The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1884-12-26
A NEW SANTA CLAUS.
BY FRANCES LEE.


corn, and scratched up the garden
seeds, and stood around as though tho
whole Ashley family plowed, and
planted, and baked, and boiled just for
their pleasure.
Pm not going to keep these hens.
They are simply eating their heads off,
and it doesn't pay. We will have a
chicken pic said Pa Ashley.
Don't You do it, ma, will you?"
begged the Boy. Don't you know, pa.
they were getting acquainted with the
new turkey to-day! They might begin
to lay tomorrow.
But nothing was farther than eggs
from their feathered heads. In fact,
they spent the next day, while the FAM
lily was gone to meeting, in Smelling
and eating green peas, though they had
to Jump IL foot to reach them.
"Thosc wretched beggars!" said Pa
Ashley. II can't keep them, and won't,
anyhow
"Why, you don't expect the hens will
lay Sundays, do You, pa2' pleaded tho
Boy.
SO the days skipped by, one after an
other, and those hens never went into
Il pie at all, for there was always some
excuse to be found why they did not
and could not lay on each particular
day. And at last faith, hope, and char
lily had their reward.
Ma, cried the Boy, as he came rum
ming in one day, well have some eggs
now if the old hen makes out good
luck. I've found plymouth Rock on
her nest"
After that there was no trouble about
eggs nor about keeping the hens.
II think said Grandma, one fine
morning, that old Cropple Crown has
stolen her nest somewhere, but ! am
bothered to pieces to find out where"
"Cluck, cluck, cluck," replied Crop
plc-C tiltiog her head this way
and that, and lifting one foot in the air
rs though she We're saying, "Shall /,
or shan't I?'
We haven't got anything against
your setting, you old simp!eton. Shoe,
there. Scoot along, and let's see If
you've fixed up Your nest as it ought to
be-" continued Grandpa.
"Cra-ik? Cra-ik!' replied the sim
pleton, setting that foot carefully down
and cautiously lifting the other.
"Wlere are you going now and why
don't you go there? 1 can't stand fool
ing around all day watching you.
Come, hurry up" complained Grand
pa.
Cropple-Crown tluttered over the
fence, then she Tapped into the hay
cart, and Tapped out again. "Cluck,"
said she, hopping upon an old stove
that was stored in the shed. There she
stood. cluckins and shifting from one
leg to the other
There is no living creature that will
poster the life and worry the patience
OF body moro than setting hen.
Hanging round that old stove when Pm
watching her to go on her nest and she
knows it and just does it to dawdle and
fool. I'm most Il good mind to let her
GO chicks and ALL" said Grandpa,
shaking his hat at her till she flounced
oil tho stove with squawk.
Bat even Grandpas get discouraged
sometimes, and finally he went off to
look at the new Jersey calf and to give
ncighlor Flake his opinion about the
weather. When lie went back to the
shed, cropple-Crown had disappeared
and WAS seen no more that morning.
After dinner, us Grandpa sat in his
arm chair with il newspaper over his
head and his eyes elosed-"iust to rest
them, he wasn't sleeping" Boy
rushed in like the west wind. GIVE
found her out. I've found where
Cropple-Crown is setting' Grandpa's
paper rustlcd oft upon the floor
What. where. How did you find
her. said hc springing up as though
he had been nineteen instead of ninety.
81 WAS hunting after my ring. I've
lost it some place and Ma said if | lost
this ring ] shouldn't have another.
M'unh it must lave slipped off when I
was feeding oats to Katy. but I've
searched the manger all through and
felt i'll katy's mouth and 1 would give
anybody my new arithmetic to find it
for Inc. So L look every place 1 can
think Of. But what do you think!
Come on, Grandpa! You couldn't
guess in a thousand years.
If that is the case, won't try them"
sad Grandpa, picking up the cane he
always carried, "just for company" aud
following after the Boy, who led the
way to the shed and to the very stove
around which Cropple- Crown had
wandered in such an uncertain and pro-
Noking way.
The Boy lifted the grildlc. "There!
What do you think of that for hide
place. he asked, triumphantly. II
guess She heard Pa say she had got to
be bake !, so she thought shed get into
the stove herself to save trouble"
well, never did" declared Grand
pa, pcepinS in and discovering the
spcckled head and crimson crest of the
stowaway.
And nobody ever did! Cropple-
Crown came out every day to be fed,
but how she got out and in nobody
ever saw. There was but one way, to
drop herself like Santa Claus down
through the stove-pipe hole and
scratched ont again somehow, in the
same way R,t there ..bo voa ond