St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1907-09-14

| warm friendship TO uGrSeI from young
and old.
Uncle Jerry's folks came and stop
per over on their way to Waterfowl
to spend Thanksgiving with En- she
explained. They wanted me to go
too, but Thanksgiving isn't quite the
same to me anywhere else but here >
mo, Marion, nobody can fill your
place. the bony old hand, withered
and worn in service for others
smoothed the satiny black hair caress
ingly. IF you was really my own
darter / couldn't set more store by
you"
A crimson flush overspread the soft
brunette cheek.
you haven't heard anything from
Jack yet, have you, Marion?"
No, auntie, Rot a word" she sighed.
Gust a year ago today, and it seems
like ten"
What was 1t, child, that set him
off SOP" asked Mrs Barber, gently.
1--we always wanted to know, but I
| thought when you wanted me to hear
| AZ you tell me.
why, Aunt Hepsie, didn't you
know" the girl raised her head with
look of establishment 81 supposed
of course that he had told you the
whole foolish story, or I should have
spoken Of it long ago"
mot word, dearie. He only came
in one day, his face all white and set,
to tell me that he was going, and that
all women were firts and deceivers. l
thought for awhile that you had NIT
tened him, but I've put two and two
together since an changed my mind"
why, you know, auntie, l was in
innate with Dolly Jenkins about that
time"
There, / knowed that tormented
wilder had something or other to do
with it," interrupted Mrs Barber, en-
ergetically.
"And she kept telling me of the at
tentions which Jack was paying her
on the sly, and intimating more than
she really said, until at last I taxed
Jack with it, and-you know how
QuICh JACK is, duuLlS.
Yes, ready to go off the handle at
minutes warnin' an then too proud
to own that he's in the wrong"
And he wouldn't give me word of
satisfaction as to whether she had
told the truth or not, only that if l
had commenced distrusting him so
soon we might as well part first as
last, with other speeches which cut
deeper still. Oh, 1t was SO hard, Aunt
Hepsie, when loved him So He ac-
cused me of being jealous, but it was
not SO. I only thought it best If he
really cared for her, to have the mat
ter settled rightly before it was too
late"
MY poor little girl; and that wild
der" with detestation in every tone,
shes been after him thicker'n mush
ever since she took OFF her mournin',
an all her grievance is that he would
have nothing to say to her"
Eyes, know that, now that it's too
late, Aunt Hepsie; but there's no use
crying for split milk a bright tear
trembled on the long eyelashes, land
will try and not spoil my Thanksgiv-
ing with tears"
\ At length the cooking was all done,
the big turkey dressed and ready for
stuling, and the rows on rows Of pies
and rich, plummy cakes, the pan of
doughliuts and the heaping platter of
cup cakes and another of jam tarts,
suggested a large gathering on the
morrow.
There were the chambers yet to put
in order for the guests, and Marion
took that part of the work while Aunt
Hepsie rubbed the silver and tidied
the kitchen.
Everything was already spotlessly
clean, for Aunt Hepsie was an immac-
ulate housekeeper, but there were
pitchers to fill, little looping back Of
curtains and arranging of furniture
to do, and Marion attended to. it all,
humming song as she did so.H
In Jacks room alone, no preparation
was to be made, for Aunt Hepsie
would use the room for no one but its
owner; but Marion went in there with
a lonely feeling In her heart, the song
dying upon her lips as she did SO.
Suddenly a thought came to her
she would prepare Jacks room too,
as if he were coming with the rest,
and with nimble fingers she busted
and arranged everything in the best
possible order.
The house began to fill with merry
crowd of relatives at an early hour ON
the morrow, for Thanksgiving din
ner at Aunt Hepsie's was a treat to
young and old.
The young minister was just ex-
planning the difference between q
spiritual and merely intellectual be-
lief in Scripture, when frightened
trio Of children came scrambling down
the stairs.
ooh, Aunt Hepsie, there's burglar
In Jacks room; there is, and he's
asleep on the bed
"a burglar. Don't get frightened.
ri go up and rout him out. Give me
the poker" and Horace started up the |
stairs hurriedly, with his formidable
weapon.
"And /, too" Uncle Drake, a jolly |
Did fellow Of immense aYoirdupois,
caught up the tongs. III pinch him
while Horace belabors him."
The burglar must have been in a
sound slumber not to have heard the /
confusion of whispering voices at the