Mexico Missouri message. (Mexico, Audrain County, Mo.) 1899-1918, 1910-10-27


telegram rode away on his bicycle,
Miss Jane dropped into the rocking
chair on the porch and stared blank.
ly out on the sunlighted garden.
They amt coming" she said to
Josephus, the big yellow cat, who lay
at full length on the gravel walk
AT the sound OF his name Josephus
rose ,lazliy and came toward her.
Ihey ain't coming" Miss Jane re-
peated, "and We will. have TO eat up
| our party alone, Josephus."
The big cat followed her to the
kitchen and shifted esctatically as
she opened the oven door. Within
was chicken pie of huge proper.
tons.
And to think" sighed Miss Jane,
that no one will be here to help us
eat it,"
Josephus mewed sympathetically,
and Miss Jane picked him up and
carried him back to the porch, lea
wing the pie to further baking.
She rocked back and forth in the
Dig chair, her hand caressing the
puTring cat. Her face settled into
careworn lines. She was deeply dis
appointed. In her lonely life. there
were few opportunities for social
pleasure, hence this yearly gathering
In June, which celebrated the birth.
day OF her only brother, was a red
letter event. Years ago her brother
had moved to the city, had married
and was surrounded by a family of
children whom Miss Jane adored.
And, today, the gay group had been
prevented from coming by the illness
OF the youngest child.
The telegram had brought the news
Just at the moment when Miss Jane
mad finished setting her table. She
thought regretfully of the two cocoa
nut cakes, the cottage cheese, the
tarts and the crullers, to the making
OF which she had given the whole of
the previous day. In the refriger-
ator were the crisp salad and the
luscious fruits. All was ready but
there were no guests.
Into her mind came suddenly
fantastic thought: Go We into the
highways and the hedges and compel
them to come in" Ear down the
long road dwelt a little colony of
poor whites. Miss Jane knew what
Joy the good things would bring to
them.
i could pack a basket" she said
to Josephus, but l hate to waste all
my good cooking on a crowd like
that"
She was still undecided when the
pie was ready to take out of the oven.
AS she placed it, all Drowned and
smoking on the kitchen table, by the
window, she looked over the kitchen
garden, beyond which were the
flower beds which followed the path
to the front of the house BY the
side of the path was a great bush,
covered with snowy blossom.
AS Miss James casual glance rested
upon it, there appeared, back of the
Wilderness, patch of rose pink.
WELL" Miss Jane remarked, that
is a queer kind of blossom on that
bridal-wreath bush"
Followed by Josephus, she went
down the path, her soft slippers ma
king little noise. AS she reached the
bush some one rose from behind it.
1t was a girl in a pink sunbonnet
In her hand she held a half dozen
sprays of the bridal-wreath. She was
little and slender, and she wore a
cheap, white gown.
"Oh!" she said as Miss Jane stared
at her. "Do you mind? I am going
60 hn tn1
flowers and we hadn't any"
you might have asked me-" Miss
Jane said austerely.
IL was afraid" the girl STAN |
mered, "and pap wouldn't buy me
any flowers, and he wouldn't let Joe.
He said it was bad enough for me to |
marry Joe without our wasting our |
money. But wedding don't mean |
much, does 1t, without any flowers |
or without any wedding support Pap
said poor folks haven't any right to |
expect such things, but Joe says a |
girl only gets married once, and he |
would have bought me some flowers, |
only l wouldn't let him. was
afraid pap would be mad"
The long explanation came out in |
stammering sentences. Miss Jane |
found herself looking with interest
at the blushing. bright-eyed little
creature.
when are you going to be mar
ried?" she asked.
"This afternoon, at 4 o'clock" the
girl answered.
TITS three now" Miss Jane told
her you ought to be home getting
ready"
There won't be any getting
ready" the girl said wistfully. 'Tm
going to wear this dress, and
thought l would make a wreath Of
your flowers. You don't think It
would look silly, do your"
81 think 1t would look lovely" Miss
Jane declared. Her heart went out
suddenly toward the shy little crea-
ture. "Why didn't your mother cook