Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1914-01-15

oi any one 10 tell MIN the Way-that
is. he wouldn't have needed either had
it not been for night coming on. He
pursued his way, guided rather by dis.
lance than sight, and, presently com
ing to a c%rossroad, he remembered
that Margie used to live down the road
to the right for about half a mile. So
he turned into it and walked on,
though overhanging trees darkened the
way.
Jack had proceeded down the cross
road about a quarter of a mile when
he came to a house. 1t couldn't be the
house where Margie had lived, for that
mousse, as has been stated, was half a
mile from the crossing of the roads.
at any rate. it had seemed that dis
lance to Jack sometimes when he tri-
angulated it with his little seven-year-
old legs. But what surprised him was
that the house looked like the house in
which Margie had lived. The only
light was n downstairs in the rear.
Jack went back where he saw the
light and looked in through a window.
The sight he saw excited an appetite
already keen. He was looking into a
kitchen, and viands were cooking on a
stove. There was no sound except the
sizzling of the cooking viands. Jack
put bis hand to the sash and found he
could easily raise 1t, He did 80, and
the odor Of the cooking, mingled with
the sound of the sizzling, was delicious
to a hungry a Together they took
away every vestage Of conscience. He
climbed into the window, determined
to partake of the r~efreshment before
him.
The first thing he did was to throw
open the oven door, and there was q
turkey just turning a delicious brown.
Jack had served a term in the galley
aboard ship, and he inshnctively basted
the sizzling bird. Then he uncovered
a dish on the real Of the stove and
from the delicious odor it emitted tudg-
ed that it was a 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
I1co1 fn ocl- ~ I1on;,. Le..a -
meal. He could not repeat a 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 a few moments
rigid. A young stood looking
at him from the other end of the room.
On her face was an expression of con-
sternation at seeing a man sitting at
her table about to eat her T%hanksgiv-
ing dinner.
"Ship ahoy!" said Jack by way of
speaking to this person. who had so
suddenly appeared on the scene.
"Well. I declared" was the reply.
Would you mind tellin' me what
port you hail from?"
Would YOU mind telling me what
you mean by making yourself at home
in my house and eating my dinner?"
as 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 u 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
a 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 a little girl be used to play with
called Margie when hungry rs Il bear
he had stumbled on a 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 Il boy.
why, my name is Margie.'' said the
girl. Pm Margaret Wharton"
you can't be my Margie. She was a
little bit Of a Anyway. it was far
Their from the crossroads to her house
than this house is"
Are you Jack Hunter"
"Of course l am. How did you stun
BILE on that"
"Why, Jack!'
whats the matter? Is this a story
in a book. or am I 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 me. Sit
down"
They talked so fast, each constantly
breaking in on what the other was say