oe THE PATTON COURIER THE STORY Returning to London, practl- cally penniless, after an unsuc- cessful business trip, Sir George Sandison takes dinner with his widowed stepmother, his old nurse, “Aggy.” He did not ap- prove of her marriage to his fa- father, but her explanation sat- isfiss him. CHAPTER I—Continued — ' “Oh, not that from you, Sir Geor- dle,” she cried, and then stretched sut a timid, pudgy, capable hand toward him. “Could we not be griends, we two? There's a heap I would like to speak to you about, and Indeed there's nothing I wouldn't do for you. You were my own wee laddie when I took care of you.” Sir George looked at her with an smbarrassed air. “You make it hard tor me, Lady—" “Aggy to you,” declared Lady Sandl- Jon promptly. “You called me that when I was your nurse girl, and I'm still wanting to look after you.” “Aggy,” he began, after a moment's hesitation. The maid came in with the cloth and began to set the table, and Sir George watched somberly. What was it in life that caught one and drew one toward the very people one hoped to avoid? He had come, only because of the duty he owed his father’s widow, to see her once and be done with her forever—and he found he had forgotten how much he liked Aggy. It was preposterous, but it was true. This was the woman he had cursed many a day, many a night and he was dining with her! Lady Sandison hesitated a moment when the maid left the room, and then went resolutely to where she had eaused the extra blankets and sheets to be stored, and came back with a bottle of wine. He stopped her as she was about to pour out a glass for him. “No, Aggy, none for me, I'm too hungry, and the old man’s horrible example is still before my mind's eye. I've been leaving that stuff alone.” “The Lord be praised!” said Aggy, and poured herself a generous glass. “There's no need of wasting His mer- cles, however. I can take it or leave It, and it has no effect. But to see you po discriminating is like an answer to prayer.” Sir George smiled and began his soup, he hoped not too ravenously. He had not dared take wine on So empty a stomach. “This good sense you are showing will fit in well with a plan I have,” continued Aggy as she took her soup spoon in hand. “How are you oft?” “Do you mean as to money?” Lady Sandison nodded. “I do so.” “I'm broke,” Sir George told her, without emotion. “The Yucatan oil gcheme was a failure, I came out alive and without debt, but that’s all I have,” he hesitated, then laughed, and continued, “I have exactly seven- and-six between me and the cold world.” “Michty!” exclaimed Lady Sandison. The mald brought in the fish and rarved it, during a profound silence. When she had taken her way to the elevator with the soup plates, Lady gandison spoke: “The estate is in an awful bad way.” Sir George nodded. “I suppose 80.” . “What he did with his money's past finding out.” Then she looked at the Joung man thoughtfully. “I've had long talk with that lawyer body, Mr. Gillespie, and he approves of what I -have done. I've let the house.” * Sir George stared. “Subject to your approval, of couree, por it’s yours, but I wasn't going to Jet a chance like this slip by. Some American folk that had more money than I could count in a month of Sab- paths. They wanted Sandisbrae and wanted it that bad that they came up to my price. They are highly recom- mended. I could pay the servants off with the first month's rent, and get shem jobs with the new folk, and the rent for the rest of the season put in pank would settle up the debts, if you agree.” . wit sounds quite reasonable,” sald Sir George, 8nd there was silence again as the maid took the fish plates and brought in the meat course, It was roast beef with potatoes and eabbage but it was the food of the gods to hungry Sir George, who tell upon it. Lady Sandison, not having his ap- petite, ate a little more slowly and between bites studied her stepson. «Seven and six is all you have?” Sir George, his mouth full, nodded. “Where’ll you sleep?’ asked the practical Aggy. *q haven't decided yet,” Sir George Jooked at her with a smile. “But at that I'm not ‘daunted’ as you used to ayy, Asgy. I'l walk to Havilant’s wp and ask—-" w"ge's off and awav” Interrupted « Margaret Tirnbull Jlvskrations 4 Jrwin Myers WwW, N.V. SERVICE Lady Sandison. “His mother told me that, over the telephone, this very day. He was out at Mont Denys for the week-end. I doubt she sent him there when she heard you were coming back.” Sir George looked somewhat dis- composed. “Why did you—" “I didn’t,” said Lady Sandison, flush- ing a little. She called me. It seems she'd heard that I was here and you were expected, and she telephoned me and asked when you were coming.” “She has heard of the collapse of the oil business, I suppose?’ “] expect. She seemed to know everything but the date of your ar- rival, and I told her that myself and sald that if Lord Archibald wanted to see you he’d just have to walt, as you had things concerning the estate to settle before you were off to America.” Sir George leaned back in his chair and surveyed this extraordinary woman, wamerical Why on earth should I go to America? Where did you get that idea?” “It popped into my head,” sald Aggy. “Lady Havilant was so fear- fully condescending like, and so feared that you would look up Lord Archie for a loan, that I jist minded myself that the Sandisons were one of the She Laid Her Other Hand on Top of His—A Rare Caress From This Most Reserved Person. oldest baronetcies in the kingdom and the Havilants but bare two hundred years! So I wasn’t letting her try to patronize Sir Steenie’s widow or his son. I told her exactly what popped into my head. Glad am I that I did, for it kept burling round and round there till it turned into as good a plan as any I could think of. So if you you nothing pressing to do the night, Sir Geordie—" He looked at her and smiled. “You go too fast for me, Aggy. I have to look for a place to sleep.” “Then that's settled,” Lady Sandison declared, but the look she gave him implored him not to refuse her, “if you'll remember that I'm your step- mother and take a shakedown here at my flat. You're that tall and I'm such a shorty that I think you'll have to take the bedroom, and I'll take the sitting room couch.” To refuse, with those b eyes, generally so hard, fixed anxiOusly on him was beyond Sir George. He tried to. He protested, but finally found himself saying: “I'll accept your hos- pitality gladly, Lady Sandison.” “Aggy.” “Aggy, but I'm to have the couch.” Lady Sandison for the first time that evening actually smiled. *I doubt it,” she said. “I doubt you can double up that small, but we'll leave that until the time comes. At present, while the lass is clearing, we'll have the coffee and cigarettes in the sitting room, and I'll tell you this America plan.” “Yes,” agreed Sir George, but he set his handsome jaw. Aggy was quite all right and a splendid manager. She had always been that, but she was not going to manage him into going to America. Aggy saw the set jaw and began calmly: “You'll have mind when you were a wee bit laddle, I was used to tell you stories of my brother, Robert, in America?” Sir George, absorbed in lighting his cigarette, nodded. “He's still there, and he's a big man in his way.” “What is his way? “Some kind of contracting business. Putting up weirs and grand public buildings, bridges and they awful sky- scrapers that crowd streets over there.” Sir George nodded to signify his comprehension. “He's by way of being something awful well off.” Sir George's eyes opened. Aggy nodded solemnly. “Him and me's been at outs for many & long year on account of a real impident letter he sent me some time before I married your father. He doesn’t know I'm married. I refused to go out to America and be pampered the way he sald he would pamper me. Rob let fly some awful words bout ‘d—n ob- stinate females,’ so I sist didn’t an- swer his letter. When he sent some lawyer bodies after me 1 jist told them to take his money and his messages back to him, I would go my own galt. You see,” she added, as Sir George looked at her inquiringly, “I was badly needed at Sandisbrae then. It would have been demoralized, but for me. Your father was rarely himself, and things were not as they had been in my lady's time. You were away in France.” Sir George nodded. He did not want to remember those times. “I couldn't see my way to leaving the place, especially as your father was making up to Jock’s lass, as I told you. And she with little sense in her wee, putty head! So I judged that it would be better for you if 1 stayed and let your father compromise himself with me. At least that’s the way I let him think,” she said, with a nod at Sir George. “T daresay there was a lot of gossip about us, but none of it was true. However, it was my chance to set things right and I took fit. Jist when Sir Steenie knew he couldn't be left, I says to him: ‘This is no place for an unmarried respectable woman. “Then d—t, marry me, Aggy,’ he said, ‘as I have asked you more than once.’ “Thank you, Sir Steenie,’ I says, ‘we'll take the night train to Gles’ga and get the license, and I'll warrant you a peaceful life and no more extrava- gances.! ‘Plenty of whisky and peace to drink it in, Aggy, my dear, is my notion of pleasure, he said.” She paused and sighed, “I did better for him than most, and I saved some- thing for you, Sir Geordie.” Sir George's head was bowed on his hands. “Oh, Aggy, I'm ashamed that I thought of you as I did.” Aggy’s firm lip trembled for a mo- ment. “You might have remembered me better than that, Sir Geordie,” was on the tip of her tongue, but she held it back and sald: “Bless me! What does a lad remember about his old nurse? And it looked bad. But that's by and gone, if only—" and here her composure was shaken for a moment—*if only you believe me now.” Sir George leaned forward and took her fat, pudgy hand, which still bore traces of hard work, and patted fit. «would I be here, Aggy, if I didn’t believe you?” She laid her other hand on top of his—a rare caress from this most reserved person. “That's my laddie,” she said. “Sir Geordie, 1 have often thought if you'd come back that first year—but then, how could you? It was probably bet- ter as it was, and now we'll take stock of what's left us.” “Very little, I'm afraid. The lawyer told me that I had nothing but Sandisbrae left.” “Did he so? There was a little something left over, that your father didn’t spend. I let Sir Steenie think he gambled it away one night he wasn’t himself, while as a matter of fact I had it hid up the stair, in the tower.” “But that—" Sir George began. “It's yours. 1t's no much, but it'll help.” “It's yours,” he declared hastily, “It’s all the widow's portion you have, Aggy. I'll never touch a penny of it.” Two obstinate Scots stared at each other. It was Aggy, Lady Sandison, who spoke first. “You were ever a set laddle. There's no change in you.” “There will be no change in me. Agnes, Lady Sandison, must take her lawful share.” (TO BE CONTINUED.) reese Grumbler Throws Away Chance of Happiness May we be spared from the grum- ble i: » And yet, if we would change his grumble into pleasure, we must exert a little patience of our own. Getting impatient and disdain- ful and short-tempered with him is likely to make him worse. And, after all, it isn’t very hard to help these rather trying people along the road of life. The grumbling folk don’t have a very easy time. Of course, they can be a positive nuisance te you. But just think what a real nuisance they are to themselves. To have always a spirit of grumbling in one’s mind must be a load, the weight of which pilgrim could never have imagined. In many ways the grumbler’s burden ia worse than Pilgrim's. You see, there was always a % snwonsed glow, 2 2 TE And firm and clear our pulses beat Li | W 7 Their measure of the strengthe 7A ~~ And wakes us = Tw E doubtful ones aris 7% And take their lives in stronger grasp, =~" And hands of men in hands of men ed Assume a warmer, firs Nha RL 3 2S ronan, peer KSGIVING - —-t > ’ ’ J ~~ -r rm ane 28” = tr e mJ - < AND, thoug - = { bY FRANK HERBERT SWEET. € again, Of every tender, summer guest, It is but the Thanksgiving way For the survival of the best. = (©. 1930. Western Newspaper Union.) Py, aoveeis.y. meies \ pr a, ; i. TIME: ~~ ' ’ A Maine First to Give Thanks for Mercy? We are apt to think that Thanks- giving was originally a New England festival and belonged distinctively to the Puritans. This is a mistake, Neither Boston Puritans nor Plymouth Pilgrims had anything to do with It, for it was first practiced by the Pop- ham colonists of Monhegan, Maine, and it was in a Church of England thanksgiving service—“A Giving of God Thanks for a Safe Voyage,” says a writer in the Kansas City Times. The practice of setting aside cer- tain days for thanksgiving had be- come a custom long before the Refor- mation, Protestants followed the prac- tice, especially in the established | church, where it had become a fixed practice long before New England be- gan the observance, It seems a strange | thing that the Pilgrims, who hated so i heartily all the observances of the | Church of England, should have been so willing to folow this practice so | early in their history. | The first Thanksgiving day of New England was, however, never ap- pointed nor intended for a day of re- ligious worship. It had nothing in common with the Church of England day of prayer and praise for past | blessings and future need. It was ap- | pointed as a day of recreation and | freedom from work, which made the | colonists’ days one ceaseless grind of | care, Indians Helped Provide Meat. | . But those who are wont to think of | the Pilgrims as a group of sober and | morose men and women, with no idea in life beyond work and prayer, would | do well to read an account of that week of Thanksgiving, the first real { play time of the Pilgrims. Edward Winslow wrote to a friend in England on December 11, 1621: “Our harvest being gotten in, our | governor sent four men out fowling, | 80 that after a special manner we ung rejoice together, after we had | gained the fruit of our labors. That four killed as much fowl as, with lit- tle help beside, served the whole com- pany about a week. At which time, among other recreations, we exer cised our arms, many of the Indians coming among us, and among the rest, their great § Masasoyt, with some ninety men, who for three days we entertained and feasted. They went out and killed five deer, which they brought and hegtowed upon our gov- ernor, upon the eaptain and others.” Governor Bradford in his account speaks of the great number of water fowl and wild “turkie.” The record goes on to tell that the Pilgrims, with- out doubt, fareq decidedly better than did their sh brothers that year, as “turkie” was gearce. There were only AH Englishmen to eat the hun sgiving fenst that first year, but 90 Indians came as guests. They did not come empty-handed, but brought generous gifts. The kindly spirit of friendliness was worth even more at that time. Only Five Women to Get Meals. The games were tests in jumping, leaping and running, in which they all took part. But in spite of all this, it could not have been a week of un- alloyed recreation and pleasure, for there were only four women to do the cooking, with the help of one maid servant, and a few maidkins. There were 140 men to be served, and 90 of them Indians, whose hunger had to be appeased for three days. Even more noticeable and pathetic was the very small number of children in the Stockade to participate in this first Thanksgiving celebration. There is no record of any kind of religious service or prayer during the week. One writer says: “Lost in the wood—terrified by lions—terrified by grinning wolves—half frozen in the poorly built houses—sickened by poor food, and half famished—almost half the company dead, after two years of suffering and hardship, In spite of these heavy hardships, and after the drought of 1693, a nine days.of prayer for rain was answered, and the second Thanksgiving day was appointed and observed.” The first Thanksgiving day which was publicly appointed, was set for February 22, 1630, in gratitude for the “Friend-bringing and food-bearing ships.” November 4, 1631, Winthrop wrote, “We keep Thanksgiving day today in Boston.” Until 1684 the day was celebrated about every two years. Thankful for Clean Teeth. We have no certain record when it became a fixed annual observance in New England. But in 1742 there were two Thanksgiving days and Massachu- setts and Connecticut celebrated with- out reference to each other. As time passed, it became more and more a day of prayer and thanksgiving. “For # becomes more hard,” one Connecti- cut writer says, * to settle upon any special day.” It was not regularly observed until 1766, and then more as a day of wor- ship than a day of feasting. One writ- er speaks of a service in which a long list of special blessings was specified. “For the healing of breaches, the abatement of disease, the arrival of persons of quality, gratitude for plen- tiful harvest, that God has sent us no want of bread, and for clean teeth.” These early Thanksgiving days were of many different days of the week, and of no certain month for many years. After the day began to be ob- served annually, it came to be the custom to hold the festival in the fall, and following harvest. The feast was usually prepared for by some days of fasting. No Celebration Without Pie. But among the early Thanksgiving celebrations of Colonial days is one which has no counterpart in history. The records say that the governor of Connecticut appointed a certain day to be observed throughout the state as a time of thamksgiving. But, for reasons of their own, the residents ot the town of Colchester ignored the governor's appointed day. They sent a committee to him stating that they were not able to accept the day he had selected, but “would gladly cele- brate Thanksgiving one week later.” As this had never happened before, the governor was at a loss to know how to proceed. Fortunately, he was a patient man, and not easily af- fronted, and one who was blessed with a sense of humor. Finding he was not going to make the matter disagreeable for them, he was again visited and the matter ex- plained. A sloop expected from New York had been delayed a week. On board was a hogshead of molasses for making pies, without which ne Thanksgiving celebration could pro- ceed. Being a man of good sense, and perhaps, too, having the New Eng- land appreciation for pie, the good people of Colchester were allowed to hold their Thanksgiving when the hogshead of molasses came in, a week later. In 1677 the first regular Thanksgiv- ing proclamation was printed, and it is said a copy still is in existence. FOR BLESSINGS To give thanks on Thanksgiving day, to pause from normal activi- ties, to recognize the providential blessings bestowed upon the American people is a duty. The custom has no law of compulsion. It has become a traditional prac- tice. It is instituted by Presiden- tial proclamation, which is ob- served as though it were of statu- tory force. While the day has be- come a holiday, a festivity in some degree, it remains primarily an occasion of reverential recog- nition of the great dispensation which brings to America the rich- ness of spiritual as well as mate- rial advance. Called-For Tribute In all the ages of mankind the trib- utes of the people to the divine being have been forthcoming, and at no time more fervently than following the harvest. Let those who fail in | their tributes to the source and center of human hope, at this time at least, | pay tribute to their Maker, The Lord”| is in his holy temple, let all the earth | keep silence before him.—Philadelphia | Ledger. | } English Feast Days History tells us that England had so many days of thanksgiving that it often interfered with the more serious affairs of life. Even during the days of Cromwell there were more than a hundred feast days. let a Cold Settle in your Bowels! Keep your bowels open during a cold. Only a doctor knows the ime portance of this. Trust a doctor to know best how it can be done. That's why Syrup Pepsin is such a marvelous help during colds. It is the prescription of a family doc tor who specialized in bowel troupe bles. The discomfort of colds is always lessened when it is used; your system is kept free from phlegm, mucus and acid wastes. The cold is “broken-up” more easily. Whenever the bowels need help, Dr. Caldwell’s Syrup Pepsin is sure to do the work. It does not gripe or sicken; but its action is thor ough. It carries off all the souring waste and poison; helps your bowels to help themselves. Take a spoonful of this family doctor's laxative as soon as a cold starts, or the next time coated tongue, bad breath, or a bilious, headachy, gassy condition warns of constipation. Give it to the chile dren during colds or whenever they're feverish, cross or upset. Nothing in it to hurt anyone; it contains only laxative herbs, pure pepsin and other mild ingredients. The way it tastes and the way it acts have made it the fastest sell- ing laxative the drugstore carries! Dr. W. B. 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