The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1918-01-04


sRaynor College. Raynortown.
! sHave at last sold business to grea
advantage. Have sublet apartment
here to Colin Dare, and will spent
the winter In travel. Will spent
Thanksgiving with you at RaynOr
Move from father"
This was the telegram that Mr.
Yates wrote a week before Thanksgiv.
ING. IL just couldn't boil 1t down to
ten words, mamma" he said to his
wife as he read 1t. "But the times
come when we can be little lavish
NOW we've retired"
H0rtense 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.
zoess. won't she be surprised?"
Shed be more surprised If she
didn't get the telegram"
~You don't mean, papa, that you'd
9rst 30 out and surprise her? Well,
what q wonderful idea"
Mr.. Henry Yates, 701 West Ninety
Dlnfh street, New York city: Have
earned little money tutoring, and
have decided to come home Thanks
giving Love. Hortense."
H0rtense struck her pencil through
IN word here and there to get her tele-
gram down to ten words, and then
pansed. with the pencil in mid-air.
! They would be lot more surprised
sf didn't send the telegram" she re-
8ected. "What wonderful idea! !"
As an aid In effecting perfect sur
prise, HOrtense rejOiced that she had
I'm her possession a latch Key for the
zn1nll city apartment, where her moth
ex and father had made their home
since four years before she first fitted
sa8 to college. She arrived at three
O'Clock the afternoon before Thanks
giving, and, suitcase In hand, passed
quickly by elevator attendants to her
EasEents' apartment on the second floor.
1t was not surprising to her that no
one was home. Wednesday was her
g1other's club afternoon, and she some
dimes remained out all afternoon, and
then met her husband downtown for
dinner. HOrtense hoped this was to
he 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-
aximlaed bedroom In immaculate at
tire. and, having quickly slipped on
n comfortable house dress, rolled up
her sleeves and donned an apron, she
hurried out to the kitchen.
Down on her knees before the Ice
COX, she opened the door and shifted
and peered curiously into it's interior.
'Peor old mumsy," she said to her.
self, as she beheld meager broiling
chicken, few apples and onions and
IA small measure of potatoes. "Times
have been hard with dad, and she
didn't even have a turkey"
HOrtense recalled that her mother
had written, some time before, saying
fSaAt they expected to have a quiet
little dinner together on Thanksgiv-
Ing" but she thought that her hearty
young mother and father had planned
10 feast off single squablike broiler
brought tears to Hortense's deep blue
eyes.
She counted her money carefully,
FOLDED her return-trip ticket and
new new dollar bills into little purse
chat she put, for safe-keeping and be-
yond the temptation of green grocer
or butcher, in little pocket beneath
the folds of her bodice, and then count
ed out So besides. "That'll get some
sort of spread" she said, IF / go to
the inexpensive places and make good
Bargains" She found an empty mar
kzet basket, and having put her coat
Ind hat on, slipped her arm into the
basket and sailed forth.
/, ~ wns as Hortense supposed. Her
EmOfher and father did not return for
dinner, and she worked interruptedly
en- at cranberry sauce and O small
Uumpkin pie till long after dark. The
Feast was not to be large one, but
Hertense was deliberate sort of
cook, and so busy was she with cul-
hnary preparations that she did not
cake time to sit down or even to en-
aer the living rooms Of the apartment
or her fathers and mothers bedroom.
II abe had, she would have seen OBJ
asrfs that would have disturbed the
serenity Of her plans. AS she had re-
ESaned the broiler with O turkey for
&he Thanksgiving dinner, she satisfied
Ener own appetite-n0w well developed,
saffeT all her many activities-on half
- the hr0iler. and another tear stole
sz1o her eye as she reflected that this
small bird had been intended to stay
he Thanksgiving ardor Of her pa
rents.
When the nving-room clock struck
1en Hortense concluded that her moth
- and father had determined to stay
downtown to the theater as had been
fheir custom before. "Poor dears,"
the murmured. 1T Is probably only a
cheap movie show" Worn by her
ssoA bor ovor<tono cAo <yoxo.