The river press., 1913-11-26

After that he didn't need compass.
or any one to tell him the way-tha
is. he wouldn't have needed either hat
it not been for night coming on. Hi
pursued his way, guided rather by dis
tance than sight. and, presently com
ing to crossroad. he remembered
that Margie used to live down the road
to the right for about half mile Sc
he turned into it and walked on
though Overhanging trees darkened the
way.
Jack had proceeded down the cross
road about a quarter of Il mile when
he came to IL house. 1t couldn't be the
house where Margie had lived. for that
house, as has been stated. was half a
mi, from the crossing of the roads.
At any rate. it had seemed that dis
tance to Jack sometimes when he tri-
angulated it with his little seven-y year
old legs. But what surprised him was
that the house looked like the house in
which Margie had lived. The only
light was one downstairs in the rear.
Jack went back where he saw the
light and looked in through window.
The sight he saw excited an appetite
already keen. He was looking into a
kitchen. and viands were cooking on q
stove. There was no sound except the
sizzling Of the cooking viands. Jack
put his hand to the sash and found he
could easily raise it. He did so, and
the odor Of the cooking, mingled with
the sound Of the sizzling. was delicious
to hungry man. Together they took
away every vestage Of conscience. He
climbed into the window. determined
to partake Of the refreshment before
him.
The first thing be did was to throw
open the oven door, and there was A
turkey just turning delicious brown
Jack had served term in the galley
aboard ship, and he instinctively basted
the sizzling bird. Then he uncovered
dish OH the rear Of the stove and
from the delicious odor 1t emitted judg
ed that it was mince pie being warm
ed. Other dishes were In process of
preparation, but Jack was SO entranced
! with the turkey and the pie that he
took little notice Of them.
1t was hard for him to wait till the
turkey was thoroughly cooked. but he
held on to himself and waited. Final
~ he could refrain no longer. and.
''dishing up" he placed the various
viands on the table and sat down to
eat
Jack remembered that his mother
used to ask blessing before each
meal. He could not repeat blessing
to save his life, but he was so thank
full for the delicious dinner provided
for him by Providence that he shut his
eyes. bent his head and expressed his
thanks in his own peculiar way. Then.
Strengthening up and opening his
"blinkers," he sat for few moments
rigid. A young woman stood looking
ut him from the other end Of the room.
On her face was an expression of con-
sternation at seeing man sitting at
her table about to eat her Thanksgiv.
ing dinner.
"ship ahoy!' said Jack by way Of
speaking to this person, who had SO
suddenly appeared on the scene.
"Well, declared! was the reply
Would you mind tellin' me what
port you hail fromT'
Would you mind telling me what
you mean by making yourself at home
in my house and eating my dinner?"
''ls this your dinner?"
my dinner! Goodness gracious,
what impudence"'
Had Jack not been in his sailor togs
doubtless the girl would have been
frightened out Of her senses. As it
was, she was simply astonished. Be-
sides, Jack was good looking chap.
with an honest eye in his head, and
when, realizing the situation. a smile
broke out on his comely young face
the owner Of the dinner could not help
responding in kind Jack rose and in
few words told her how he had just
reached port and had been given leave
to go home for Thanksgiving: that he
had no home and had been looking
for little girl he used to play with
called Margie when hungry as a bear
he had stumbled on dinner. Then he
begged her pardon for proposing to eat
what belonged to her and added that
he would go on a quarter of a mile
farther to where Margie used to live
when he was a boy.
"Why, my name is Margie." said the
girl "l'm Margaret Wharton"
You can't be my Margie! She was
little bit Of a Anyway, it was far.
ther from the crossroads to her house
than this house is"
"Are you Jack Hunter?"
"Of course l am. How did you stun-
bic on that?'
"Why, Jack"
"What's the matter? Is this a story
In book, or am l Jack Hunter, able
seaman on the
You're Jack, and I'm Margie, and
you've just come in time to eat a
THANKSGIVING dinner with mo ST.