The Tucumcari news and Tucumcari times. [volume] (Tucumcari, N.M.) 1907-1921, 1914-09-17
CHAPTER l..
The Tea Table.

The Tea Table.
Angelines slender. wiry form and
small. glossy graz head rent over the
squat brown teapot as she shook out
the last bit Of leaf from the canister.
The canister was no longer hers, nei.
Their the teapot, nor even the battered
old pewter spoon with which she
tapped the bottom OF the tin to dis.
lodge the last flicker OF ,ea.leaf dust.
The three had been sold at auction
that day In response to the auction.
eer's inquiry. What am | bid for the
LOTT"
Nothing In the familiar old kitchen
yss hers. Angeline reflected. except
Abraham. her aged husband, who was
taking his last gentle ride In the old
rocking chair-the old armchair with
painted roses blooming ms brilliantly
across its back as they had bloomed
when the chair was first purchased
forty years ago. Those roses had
come to be a source of perpetual
aer 70 the old wife, an ever.present ex.
ample.
Neither time nor stress could wilt
Niltm a bluklt zeal. WHICH ADt tOOh
the first mortgage on the house In
order to invest In an indefinitely locat-
cd Mexican gold mine. the melodeon
dropped one OF It's keys. but the roses
Dpdded on with the same old sunny
Ape; when Abe had TO take the sec.
ond mortgage and Tenafly Gold be.
came a forbidden topic OF conversa.
finn tho pninnfn hand foil on tha pn -.
Sor clock. but the flowers on the back
of the old chair blossomed on none
the less %serenely.
The soil grew more and more bar.
rem as the years went by; but still the
roses had kept fresh and young. so
why, argued Angy. should not she! II
old age and the pinch OF poverty had
FAILED to conquer their valiant spirit.
why should she listen 10 the croak.
ing tale! II they bloomcd on with the
same crimson fiaunt of color. though
thA rockers beneath them had grown
warped and the body OF the chair
creaked and groaned every time one
ventured to sit In IL. why should she
not ignore the stiffness which the
years seemed to bring to her joints.
h complaints which her body threat.
and fare on herself. a hardy perennial
bravely facing LIES winter.time?
Even this dreaded day had not tax.
an one fraction of a shade from the
glory OF the roses. as Angellne could
Q in the bud at one side OF Abra-
hams head and the fuli.blown flower
below his right ear; 80 why should
she droop because the sale OF her
household goods had been somewhat
disappointing? Somewhat? When
the childless old couple. still sailing
H4ter the banner Of a charity.forbid-
ding pride. became practically reduced
10 their last copper. just as Abe's
joints were 'loosenin' up" after a Ave
years siege Of rheumatism. ard de-
cided to sell all their worldly posses
sions. apart from their patched and
~threadbare wardrobes and a few mea.
ger keepsakes. they had depended
upon raising at least two hundred dol.
lars. one-half OF which was TO secure
Abe q berth In the Old Mems home at
Indian Village. and the other half To
make Angeline comfortable for life. II
Q little lonely. In the Old Ladies' home
in their own native hamlet of Shore.
vile. Both institutions had been gen.
erously endowed by the same estate.
spd were separated by a distance Of
bSt ave miles.
Wight al waal be Ave hunderd. with
my rheumatic an yer weak heart -
Abraham had growled when Angy first
proposed the plan as the only digni.
ned solution 70 their problem OF living
But the little wife had rejoined.
It'll be a mite o. comfort a-knowin' a
body's so near. ever ef yer can't git
tew EN-"
Now, another solution must be found
to the problem; for the auction vas
over, and instead OF two hundred dol.
lara they had succeeded In raising but
one hundred dollars and two cents.
THAT air tew cents was fer the
nour-sifter." inwardly mourned Angy,
AN IT'S with double an tribble. fer
St's been a good friend ter me fer nigh
o. ter eight year"
"Tew cents on the second hunderd,"
said Abe for the tenth time. i've
counted II over an over. One hun
derd dollars an tew pesky pennies
An I never hear a man tell SO many
lies In my life as that air a~uctionser
Yew'd "a thought he a sellin' Out
the empery o. Rooshy. Hy-guy, n
sounded splendid. Fust of l though,
he'd raise US more n wa expected
An mebbe he would have tew. Angy.'
a bit ruefully, "ef yew d "a let me
advertise a little sooner. l dom
s'pose half Shoreville knows yit thai
we was gwine ter have a auction sale
He watched the color rising In heI
cheeks with a curious mixture OF pride
in her pride and regret at Its conse
ITS no use %a.talkln', moth