FullReads

Meanwhile, Mrs. Stetson had been revolving a design in her mind, and one afternoon she did some canvassing on her own account. The next time she saw Lovell she said:

“We ain’t going to let you do it all. The women folks around here are going to furnish the refreshments for the golden wedding and the girls are going to decorate the house with golden rod.”

The evening of the wedding anniversary came. Everybody in Blair was in the plot, including the matron of the poorhouse. That night Aunt Sally watched the sunset over the hills through bitter tears.

“I never thought I’d be celebrating my golden wedding in the poorhouse,” she sobbed. Uncle Tom put his twisted hand on her shaking old shoulder, but before he could utter any words of comfort Lovell Stevens stood before them.

“Just get your bonnet on, Aunt Sally,” he cried jovially, “and both of you come along with me. I’ve got a buggy here for you … and you might as well say goodbye to this place, for you’re not coming back to it any more.”

“Lovell, oh, what do you mean?” said Aunt Sally tremulously.

“I’ll explain what I mean as we drive along. Hurry up–the folks are waiting.”

When they reached the little old house, it was all aglow with light. Aunt Sally gave a cry as she entered it. All her old household goods were back in their places. There were some new ones too, for Lovell had supplied all that was lacking. The house was full of their old friends and neighbours. Mrs. Stetson welcomed them home again.

“Oh, Tom,” whispered Aunt Sally, tears of happiness streaming down her old face, “oh, Tom, isn’t God good?”

They had a right royal celebration, and a supper such as the Blair housewives could produce. There were speeches and songs and tales. Lovell kept himself in the background and helped Mrs. Stetson cut cake in the pantry all the evening. But when the guests had gone, he went to Aunt Sally and Uncle Tom, who were sitting by the fire.

“Here’s a little golden wedding present for you,” he said awkwardly, putting a purse into Aunt Sally’s hand. “I reckon there’s enough there to keep you from ever having to go to the poorhouse again and if not, there’ll be more where that comes from when it’s done.”

There were twenty-five bright twenty-dollar gold pieces in the purse.

“We can’t take it, Lovell,” protested Aunt Sally. “You can’t afford it.”

“Don’t you worry about that,” laughed Lovell. “Out west men don’t think much of a little wad like that. I owe you far more than can be paid in cash, Aunt Sally. You must take it–I want to know there’s a little home here for me and two kind hearts in it, no matter where I roam.”

“God bless you, Lovell,” said Uncle Tom huskily. “You don’t know what you’ve done for Sally and me.”

That night, when Lovell went to the little bedroom off the parlour–for Aunt Sally, rejoicing in the fact that she was again mistress of a spare room, would not hear of his going to the station hotel–he gazed at his reflection in the gilt-framed mirror soberly.

“You’ve just got enough left to pay your passage back west, old fellow,” he said, “and then it’s begin all over again just where you begun before. But Aunt Sally’s face was worth it all–yes, sir. And you’ve got your two hands still and an old couple’s prayers and blessings. Not such a bad capital, Lovell, not such a bad capital.”