Show f I I II I A PAIR OF SPOONS A THANKSGIVING STORY By HARRIET WHITNEY DURBIN ii I. I vI T I I Copyright When mamma wrote out her Thanksgiving menu and forgot to Include In clude elude plum IlIum I knew It portended portended por tended something She also wore a cheerfully anxious expression like that of a candid child who comes to confess tho the larceny of sugar but h has ha's s staken taken the precaution of eating the sugar first What Is It I asked Im afraid replied mamma be put out when I tell you Ive I've invited in the Castles to eat dinner with us Thanksgiving day Mammas Mamma's words had been a spatter of cold water in my face but butt after a gasp or two I I. I came out bravely Theres no reason In the world we shouldn't have them If they'll come I said In a matter matter course of course tone It would seem rather queerer not to have them than to do so Dear Im I'm so glad cried mamma I dont don't want to hurt your feelings or bring up your troubles but I thought being Thanksgiving we ought to forgive for give give and and living next door door and and It would be the first time for years one didn't ask the other to dinner dinner- though we know Laurin didn't treat you right right and and Its It's so nice so-nice nice and good goodof of you to agree to have them themI them them-It I was 23 23 and Lil my younger sister sister sis ter considered me a hopeless spinster with an ancient romance We had bad lived next door to the Casties Castles Cas Cas- ties since Laurin and I were old enough to exchange bits of gingerbread gingerbread ginger ginger- bread and carry carryon on doughnut deals deats Mr Castle and poor papa had been business friends and at the present time Lill and the youngest Castle wore locks of each others other's hair And in the face tace of all this Mrs Castie Castle Cas tle tie had chosen a year ago to be cross cross- grained about Laurin and me He was about starting out west then to practice civil engineering and though his mother had not disparaged me personally she had counseled implored implored im entreated and begged of him to wait walt a few years before snarling himself up in an engagement that was her expression on the ground of his extreme youth although he was 22 six six months older older than I was at that time Ome Merlin was not the only man who wa was wag ever cajoled out cut of his own judgment judgment Judgment Judg judg- ment by a woman and Laurin at last acceded to a compromise His mother moth er wanted him to wait walt until he was 25 but he would concede only a year proudly assuring her that he could safely trust his Sylvia to be faithful to him for tor that length lenth of time even I without a definite understanding and as he recklessly offered to prove to to her without so much as a letter passIng passing pass pass- Ing between us during the year I 1 maintain that in fn this the young man would have been taking some chances had not his Sylvia been thoroughly posted about the whole business by I the confidential relations of Nannie Castle to Lill LIlI But I had not a doubt I In the world that Mr Laurin had counted on oft that very betrayal by his younger sister to put him on the right footing with his Sylvia At first I rather resented his cool and sided one one sided arrangement but after fter awhile I missed him too acutely to think of that and I could not have even the solace of a letter Not that he would have written very often under under un un- un der any circumstances for Laurin would rather chop cord cordwood wood than write letters He had only written once to his own folks since he ho started started start start- ed on his western trip according to Nant Nannie le leThe The silken tie of friendship between between between be be- tween mamma and Mrs Castle waxed this thin after Laurins Laurin's departure It reached Thanksgiving when MaJ Perkins who had just from froma a Salt lake trip exploited the news that Laurin was married There seemed nothing on which to prop any hope of mistake The major on his outward trip to Salt SaIt Lake had seen Laurin though only for a fe few fen minutes between trains at the tho depot in Laramie had shaken hands with him and Laurin had told him lm that he had come come to meet the train Just arriving arriving ar ar- ar riving from Denver and that his wife was on board it Nothing had been heard from Laurin Lau rin since And And so LIU Lill and Nannie came to regard me In the light of Ii a disappointed elderly spinster and mamma nipped Mrs Castle frostily when they met As that stately lady was apparently too much crushed to resent this treatment with any spirit spirit whatever my good little parent thawed thaw thaw- ed cd nt the Thanksgiving season and her Invitation being graciously accepted ac the smoke of the peace pipe I cheerily ascended I As As 1 I welcomed Mrs Castle Castlo on Thanksgiving day I noticed some new worry lines In her forehead She squeezed both m my hands bands fervently Sylvia she sho whispered I heartily wish I 1 had never meddled with you and Laurins Laurin's romance though I only did so because you were both so young You must forgive me dear And I cant can't feel resigned to this queer marriage of Laurins I kissed her silently and then I had to get my myself out of the tho room to avoid showing what a silly big baby I could be Mamma chased me mo up after a bit she had a good sized worry worry of her own I declare Sylvia said she I behove believe be be- lieve hove Im I'm bird I never thought until ten minutes ago about the teaspoons teaspoons tea tea- spoons being at Schmidt's for tor letter Jetter- L ing lag Katrina thought of course 1 would get them and didn't mention It It and nd weve we've only the little old odd ones we have been using What shall we wedo wedo wedo do Why I said cheerfully were old enough friends of the Castles to tell Mrs C. C the whole business and borrow her spoons Oh glory gasped mamma awful Still I I dont don't know what else we can do Do you mind asking her Not a bit said aId I. I I felt somewhat as t I stole through Mrs Castles Castle's kitchen and Int into her room dining and ImagIned Imagined Imag ined fined myself purloining the family ell sli sliver ver as I rummaged the drawers I had selected enough spoons and was tarrying a moment to admire the handsome old sideboard when the sound of the front door opening and closing briskly and of footsteps prancing prancIng prang ing lag along the hall gave me the startled startled startled start start- led sensation characterized as asa a turn The spoons I was holding went clattering to the floor Jingling shrilly together and flying about The dining room dining room door opened and Laurin stood before me with a 3 dozen exclamation points flashing out of ot his gray eyes Then he began to laugh Have I got into the wrong house he asked I was In such a hurry 1 was hardly thinking where I went and andI I suppose the old latchkey would fit either side But It U wouldn't have been long before Id I'd have been over next door anyway Thank heaven Sylvia the year Is up at last last last-I I know its it's been 18 months long but Im I'm goIng going go go- Ing to make up for lost time now dear and speak out good and strong He had set his grip upon a chair and was coming after me with both arms open open- when I got my wits together together together to to- gether and skipped out of his reach Stay where you are please Mr Castle I ordered as majestically as asa asa asa a person only three five feet three can I Iam Iam Iam am surprised at your conduct Then I told him of ot the report we had had here from MaJ Perkins that he was married Laurin sprawled down Into a chair humped himself over with his chin in his hands drew his brows into a bar above his nose and went into a profoundly profoundly pro pro- profoundly retrospective trance while I stood helplessly by waiting tremulously tremulous ly for the outcome He emerged from his trance suddenly sudden sudden- ly with a great spring that l landed him on his feet beside me Im on the trail of that wife of ot mine Sylvia dear he shouted Joyfully joyfully Joy joy- fully lend me your ear and y your your ur hand too my little goose goose I I tell you I Ill I'll explain It all I remember well meeting the major at Laramie The Ii 11 It r 4 I tj tji t i l t The Room Door Opened I I I station was crowded with excursionists excursion and noisy as a boiler shop The major ran against me suddenly grabbed grabbed grab grab- bed my hand and roared He Hello no Laurin this LaurIn-this this you 1 Going out on the train And I bawled back as nearly as I can recollect my words Hello Iloilo major No just came down to meet the tho Denver train am looking for tor my bike on It Now do you see Sylvia I I had bad sent to Denver to get a wheel found I needed one out there and had gone to the station after it In the racket I suppose tho the major mistook bike for wife He was chasing at after r his train and couldn't stop to talk or orho orho ho he would mighty soon have ha discovered there wasn't any wife coming to me meon meon meon on any train Now then young joung lady 01 may I say a few more things 1 I dont don't know how bow long after acter this it was that Nannie Castle came Into in into into to find out what had bad become of me mel me meland and the spoons I have never been quite clear in my mind what we had for tor dinner that Thanksgiving day What I do remember remember re re- member distinctly is the palpable relict relief re re- lief Ilef of oC mamma and Mrs Castle whop whet Laurin told the tho bike tale tao again and the long beautiful evening Laurin and andI I lIas passed sed together planning with thankful thank ful hearts Indeed for tor cut rt golden future futuro |