Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1913-11-26
happened TO hear you chopping and


happened TO hear you chopping and
stopped ont s,f8 c,lri -
The.nlan:s siryistent gaze annoyed her..
but the forlorn g,lnnt appearance OF.
the little group melted Is little throb of.
pitt. and made her think gratefully Of
her own cOzy. cheerful little shack.
with Jim waiting for her beside the
glowing hearth. e:
80 suppose you are simply camping
here for the night = she ventured. look
ing about at the n,eager comforts of .
the camp 81
" eli. IS no. answered the black
browed man. who impressed her al
once as being pokerman Of the party.
I'VE came down to prospect a IN.
There's talk OF gold Ii this claim. and
II it's worth our while we may set
up fora week or two.
oh, then, you'll be here over
Thanksgiving, wont you? I'd like to.
have you all take dinner with US to-
morrow. ~
The man looked at his fellows with q
curious smile. half questioning, half
incredulous. Its rather unexpected"
he remarked humorously.
''Oh. we're all neighbors out here,
you know Milly explained cordially.
my husband would be very glad to
have you with u.s. We are from the
east. and we're used to having COM
pany for Thanksgiving" Ii: 81 3g=.
Your husband Is prospector, too. 1
take it?''
"Oh, no.. He came out here for his
health two years ago. when be was all
run down with overwork. We expect
to stay here until he's quite WELL
We didn't notice any houses as we
passed along. Where do you live?''
1.-TWO miles below here on the Sun
rise road, not on the trail. Will you
come over tomorrow 2"
swell, being as you're so kind as to
take the trouble to invite US. we'll be
glad to accept your hospitality and
thank you.''
Very well. shall expect you
promptly at IL. There are eight Of
you. aren't there? want you all, re
member. Now I'll 60. for the walk
is rather long. You cross the hill and
60 straight south till you reach the
Sunrise wagon road, which will take
you direct, to our shack, going west.
Good night. y . 5.s.= z
Mtlly returned in great good spirits.
Jim looked dubious at first, but he was
loath to dampen the ardor of his good
little helpmeet by voicing his doubts
as to the wisdom of inviting eight
strangers to their home.
II hope we have enough stuff on
hand" said cautious Jim. 1T will take
heaps to satisfy eight hungry men. you
know" EG>.:
"0f course we have plenty. We'll
kill both turkeys, and I'll make four
pies instead Of one and two boiled pud-
dings besides. Well have potatoes and
turnips and the canned corn put up
myself and as much cider as they can
drink For dessert we'll have real good
coffee and iced cake. Oh, we'll have
enough, you may be sure. Jim, you
must rig up table big enough to seat
them all" 80
They wo,hed till bedtime that night.
peeling apples, seeding rafsins and
picking the turkeys The next morn
ing Milly rose long before dawn and
set about her baking and brewing.
while Jim put up big deal table that
stretched almost the length of the
room, and by noon 1t was set with all
the luscious viands of an eastern
Thanksgiving dinner, set with homely
platters and dishes, to be sure. but not
rougher in appearance than the men
who finally seated themselves about
the steam1ng board. Jim beamed hos
pitably from, his place at the head Of
the table and tried dutifully to FACT
as If the company belonged there" as
Milly had said. The big, black whisk-
cred fellow whom the others addressed
as Blaisedale watched Milly with
curious intentness which made her un-
comfortable. s:.
You're mighty comfortably fixed for
these diggings." said he presently, look
ing about the walls with their homely
prints and ornaments. =-ss5
Yes. we are rather comfortable
thanks to Milly's ingenuity" Jim an
swered. with "a glow Of affectionate
pride.
you're lucky to be able to afford
such luxuries, for all those fancy fix
ings are luxuries in Colorado Blaise-
dale remarked significantly.
Eyes, Icount myself one of the luck
lest men Ia the world owe every
thing to Milly, even my life. 4 was a &
Poor law 5. student when we were mar
r1ed, and when my health broke down
she simply took all responsibility into :
her own hands. 1t was her money that {.
enabled me to come here. It's her bit
Of money that we're living on now. All
that she has In the world IS In the lit-
tie bank al Sunrise, where she goes s
once month to draw the necessary
sum for our provisions. But now. that
I've got to work we're making our
way along without much help from the 8
bank. tell you I hated to use that
money bad enough. but II 1t hadn't
been for that the Lord only knows 5
what would have become OF me. . s.#zs
0 Milly blushed deeply and becomingly 1:
why, 1t doesn't amount to that: said s
she, with snap Of her brown fingers 9
s"All the money in the world would be IS