The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1918-01-03
Thanksgiving
Surprises
81 IA
BY Miss IHortense Yates
1917, by the Mcclure Newspa-
per Syndicate.)

per Synolcdle.l
"NIiss Hortense Yates,
"Raynor College, Raynortown.
"Have at last sold business to great
advantage. Have sublet apartment
here to Colin Dare, and will spend
the winter in travel. Will spend
Thanksgiving with you at Raynor.
Love from father"
This was the telegram that Mr..
Yates wrote a week before Thanksgiv-
ing. 81 just couldn't boil it down to
ten words, mamma" he said to his
wife as he read it. ''But the times
come when we can be a little lavish,
now we've retired"
"Hortense certainly will be surprised
poor girl" answered Mrs. Yates.
"She couldn't afford to come home
for the short holidays. Something in
her letters sounds as if she thought
you had been feeling hard times
that's why she didn't spend the money.
When she learns what a wonderful
disposal you have made of your bust
ness, won't she be surprised?"
shed be more surprised IL she
didn't get the telegram"
you don't mean, papa, that you'd
just go out and surprise her? Well,
what wonderful idear'
'Mr. Henry Yates, 7O1 West Ninety
ninth street, New York city: Have
earned a little money tutoring, and
have decided to come home Thanks
giving. Love. HortenSe."
Hortense struck her pencil through
a word here and there to get her tele-
gram down to ten words, and then
paused, with the pencil in mid-air.
'They would be a lot more surprised
if I didn't send the telegram" she re-
fiected. "What a wonderful idea -
As an aid in effecting a perfect sur
prise, Hortense rejoiced that she had
in her possession latch key for the
small city apartment, where her moth
er and father had made their home
since four years before she first fitted
off to college. She arrived at three
o'clock the afternoon before Thanks
giving, and, suitcase in hand, passed
quickly by elevator attendants to her
parents apartment on the second floor.
1t was not surprising to her that no
one was home. Wednesday was her
mothers club afternoon, and she some
times remained out all afternoon, and
then met her husband downtown for
dinner. Hortense hoped this was to
be the case this afternoon, for then
she would have more time for perfect
ing the plans that she had in mind.
Hortense found her little chintz-
trimmed bedroom in immaculate at
tire, and, having quickly slipped on
a comfortable house dress, rolled up
her sleeves and donned an apron, she
hurried out to the kitchen.
Down on her knees before the ice
box, she opened the door and shifted
and peered curiously into it's interior.
"Poor old mumsy," she said to her
self, as she beheld a meager broiling
chicken, few apples and onions and
a small measure of potatoes. 'HTimes
have been hard with dad, and she
didn't even have a turkey"
Hortense recalled that her mother
had written, some time before, saying
that they expected to have a quiet
little dinner together on Thanksgiv-
ing," but she thought that her hearty
young mother and father had planned
to feast off a single squablike broiler
brought tears to Hortense's deep blue
eyes.
She counted her money carefully,
folded her return-trip ticket and a
few new dollar bills into little purse
that she put, for safe-keeping and be-
yond the temptation of green grocer
or butcher, in a little pocket beneath
the folds of her bodice, and then count
ed out So besides. "Thatll get some
sort of spread" she said, eff I go to
the inexpensive places and make good
bargains" She found an empty mar
ket basket, and having put her coat
and hat on, slipped her arm into the
basket and sailed forth.
1t was as Hortense supposed. Her
mother and father did not return for
dinner, and she worked interruptedly
on at cranberry sauce and a small
pumpkin pie till long after dark. The
feast was not to be large one, but
HOrtense was q deliberate sort of
cook, and so busy was she with cul-
mary preparations that she did not
take time to sit down or even to en-
ter the living rooms of the apartment
or her fathers and mothers bedroom.
If she had, she would have seen OBJ
jectS that would have disturbed the
serenity of her plans. AS she had re-
placed the broiler with a turkey for
the Thanksgiving dinner, she satisfied
her own appetite-now well developed,
after all her many activities-on half