The Washington herald., 1907-09-26
THE CASE OF JACOB RHINE
By NANCY BRENT.

Miss Mary eyed the best taalecloth
closely She decided it hung an inch
longer on the end next the kitchen door
She Strengthened it conscientiously. then
gave her attention 70 the spoons
Since it was an impossibility to set
table for twelve people and put a silver
spoon at each place. the number Of real
silver spoons possessed being seven, it
beh0oved her to decide upon which
guests the honor was TO be bestowed.
Mrs Judge Brown must have one Of
the real silver ones because-no one in
Brownsville would have thought Of Of
fering her anything except their best.
Miss Josephine Dwight must be one Of
the honored ones-it might keep her from
telling next day that there were five
pewter ones.
She finally arranged it to her satisfac-
ton, the pewter ones falling TO herself,
to the school teacher. TO Uncle Lem
Whitley, and little William Boswell
When John Tweedy and his wife ar
rived Miss Mary eyed them interroga-
lively.
"Pa Tweedy had rheumatism come on
him" explained Mrs. John. and couldn't
come. Il left the baby home with him,
that's one comfort"
Tn sorry your pa couldn't come, 20
Miss Mary looked at the vacant seat at
the table. for the turkeys done to a
turn and it seems kinder lonesome sfor
him to have dinner alone on New Years
Day"
A knock at the door caused her 20 ex-
cuse herself-the maid of all work was
AT the critical point Of coffee-making and
Miss Mary herself went 20 the door.
The old man standing there. a stranger.
looked at her in a dazed manner
I'm mighty cold and mighty hungry,
he said timidly I wonder If YOU would
give me a little dlnner?"
Miss Mary's tender-hearted hospitality
was instantly his 10 command.
You just come right on in. her
cheery tone making him sure Of welcome.
II was right proper worried about having
that vacant place at the table
When. after dinner. the unexpected
guest fell IN. the company bedroom was
at his disposal In the weeks illness
that followed, Miss Mary hOvered over
him with g0od-natured anxiety. and when
he Unexpectedly died from a heart attack
she declared that the poor man should
not be buried by the county-she didn't
think she would miss IT forever II she
paid for decent funeral out Of her saw
ings.
Judge Brown came over the day the
old man died. and had a long talk with
her
We know you don't charge for taking
care Of him. Miss Mary" he argued.
"but the pension certificate found i'm his
pocket shows he was an old soldier and
the government IS able to bury its sol
diers"
She listened reluctantly. But I hate
TO be so uncharitable." she said slowly
I wonder If the poor fellow had any
folks"
That's just it," the judge exclaimed,
IF YOU send in a claim for burial ex-
penses. the commissioner Of pensions
viii be able to notify his people if
they're hunting for him
The judge argued successfully. A few
days later he came with dusty volume
of pension laws, accompanied by the
minister, Peters, the notary, and by
Mrs Judge Brown herself.
we want to fix this up in regulation
style he said jocosely. and when me
and Peters get through drawing up this
claim, and the minister and Mrs. Brown
witness it-it ought TO be as legal a docu-
ment as they ever handled in Washing
ton
After the document was posted. Miss
Mary and Brownsyille-man, woman. and
Child-fOund it a topic for conversation
while they awaited the outcome.
It came sooner than Miss Mary ex-
pected. It knocked at Miss Mary's door
one night. and when she answered. lamp
in hand, she found man in an overcoat
of unmistakable city cut, who took off
his hat in a way that filed her with
admiration.
My name is Rhine" he said in ex-
PLANTATION I believe it was in your
house my father died"
She led the way 20 the sitting-roon.
volunteering bits Of information and SYM
pathy.
L hope you won't think I wanted TO
be paid for nursing him. her comely
face flushing with sensitiveness, but the
judge said I ought TO-"
Tn glad you did he responded
heartily. 1T was the way we located
him. I'm a travelling man, and my fath-
er lived al the soldiers home When I
came back from my trip and found that
he had wandered from the home in a
state of melancholia. you can imagine
how I felt
You sit right down and take off your
Overc0aL While you are warming I'll
heat the coffee and fix you little snack
Il know you are hungry after your drive
through the cold. I always did say
Brownsville was the meanest place on
earth TO get to-its a ten-Rile drive from
any direction you try to reach II.
Miss Mary. freed from anxiety that
they would not go round. was lavish
with silver spOons-there was one for
coffee. one for a saucer Of honey. and
one in the jelly glass The other four
were carelessly arranged on the white
cloth in way that indicated spoons in
abundance.
She went to the small mirror hanging
by the kitchen window and arranged the
front of her brown hair becorningIv. At