The Greenville times., 1907-12-01
The Case OF
Jacob Rhine.
By NANCY BRENT.

closely. She decided it hung an inch
longer on the end next the kitchen
door She straightened it conscien-
tiously, then gave her attention To the
spoons.
Since it was an impossibility to set 4
ia BILE for twelve people and put sill
yer spoon at each place. the number
of real silver spoons possessed being
seven, it behooved her to decide upon
which guests the honor was to be be-
slowed.
Mrs. Judge Brown must have one
of the real silver ones because-no one
in Brownsville would have thought of
offering 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. 49, =
She finally arranged it to her salts
faction, the pewter ones falling to her
self, to the schoolteacher, to Uncle
Lem Whitley and little William Bos-
well.
When John Tweedy and his wife ar
rived Miss Mary eyed them interroga-
lively.
''Pa Twee6y had rheumatism come
on him." explained Mrs. John, land
couldn't come. I left the baby home
with him. That's one comfort
I'm sorry your pa couldn't come
Miss Mary looked at the vacant seat
at the table-"for the turkeys done to
a turn, and it seems kinder lonesome
for him TO have dinner alone on New
Years day
A knock at the door caused her to
excuse herself. The maid of all work
was at the critical point of coffee max
ing, and Miss Mary herself went to
the door.
The old man standing there. a stran-
ger. looked at her in dazed manner.
I'm mighty cold and mighty hun
cry he said timidly. Il wonder If
you would give me a little dinner"
Miss Mary's tender hearted hospital
ity was instantly his to command
You just come right on in her
CHEEKY tone making him sure of well
come Il was right proper worried
about having that vacant place at the
table"
When, after dinner, the unexpected
guest fell i'll the company bedroom was
at his disposal. In the weeks illness
that followed Miss Mary hovered over
him with good natured anxiety and
when he Unexpectedly died from a
heart attack she declared that the poor
man should not be buried by the coun-
ty-she didn't think she would miss it
forever If she paid for a decent fu-
neral out of her savings.
Is-aJudge Brown came over the day the
old man died and had a long talk with
her.
We know you don't charge for TAX
ing care of him, Miss Mary" he ar
gued "but the pension certificate
found in his pocket shows he was an
old soldier and the government is able
to bury It's soldiers.
She listened reluctantly. "But hate
to be so uncharitable." she said slowly.
II wonder If the poor fellow had any
folks
That's just it.'' the judge exclaimed
eff you send in a claim for burial ex.
penses the commissioner of pensions
will be able to notify his people if
they're hunting for him"
The judge argued successfully. A
few days later he came with a dusty
volume of pension laws. accompanied
by the ministers. Peters the notary
and by Mrs. Judge Brown herself
I'VE want to fix this up in regulation
STYLE" he said jocosely. land when me
and Peters get through drawing up
this claim and the minister and Mrs.
Brown witness 1t, it ought to be as
legal document as they ever handled
I'm Washington.
After the document was posted Miss
Mary and Brownsville-man, woman
and child-found 1t topic for conversa-
| ton while they awaited the outcome.
1t came sooner than Miss Mary ex-
pected. 1t knocked at Miss Mary's
door one night, and when she answer
ed, 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. Il believe it was in your
house my father died.
| She led the way to the sitting room,
/ volunteering bits of information and
/ sympathy.
| Il hope you won't think / wanted to
/
| face flushing with sensftiveness. but
| the judge said ought to-"
I'm glad you did" he responded
! heartily. 1T was the way we located
/ him. I'm travelling man. and my ia.
/ ther lived at the soldiers home. When
/ | came back from my trip and found
| that he had wandered from the home
| in state Of melancholia, you can i'm
! agine how | felt-''
You sit right down and take off
/ your overcoat. While you are warming
] I'll heat the coffee and fix you little
/ snack. / know you are hungry after
your drive through the cold. ] always
did say Brownsville was the meanest
place4on earth to get to. lisa ten mile
drive from any direction you try tc
reach it"
+ Miss Mary. freed from anxiety tha'
. they would not go round. was lavish
with silver spoons. There was one fol
coffee. one for a saucer of honey and
one In the jelly glass. The other foul
were carelessly arranged on the white
/ cloth In a way that indicated spoons III
abundance
She went to the small mirror hanging
by the kitchen window and arranged
r& txz %