The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1921-11-24
EOening Story
Aunt Jinny's Thanksgiving
Legacy.
81 JoHN DAWSON.

the envelope over and over and up
side down. From whom could it be?
She couldn't read the postmark be-
cause it was blurred and she didn't
recognize the writing. Aunt jimmy
had no correspondents.
Slowly she ripped the flap with an
inserted hairpin, took out the folded
paper within; opened it up letting fall
thin blue oblong slip; and read. |
Then she gasped and sat down slsi-
denly in the old rocker which fortu-
nately happened to be behind her.
took off her spectacles and rubbed
them, replaced them and read again.
Then. trembling like a leaf, she sat
staring into the limited space between
her and the faded wall paper of her
tiny kitchen.
for $1,000. 1t is yours to use provided
you send me no thanks and ask me
no questions.
yours very truly,
'Lemuel Bassett."
This was the communication from
her rolling-in-wealth third cousin
twice removed who lived at Cherry
Top Hill over in Tuckerton, whom she
had not met since the day of his wife'Si
funeral some twenty years ago when
she was the only one who could COM
fort his three little children left
Nmotherless. Why should he do this
thing?
Puritanically, Aunt jimmy felt i'm
! PEELED to send the check back to its
owner as something to which she had
no conceivable right. Then. little by
| little, her imagination, long cribbed
and confined by a $500 a year income.
began to expand within her. The
things she could do with $1,000!
| There was her nephew. Harry.
struggling along with-a large family
and a sick wife; there was Cousin
Lefty, another poor relation like her
self, only hopelessly crippled with
rheumatism; there were the destitute
families down in the Hollow whose
men were oat of work; there was the
newsboy, Dick; oh. there were so many
, that she could help with that thousand
dollars.
Aunt Jimmy decided to keep the
check.
She let no time slip away after her
decision. That very afternoon, in her
faded old bonnet and rusty coat, she
| set out for the little bank downtown,
carrying high hopes, a, beating heart,
and in her worn reticule a $1,000
check and a carefully thought out list.
That list represented the greatest pos
sible number of good things Aunt
jimmy could squeeze out Of $1,000.
There was to be a cheap automobile
and a years supply of coal for Harry
and a new cook stove for his wife; for
Cousin Lefty a roll-out chair and some
warm undergarm ents; for Dick. the
newsboy, an all paid up course at
business college; for the three fam
lilies in the Hollow, three Thanksgiv-
| ing dinners ordered. And there were
other lesser beneficiaries.
That evening Aunt jimmy sank once
more into the old rocker, tired but
| happy. All she had left to show of
| her munificent check was a crumpled
list with every item scratched. oh,
yes, she had also the memory of many
radiant faces, many protesting thanks.
and the tears in Coz sin Letty'S old and
faded eyes.
| Suddenly, Aunt jimmy sat upright.
/ Just suppose there had been some mis-
| take! Suppose the check had really
been intended for some one else and
, had been mistakenly addressed to her!
And it was every bit spent! She had
got away with every last penny within
| twelve hours of the time she received
| the letter! She should have waited.
suppose the law could undo all she
had done-the auto, the stove, the
| wheel-chair!
| An unusual sound broke in upon
Aunt Jinny's frightened reflections.
| Down the lonely road a car was slowly
coming. feeling its way 1t drew up
in front of the house. 1t stopped.
A moment later an Enthusiastically
masculine step sounded on the tiny
porch and the front door reverberated
with determined knock.
| With the expression on her face of
| one who goes to meet a dreaded if
| deserved Nemesis, Aunt jimmy bravely
rose and turned the knob. Yes. it was
Lemuel Bassett, for all his fur coat
swallowed him up completely.
Miss er Virginia Bassett?" he
wanted to know. IT want to talk
with you
A moment later and Aunt Jimmy
was sitting poosite him much as a
criminal faces his judge. There was
an awkward pause. Then, after a
| ina rV Ga of n
Lemuel began.
II hardly expected to call upon
you so soon. But well, you rorced me
to it. This-er-well, this is the how Of
me know when you casned your
check. had a young fellow hired
| to keep tab on how you spent it. I
had him engaged indefinitely-a
week, month, a year. AS 1t was
well. you certainly gave him busy
day." Lemuel paused ana chuckled.
Aunt jimmy, relaxed. 1t wasn't as
bad as she had feared. Then she rose,
startled. For the man Ilao risen, too,
and was standing over her.
Listen, jimmy he began gently.
ut came to me the other day that I
was getting on in years and that 7
had a darn lot of money with no one
to help me spend it My boys are well
fixed and always will be. was think
! ing over the women knew and re-
rnembered you-how good and gentle
you were with the children the day
my wife was buried. I said to myself.
] There's fine woman for you. Lem
uel!' Then I wondered about the
| money.
How would you handle It II went
/ first? And I decided to TEST you.
That explains the check. And-why,
jimmy, you didn't spend a single penny
for yourselfi I want you 10 marry
me. Maybe we're too old to talk
about love"
He paused at the look in Aunt
| Jinny's eyes. ''Maybe-maype not
she murmured.
And that is not how Harry ana
Harry's wife and their five children
came in their flivver to Cherry Top
Hill to spend Thanksgiving.
| Copyright, 1921. by the Mcclure