Little Falls herald. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1889-1950, 1911-03-31
=. :: Joel.
1y1kes'b|11l'rly''s|
a' Il !: 81: y! q! E: !: !: !:
i CHANGES the Whole cou'rse
=. s,~>.'> Of His Life ,.,.'
By cLAR1SSA' MAcKIE. |
Copyright by American Press Asso- i

BY cLARISSA' MACKIE
Copyright by American Press Asso-
= ~. citation, 1911.

II ny |@AklSSA mACk1E. III
Copyright by American Press Asso-
III =. ~. - citation, 1911. iii
When Joel Tykesbury opened the let
ter and read that his step-uncle on
his mothers. side had died without
near relatives and had LETT him the
comfortable sum Of $4,000 in cash
there was not a soul. to. whom he
conRded the. astounding news. Close
locked behind his compressed lips was
hidden: a secret that w6ald have pro-
vided the people Of Little. River with
q 'measureless source. OF Interest for
the coming winter mouths. !,
Joel kept his secret, and no one was
the wiser when he closed the little
harness shop and spent several days
in New York. But when be returned
from the city and proceeded to sell
the contents Of his shop at auction
prices, when he presented the fur
niture contained in his lonely bachelor
abode to the thriftless Nickols family,
who lived on the edge Of the village,
and finally when the minister dropped
word in the midst of the Ladies' Aid
sOciety's Wednesday sociable then Lit
tie River sat up very straight and took
notice. :: -,
EYES," said Mr. Beenan, thoughtful
~ stroking his scanty beard; Joel
says he's tired of Little River, 80 he
is going to New York to live. He
seems to feel rather bitter about the
way he's been received in our vii
lage. He says he's lived hexe fifteen
years and he isn't much better &C.
quainted than when he came"
THAT'S every mite his own fault,
them cried Miss Fanny Pollard
warmly. Hes the most unsociable
man in Little River. Ny conscience
is clear about Joel Tykesbury. I've
done the best could to make it pleas
ant for him in church and OUT" A
suppressed giggle from the young girls
In a distant corner closed Miss Fanny's
lips into grim frown. Her small
brown eyes shot little angry sparks ut
the gigglers.
'"That Is very true, Miss Pollard"
soothed the minister peacefully. II
am sure we have all done our best to
make Joel feel at home in our midst
Mrs. Deacon Spinning bit her thread
with a sharp click Of her false teeth
and folded up the bingham apron she
had completed. Seems like I'll never
forgive myself If Joel Tykesbury goes
away from Little River feeling sore
about the way he's been treated. l
don't believe any Of you really know
just how kind hearted he is. Only he's
dreadful shy. and it's setback to
; him. ''A-:' 49, '-.s~ 49,.
HE was terrible noncommittal,' an
nounced Fanny Pollard, with the all
Of one who is treading familiar ground.
"Many's the time Eve sat and pom
dered what Joel meant when he said
such and such ii thing::".:
Most times I reckon he didn't mean
nothing at ALL said Mrs? Spinning
cheerfully. II take it Joel was shy.
But. land. why are we'all talking about
him. as II he was dead and waiting
to- be buried? II Joe, Tykesbury dom
like the way he's been treated here
he's not going to stay in Little River
for nobody. Fin sorry he's going, for
I do like him. Once he shut up his
shop and came over and helped Henry
get in his hay when 1t waa threatening
a storm: and another time when Lin
ny had The nieasles he went clean over
to the Ford after Dr. Mitchell and
didn't want to bear a word Of thanks
either"
and giving away his furniture
amt that The uueerest thing? s'pose
likely he's going to board when he gets
to the city" murmured Annie Baker.
Maybe Ire is going to get married
Now come to think; Of it shouldn't
wonder a mite If that was the secret
of his going He's going to get mar
ried to a wilder maybe. and she. hav-
Ing a houseful Of furniture left by
her first husband. won't have no need
Tor Joers things" Mrs. Spinning
beamed around the busy circle. Pm
mighty glad to think he's going to get
married. He's just the incest kind of
man. He'll make some girl a good
husband I'm disappointed. though. !
kinder hoped he'd pick wife from
Little River . e.. :..: ,-.. -.
|, There was a soug silence after this,
broken only by requests for the SIXTY
white thread" nr the. forty black
until at last Mrs. Willowel}, at whose
house. they had met. announced: that
refreshments would be served in: the
dining room, and go for the time being
Joel Tykesbury and his affairs were
forgotten. -: .....
joel himself, having given away his
furniture: and disposed OF his business.
sat In bis lonely Eeqm in the best hotel
the village afforded and wondered what
he would do next. s.p.,.., -. ,n =:
L.. I'm shake the dust OF: his here vii
;lage from my feet:'',, said s1eeI: morcsely,
eytng his reelection In the vavy mir
, ror with q elooni,v1" fiixnw .; IT, s~rhoro