Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1905-04-19
EQSeI Of WindyVn|e.


1t was Easter Sunday at little cabin.
out on the praires of western Kansas.
Old Pete Gripe and his wife had got
Into their OK wagon, and gone away to
spend the day in visiting with some
neighbors on Cheyenne creek, about FIVE
miles distant.
Tillie and Rennie 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 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
a few years ago. The father had got
the gold fever in a very strong 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 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
rolled by. during which time Mrs. Lewis
heart was filed wiz, the direst appre-
tensions. then came letter from n
stranger, who wrote from some obscure
mining camp in Idaho, saying that Dave
Lewis had left that place with 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 1t was believed that
Lewis body. with several of his com
panions. was buried far under a snow
slide down the pass.
Mrs. Lewis never fully recovered from
the shock, and soon after, her brother
having married and gone to ranch in
Texas. and having no other relations
to go to, she took Tillie and Bonnie to
Kansas to live with old Pete Crime
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.
1t was Mrs. Gripes wish to have the
children taken TO the poor house in the
adjoining county, declaring 1t would
take too much to keep two big eatin'
young-uns like them-uns. But Pete
had declared against the poor house bust
ness, so Tillie 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 Gripe 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
ME seven.
Tillis was using an old stub OF q broom
to sweep the uneven floor of the kitchen.
while Bonnie, with his chubby little
hands clasped behind him, watched her
energetic motions.
Say. TILL he said suddenly, "wot's
Easter?"
"Oh, it's to stuff eggs, all they kin
hold, 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
go over an spend the day with Mary
an Emmy Curry. an they had fried eggs
an billed ones. oh, it was nicem
Such holidays We're rare in the little
girls life, and the memory of that Eas.
ter passed with the Curry girls was n
very pleasant one. Bonnie. too remem.
bered that Easter. and the heavy cold
which had made Mrs. grippe forbid his
accompanying Tillie on her visit. AL
though lie had often gone over the de-
tails of that day with his sister, he al.
ways found some fresh pleasure in dis.
cussing it anew.
AN hadn't yer nothin' else? nothin'
but esss?' he asked
"Oh. yes Heaps an heaps more. We
had 'lasses. mn biscuits. an taters. an
turnps. An jist all the eggs we could
stuff But Easter's mostly stufiln' eggs,
j reckon" she explained rcsuming her
task with the broom.
Say. TILL insisted the little fellow,
eggs is mighty good
"Ye bet they air, Bennie." returned
Tillie. brushing the dust into the old
fireplace.
won't Uncle Pete an Mis- Gripe
stuff eggs though to-day, over to Jor-
my Won't they. though"
wish we had some eggs, Till"
Maybe we kin have some. Benne.'
and the dark eyes of the little girl twin
kled roguishly and meanngly.
How kin we. when Mis- Gripe made
Uncle Pete tote the las one down to
Windyville last night? An we-uns
wouldn't dars't to tech one eff they was
bushels of em hyer. an she knows list
how many the hens lay every day." de-
clared Bonnie in n half-vexed, half-pa-
thetic tone.
YES, nm wouldn't she maui US like
blixy il we teched an eggY
Wouldn't she tllough:''
Now. Bennie, the floors swept, an
we-uns air goin' down on Wolf creek to
have our Easter" announced Tillie. ar
raying herself in 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
threadhnre jacket. linen she got up on
q chair before the old cupboard, and took
q handful of salt from big yourd, and
several matches from the paatch box.
"Why, Till, wot yer gsia' to do with
them?" cried Bonnie, watching his sis
ter's actions.
"Didn't tell yer we-uns air goin'
uoNh on NoiI creek 10 nave EASTER!
sll said.
Title fastened the door securely he
hind them. then led the way to a stack
Of corn fodder behind the cattle shed.
{ Dropping on her knees she began pusl,-
Ing the fodder away with her little hard.
dark hands. Bennie bent over her. I'M
able to comprehend his sisters strange
movements.
"Wot do yer mean by dlggin' thar in
Uncle I'etc's fodder pile. Till?" he de-
manded with big-eyed wonder.
ITS Il s'prise fur YER Bennie," laugh