Morgan County republican. (Versailles, Mo.) 1906-1914, 1907-08-29

Nt'N DoA - c'N
! the ingredients for the children's ia.
vorite cup cake, well, Marion, here
you are at last, an right glad am to
see you, too"
VI expected you would be, Aunt Hep
sic, ana l should have been here ear.
lier, but company came last night,
and I could not get away"
"A bright faced girl had entered
and was taking off her wrappings as
IL perfectly at home in the farm
house. Marion Ainslie was a charm.
ing girl, with the faculty of attaching
warm friendship to herself from young
and old.
Uncle Jerry's folks came and stop
per over on their way to WATERFOWL
to spend Thanksgiving with ELL 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 wal really my W
darter l 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, not a word" she sighed.
"Just a year s to-day, and 1t seems
like ten"
What was 1t, child, that set him
off so?" asked Mrs. Barber, gently.
tive always wanted to know, but ]
thought when you wanted me to hear
IL you'd tell me-"
Why, Aunt Hepsie, didn't you
knows" the girl raised her head with
a look of establishment. 81 supposed
OF course that he had told you the
whole foolish story, Or | should have
spoken of 1t long ago"
Not a 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 we're firts and deceivers.
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, | was in
tlLldlt WIN Dblly i'm opcNt 'hue
time -"
There, | knowed that tormented
wilder had something or other to do
with it," interrupted Mrs. Barber. en-
crgetically.
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 | taxed
Jack with 1t, and-you know how
quick Jack Is, auntie?'
Yes, ready to go off the handle at
a minutes warnin' an then too proud
to W that he's in the wrong"
And he wouldn't give me a word of
satisfaction as to whether she had
Told the truth or not, onlv that II |
had commenced distressing him so
o we might as well part first as
last, with other speeches which cut
deeper still. oh. it was so hard, Aunt
Hepsie. when ! loved him so. He &C.
cused mo of being Jealous. but it was
mot so. I only Thought IT best II he
really cared for her, to nave 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 of her m%ournin',
an all her grievance is that he would
have nothing to say to her"
yes, | 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, 'and
will try and not spoil my Thanksgiv.
ing with tears"
Al length the cooking was all done,
the big turkey dressed and ready for
stuflng, and the rows on rows of pies
and rich, plummy cakes, the pan of
~jdoughnuts 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, a little looping back of
curtains and arranging of furniture
TO do, and Marion attended to II all,
humming a song as she did so.
In Jacks room alone, no preparation
was to be made, for Aunt Hepsie
would use tho room for no one but its
owner: but Marion went In here 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 II 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 a merry
crowd of relatives at an early hour on
the morrow, for a Thanksgiving din.
ner at Aunt Hepsie's was a treat to
iEoung and old.
The young minister was Just ex.
planning the difference between &
spiritual and a merely intellectual be-
lief In Scripture, when a frightened
trio of children came scrambling down
the stairs.
"oh, Aunt Hepsie, there's a burglar
Pm Jacks room; there is, and he's
fasleep on the bed"
"A burglar. Don't geG frightened.
" FL n ~ a SrsI<N -