The Sauk Centre herald., 1907-11-28

| ment. as you call 1t. in taking the girl
i by herself"
"And brother to come Oh at
Thanksgivin'-a whole tribe of Gra-
hamses that we all don't know from
Adamsesr'
"That comes Of having such an alb
surdly large house. l could not truth
fully say l could not find room for the
mother"
"An' yet, honey''-Creecy's voice was
lowered to q sad monOtone-"I can re-
member the time when we was put
to it to fin room for all of our own
family that was sure to come about
Christmas times"
want to break my heart. Mother,
mother, why could you not have stayed
and let me go?"
This cry of pain brought old Creecy
close to the girls side.
"My chile, my little mistis. give it
up! You amt fitten to be at no
strangers beck an call. There is YES
sells made to honor an there is YES
| sells made to unhonor. Scripture says
So The Bateses is made of mighty
fine clay. Give it up. honey. Tele
graph to her to stay where she is"
Faith threw her hands outward with
| a tragic motion. "What else is there
| for me to dO?'
"Git married Yo' can do it tomor
row eff yo' only would, with him
a-standin' waitin' at the do, so to
speak"
Any one but Creecy would have
quailed before the gray pail that spread
quickly over the girls sweet face.
"Creecy knows, yo' po' little thing
what makes the word marryin' turn
yo' all white an tremblin' in a mo-
ment. but yo done sulked with the
Lord Almighty long 'nough. This is
the true vale of tears, but that ole trou
BILE is just naturally wore itself out
Youth and sunshine is YOURS to gather
up still in spite of all that's done an
gone. 1t is time for yo' to come ont
of the tents of sorrow to dwell in the
gladness of the Lord. Now, eff yo'
had been tOoken an him left
With wrench Faith freed herself
from the old woman's encircling arms.
"Hush, Aunt Creecy! l have let you
say more now than you had any right
to say on that subject"
Creecy tossed her turbaned head re-
sentfully. Right! Eff it comes to a
question of rights, I'd like to know
who yo' goin' to put ahead of ole
Creecy!
"Nobody, oh, nobody in all this wide,
miserable world. l only meant that
some things would not bear thinking
about, much less talking about"
The experiment" as Faith called it;
the ''demeanment," as Aunt Creecy
maintained it was, was on in earnest.
They had point Of view too. 1t was
expounded in q letter written by the
superfuous mother to the threatened
brother. 1t was addressed to the Rev.
Flourney Graham, Beacon street, Bos-
ton, Mass:
The house is delight to us-one of
those spacious, beautiful old antebellum
homes we read so much about. The air
Is Just what your sister needs. The fam
lily consists Of young Miss Bates, who is
our hostess; a deaf old Miss Bates, who
Is nominally a chaperon, and three young
barbarians in petticoats whom our Milly
is expected to civilize. l should be better
satisfied If the young woman at the head
Of affairs would thaw bit. She Is either
insolently naughty or very unhappy.
Milly and I cannot yet decide which. AL
together the most delightful member of
the family is Nanny Creecy, accessible,
courteous affable. Milly says she brought
har vor lyaa tat fpnniSitiVaneSS
with her. and she is going to make it pay
She has already extracted the leading
facts Of the case from our copper col
ored comforter. The father and mother
were lost in a railroad accident several
years ago, the only son has been lost
sight Of for about ten years, and the en-
tire care of three younger sisters has de-
volved on this poor Miss Faith. If she
was not so repellent l could pity her
without a sense of presumption.
She is frightfully self contained and
while she leaves us absolutely nothing to
ask for she never let's us forget that we
are outsiders. Milly predicts that you
will fall in love with her Immediately
She is very beautiful
Remember you are promised to us for
Thanksgiving. There is a lovely little
chapel here built by Miss Bates mother
on the grounds. She used to employ
minister to come twice a month, and they
say-"they" always standing for Creecy-
that it was always filled with the col
ored people. Milly and I think 1t would
be lovely to hear you preach sermon
in this pretty little chapel 1 am going
to have regular Thanksgiving talk with
our pretty hostess. These people do not
think as much Of the day as we do in
New England nor as much as they ought
to do.
One evening when the setting sun
was gliding the metal vane on the
spire Of the little chapel and Faith, in
gentle mood. was talking with the
invaders Mrs. Graham seized her gold
en- opportunity.
1t was the invalid who touched the
button.
"Think of sitting in the open air so
near Thanksgiving day, with the scent
Of roses and sweet olive in the air!
How Flournoy will enjoy l;eeping the
day under such novel conditionsw
Faith turned upon her petulantly.
Thanksgiving seems to mean so much
to you. You and Mrs. Graham are
constantly referring to it."
"Does it mean nothing at all to you
dear Miss BatesY' Milly asked gently.
Faith compressed her lips until only
their hard lines showed. Nothing at
all. We make very little of it as an
anniversary. Individually I recognize
nothing to return thanks for"
"Oh. my dear. don't say that-you
of all people in the worldv'
%I>4 Dw&o DhDI how