cggst" he asked
"Oh. yes Heaps an heaps more. We
had 'lasscs, an biscuits, an taters, an
turnipS. An jist all the eggs we could
stuff. Bat Casters mostly stufin' eggs.
j reckon" she explained, resuming her
task with the broom.
/ Say. Till" insisted the little fellow.
FegSS is mighty good"
"Ye bet they air. Bennie." returned
rilie brushing the dust into tne old
Fireplace.
won't Uncle Pete an Mis- GRIPPE
stuff eggs though to-day, over to Jor-
danSeS'y''
VI " on I 'ft'N, iUoNEn.
81 wish we I some eggs, Till"
''M8ybe we kin have some, Bennie,"
and the dark eyes of the little girl twin
kled roguishly and meaniugly.
''How kin we. when Mis- GRIPPE made
Uncle Pete tote the las one down To-
Windyville last night? An we-uus
wouldn't dars't 10 tech one eff they was
bushels Of en- hyey. an she knows jiSt
how many the hens lay every day" de-
clared Bonnie IN 4 han-veSed. half-pa-
1hetic tone.
Yes. an wouldn't she maui us like
blixy il we teched an eggs"
Wouldn't She thought
''Now Bennie. she floors swept an
we-uus air goin' down on Wolf creek to
have our Easier" announced Tillie. ar
raging herself in a little old brown hat.
She put the boys old cap on his brown
curly head. and buttoned the solitary
big brass button which fastened his little
threadbare jacket. 1nen she got up on
a chair before the old cupboard. and took
q handful Of salt from big gourd. and
several matches from the match box.
'Why, TIL, wot yer goin' 20 DO with
them cried Bonnie, watching his sis
tiers actions.
Didn't [ tell Yer we-nns air goin'
down ON Wo,t creek to have a EASTER"
She said.
Title fastened the door securely be-
hind them. then led the way TO a stack
of corn fodder behind the cattle she'd.
Dropping on her knees she becaa push
tng the fodder away with her little hard
dark hands. Bonnie bent over her. un-
oil, q, ,an,,,s,r,ahDs,A his sisters Stl-apra
movements.
'Not do yer mean by disgin' thar in
Uncle fcte's fodder pile. rills" he de-
manded with hig-eyed wonder.
yIt's s'p=ise FUR yer, Bennie." laugh
ID Title. 'I.oos thar" and sA. leaned