The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1907-03-21

Lyuuy mink 1 0on peeu any money
as am so well provided for here
Provided for! Q Humph!"
A feeble smile of comfort came into
the tear-stained old face as he said:
But I've got ahead Of 'em in one
way. I've got $3.50 in the bank that
they don't know a thing about, an
that they amt goin' to know a thing
about / had that much saved up
an in the bank when / sold my
place, an I'm thankful l had sense
enough to keep my mouth shet about
it. An yet I don't dare draw an
spend a cent O. it, or they'd be fierce
to know where I got the money. But
who cares what Hugh and Lyddy
say? / don't! Drat 'em! I'm goin'
to fetch out some papers an my pipe,
an 'one O. Myra's pies that she told
me not to touch, an piller. an just
lay round on the grass an enjoy my
self all day. l been under the lions
paw long enough"
Two hours later the old man was
in the full enjoyment of his bold de-
fance of Hugh and Lyddy. He was
sitting in the shade, with his back
TO the apple tree, his pipe in his
mouth, and in full enjoyment OF a
book he had long wanted to find time
to read, when he heard the gate
creak on it's hinges.
Looking up he saw small, alert
looking woman of perhaps sixty-odd
years of age entering the gate. She
wore clean but faded calico dress,
and she had stiffly starched blue-and.
white Bingham sunbonnet on her
head. The sunbonnet was lined with
pink, that gave rosy glow to the
face within. Jason Bartlett sprang
to his feet when he saw her.
why, Thyrza Ladd!" he said "Is
this you? l reckoned I was the only
person in this neighborhood who
hadn't gone to the fair"
well, you see you are not, Jason.
| l didn't go because-well, to tell the
out-and-out truth, Jason, just didn't
have anything suitable to wear. I'd
like to have gone to the fair If it had
been so that / could. But I'll tell
you what l came over for. My COW
is mired in that soggy place in. my
meadow, and she can't get out. So
l thought I'd come over and ask if
| you would come and help my poor
old bossy out of her trouble"
why, O course l will, Thyrza'
Il knew that you would, Jason. I
couldn't help knowing that, seeing
that l have known you all my life.
You see, l should be dreadfully bad
off if l should lose my cow l de-
pend largely on her and my hens for
my income. You know my husband
was sick so long before he died that
it took all we had saved to give
him what he needed. But I'm only
grateful that we had it to spend for
his comfort, and that 1 at least have
| my little home free from debt.
have thought some of selling it and
going to live with my married daugh.
ter over in Hebron. She wants me
to, and"
Don't you do it, Thyrza Ladd!" ex-
claimed the old man, vehemently, al
most fiercely. "You stick to your own
little home. tell you, Thyrza, there's
| nothing like home o. their own for
old folks
Jason seemed to have lapsed into a
thoughtful mood. They were about
to emerge from the strip of timber
into the open highway, when Jason
stopped abruptly, took off his shabby
old hat, and held it as he said: "See
here, Thyrza, we've known each other
all our lives, now, haven't we2 You
never knowed no great harm O me,
now, did you?"
Why, no, Jason; I've always
| thought that"
"Whas have you thought"
ooh, no matter" She blushed, and
started on, but Jason detained her.
"Wait minute, Thyrza," he said.
Il used to think that if 1 hadn't gone
| over Ware way to live a couple O.
years, an met the girl 1 married
there, that I would O. asked you to
marry me. 1t want no disrespect to
| my wife to think it. l had a good,
true wife, an you had a good, true
husband. They are both gone now,
an We are left lonely man an WON.
| an. For am lonely, an SO are you.
haven't no real home with my son.
An want home O. my own again.
amt but 68, an you are a year
younger Thyrza, don't you think
that you an me could be real happy
together? Don't you, now, Thyrza?
You don't know how lonesome an I'M
happy I am, an IL Thyrza, l feel
toward you to-day just as felt that
day when i asked you to, go to. the
big meetin' over in Hillsborough with
me. Your cheeks are just as rosy
now as they were then, an l. Thyr.
"a, you're lonely, an so am l. S'posin'
we be comp'ny for each other the
rest O. our days. What do you say,
Thyrza?"
Three hours later Jason and Thyr-
"a appeared at the home of the old
minister in the little village of Zoar,
and when they went AWAY II was IA