The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1913-10-31

| exchange for those things, and i shan't
accept anything more than the value
Of that food. I've often seen grand
mother pour tea from it. but Aunt Re
becca never used it that i remember.
It's odd how she asked for it the day
| before she died and went to sleep with
| 1t in her hands. Poor Aunt Rebecca!
| She was so eccentric. But she meant
well, I'm sure"
Wrapping the britannia teapot in her
| little red shawl, Adelia went through
the orchard to the little gate in the
fence that opened into Mrs. Mason's
vegetable garden.
Annie Mason was on her knees pull
ing beets. Her rosy face grew roster
when she saw Adelia standing there
pale and i'll looking.
"What is it, Adelia?" she asked
quickly. "Is anything the matter?"
She sat back on her heels and shook
the earth from monster beet root.
Adelia's voice trembled with emo
ton.
I've got to see you alone, Annie"
tant."
Mrs. Mason arose with difficulty, fol-
she was very stout. and with q trou
bled expression on her comely face she
led the way to the house and into the
sitting room.
There amt soul to home this
morning. They've all gone off. Adelia
What on earth's the matterw She
dropped into chair and waved Adelia
into another.
Adelia unwrapped the shawl and SET
the britannia teapot on the table be
fore she spoke.
annie Mason, I've got confession
to make" she said in a low, shamed
tone. I've been short of money ever
since the railroad went to smash and
they stopped dividends. was toe
proud to borrow money on the house
or to get in debt, and I've been hun.
gry-just plain hungry. SO yesterday
when / got home found big basket
of groceries on the back porch and
and-I was so hungry ] kept themw
She paused tragically.
"Well?" gasped Mrs. Mason.
well. they're yours, Annie Mason
I'm sure they are. All had ordered
was loaf of bread and 10 cents
worth of tea. and I've kept your pro
visions. and to pay you back for them
and to punish myself for being so wick
eddy proud I've brought over the bri-
tannia teapot. It's for your Adelia
sank back in her chair. and her lips
were very white.
Mrs. Mason said not a word then
but she few around and brought pill.
low for Adelia's head and little glass
of blackberry wine. When the color
came into Adelia's cheeks Annie Mason
leaned over her frail neighbor and
spoke impressively.
Nov, don't you dare say word,
Adelia. till I'm through. j want you
to know that haven't forgotten how
you helped me when the children hao
the measles last winter and all the
kind and neighborly things you've done
since we've been here. And somehow
l knew that you was having some tenn
porary trouble. and yesterday morning
when l was giving my grocery order ]
said to the new man, MY neighbor,
Miss York. forgot to tell you all she
wanted this morning, and you can
just add these things to her order.
And then l made up list. and those
own, Adelia York. won't hear a
word against it! What's the use OF
having neighbors If they can't help
each other out? 'Neighbor' means to be
near to- and the time to be near to Is
when we're in trouble. Don't you dare
cry, Adelia York;
Mrs. Mason was crying herself as
she spoke, and after she and Adelia
had mingled their tears and had grown
a little calmer the older woman sug
gested that they drink cup Of tea
made in the britannia teapot.
Adelia dried her eyes and smiled
and Annie Mason went to the kitchen
sink to wash out the teapot.
'The spouts all stopped up. AIDE
lia," she called. Just bring me thai
knitting needle off the table. will you?
81 declare, it's stuffed with paper"
she exclaimed as she pried with the nee.
de- "What the land~ She drew forth
the needle and with it wet and
crumpled roll Of paper.
Adelia opened it carefully. Aunt
Rebecca must have put something In
it," she said In a dazed tone as she
fiattened out the engraved certificates
of stock.
"Tll bet it's those missing securl-
ties!' cried Annie Mason excitedly
well. your Aunt Rebecca would be
likely to do that. Didn't you tell me
she had the teapot in her room the
day before she diedT
Adelia nodded. Her eyes were heavy
with tears. ITS all so wonderful,
Annie. ! mean my awful pride and
then my yielding to temptation to take
your provisions. not knowing you had
given them to me. and then my pun
fishing myself by giving you the tea
pot and finding the securities. But
there's one thing | value more than
all the money. Annie Mason" she end
ed wistfully.
whats thatr' asked Mrs. Mason
cheerily.
The understanding what 'neighbor'
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