Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1911-12-21
Cap'n Toms Christmas S,1pper
Harriet Pre.eott spoford, in The Outlook.

AN. watts your wish, Mrs. Dolly.
said the Cap'n.
"Jes ter go an live with Mis- Bar
nard an wait on her an him"
"Ihat's reasonable. And Isabel wants
an %edication. That's in reason, too.
She'd do ~jestice to it. An mines Jest
O. good fire 18th Cap'n Len one end
the settle an me the t'other. Pity. pity
the worlds all askewI.!"
Better be thankful fer wat we GOT
growled Cap'h Len from the other side
OF the porch.
That's so. Len: an we've got mush
N. milk, an summer weather. an 4
prier-rosc sweet'nin' the air. an the
smell o the hay. An presently therein
be sech moonlight as the rich can't
hev no finer"
1T don't look like the same world
wei the moon shines,' said Mrs. Bar
nard. "Oh. my, my. my!" and her
plainly We're back in the mcl-
low evenings she M her happy
lover went stroliing down the woody
ways together and the gates Of Eden
seemed wide open for them to enter in.
Y But here the witless creature who
was always asking for a pin came up,
ana the poormaster was calling for
some ON to help him with the man,
VINO, stumbling on the pauper raves
babies began to cry inside, and the
mistress came out and said it was time
TOR laughing and talking to stop and
folks to go to bed.
It's allus the way Wen you git to
enjyin yerself;" graumbled Cap'n Len,
ticularly enjoying himself till time was
called.
The slow months wore themselves
away, and. to Cap'n Lens belated sat-
isfaction, the pigs had become bacon
ana sausage N salt pork and the
VInfar VI-inHS ,rA& f&i.- SO,
round the lonely gables of the old
p~oorhouse. Mrs. Barnard had come
INTO possession of some child's shoes.
Whlch II had open for own small
feet, and she had found a pair of rub
Der o%vershoes for her husband to wear
over the rags with which his feet were
still bound. Isabel was washing the
dishes as before. and helping the poor
masters wife I'm spite of contrary in
clnations; Mrs. Dolly was In open re-
bellion, refusing to work at all; and
Capn Tom and Cap'n Len, agreeing
with her. declared that those who had
paid their taxes had a right to much
better care than they received. and
stamped abou on their canes and
found all the fault they wished With
the management.
Perhaps no on was more surprised
n cap'n Tom himself. one day. then,
the snow falling. to be told that some
one was inquiring for him. Il didn't
know there was a soul in the world to
ask for me. or to know where / be-
said Cap'n Tom. rather angrily.
Wal, eff we come To the %poorhouse,
We hev ter leave pride behind ye." said
Cap'n Len.
= do, no Wy. said the other It's
an institution here l helped pay for.
leastways I should hev stood in to
help pay ef I'd eve been on land taxin'
day. I'm on'y havin' my rights. But
Ia Jest as lieves folks wouldn't know
l was a-takin' emf"
Cap'n Tom. however, returned to his
companion in quite another frame of
mind. He was smiling and brushing
MS hair with his fingers into fantastic
shapes. He sat motionless a long
while. without regard to Cap'n Lens
throaty ejaculation. He rose and went
TO the window. looking out on the
flew by in playful wreaths. "Wouldn't
pc bodln' much good eff we was to sea"
he said. Il guess it's goin' ter be a
three-decker." He sat down again by
the black stove that warmed If it did
not cheer. Strange" he said at last,
what difference some dirty rags they
can money makes" and he pulled from
ms pocket 81 roll that merited the cpl
tibet. More where that come FROM
he said.
Some feasts, while some source hey
a taste. said Cap'n Len. "All the
same. eff you've he'd luck I'm glad on
it, dc mani"
We've gin'rally gone sheers," said
Capn Tom, laying the bills on his
knee. Laboriously counting, HI divided
number equally. ar put one-half
IN Cap'n Lens hand. "Baccy, an so
mo, no." said cap'n Len. No.
You be blest!" said Cap'n Tom, or
words to that effect, IL opposite in
sound And then both them hustled
their parcels out of sight as Mr..
n the poormaster, came by.
Ten minutes afterwards. evading the
Watchful eyes and aided and abetted
oy Isabel, they wrapped their COM
forters round their throats M sailed
out into the snow. 1--WE took the bub-
bic into port unner tops'ails in wuss
Weather'n this" said Cap'n Tom.
In1nN you're good for 10 miles, Len?"
Wal. 1 amt. Wen mebbe Git a lift
inter town an hire a boss. Rec'lec' the
bubble? l sailed her straight through
the hull fiishin' fleet as ef she was
sent from a bow. Wal, wal. laid her
II on a reef in the port. Never got
another" They trudged on. calling nm
old memories for a while, the snow and
sieet making them remember days and
night on deep water. Come. come"
said Cap'n Tom at last. II guess you'd
like ter know what port were bound
for today. Wal. We see it's. this way.
faint best ter tell all We know wen
ere where walls has ears. Butts it's
all outdoors here. My sisterinlaw's
second counsin's sisterinlaw-got that
straight? They're dead and gone now.
the hull dear bunch on 'em. So. An:
she's up an lef' me her property. Per-
vidin' ! could be found. I was found
all right. I was found. I'm pleased.
though. that she didn't know where