The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1884-11-27

she made journey 10 the river with !
firmly-tied bag. The dogs learned to
creep timidly on the west side Of the
entrance and hall, and the cats chung
to the east side in their ms and outs, as
though they expected to be assaulted
from the other side. The siege, how
ever, was all on one side. The Captain
only chuckled the more and laughed
himself sore.
Miss Budd had paid the Captain the
rent money once in three months, be-
fore hostilities began. She came. at
that time of aspiring love, to conquer
with most smiling mein. She wrote
her own receipts, and the Captain had
nothing to do except sign them, At that
time of pleasantness the receipt began:
"Cynthia Budd to Captain Mark Silas,
(retired, wealthy and respected mari
ner), Dr." and SO forth. On pay day
after the war began. the receipt began
Cynthia Budd to NJ. Silas, Dr." Then
they had apleasant chatover the payment
of the rent, but now not word. Miss
Budd Laid, down the money with very
emphatic movement. and appeared to be
in haste. But the Captain was in no
hurry, He counted carefully, examin-
ing every piece, holding it to the light
as though he could see through it, and
in the meanwhile growing very red in
the face from suppressed laughter.
while Miss Budd glared at him. and
seemed 10 be ready to spring upon him.
All this gave. the Captain SO much
pleasure that he asked Miss Budd if 1t
would be convenient to pay him once a
month. She made no reply, but
snatched her receipt and went out like
On the first of the month, Miss
Budd appeared withia receipt in these
words: "Cyn.hia Budd to NJ. Silas
Enormously called Captain, Dr."
The Captain remarked that, as he was
short of money. it would be an accom-
mediation if she would pay every
week. The next receipt came in these
scorching words: Cynthia Budd (de-
ceived) to nj. oSilas (short of money.
miscalled Captain, mean, stingy, and
otherwise despieable) Dr." Thus the
battle went on, the space between
.aCyntf1ia Budd y and debtor !"
growing wider with every receipt, and
filled with greater variety of epithets
and imaginary characteristics of the
Captain, until the week before Thanks
giving (this was last YEAR, the receipt
was worded after this manner: '.Cyn-
thia Budd Indignant and basely de-
ceiyed to Monster Silas Claims to. be
a Captain, and ordered the spanker
boom hauled in and the center board
reefed, as they did on his ship amid the
raging pillows, always short of money
every weeks supposed to lose at
cards and to be on the way to the aims
house-smokes a dirty pipe, pugh-
every way; awful
mean, sti-n-gy old thing. UghD
Dr." l-l'
The grocer, baker and butcher man
recognized the state of siege, and gov
erned themselves by it. 1t is said that
if one, or all of them, had package
for each side of the double house, he
went in on one side, deposited the
bundle and then came out for the other,
not crossing the hall chalk line, and
keeping the bundles as far apart as
possible. But all this unpleasantness
came to pleasant termination by.
means of Thanksgiving turkey, as
the conclusion of this true and vera
cious tale shows.
Miss Budd was supported and kept in
the flesh by a legacy, but it was so slen-
der that it allowed her only the neces-
sites of life. At anniversary times.
such as Thanksgiving, Christmas and
New Years, some of her better-to-do
friends left at her door a fat turkey,
goose or plump brace of chickens. This
was not a regular custom on the part
of her frierds, but it happened so often
that she always waited until the last
minute before feast days, hoping that
the generosity of friend would save
her the trouble of going to market with
her scant purse. What was Cynthia's
delight late on the afternoon of the day
before Thanksgiving to note the arrival
of a rumbling wagon ut the front door,
and directly afterward a package was
placed on her table in her chalked hall.
Removing it into her kitchen, she found
it contained large turkey. yellow and
rich from accumulated fatness. When
Miss Budd had no outside offerings, she
dined alone; but on this occasion, as on
others similar, she invited her intimate
and similarly conditioned friend Miss
Sparks, Therefore she put on her
shawl and bonnet and hurried away to
inform Miss Sparks and to bring her
back with her to share in the labors of
preparation. By twelve o'clock that
night, after seven hours deliberation
and discussion, they came to decis-
ion in regard to the manner of cooking,
basting and serving.
The Captain had made preparations
for full Thanksgiving dinner. He or
dered underground turkey on Wednes-
day morning, and then went away to
Boston, telling his housekeeper that he
had urgent business and that he should
return by the noon train on Thursday,
with friend whom he had invited to
dine with him. The Captains house.
keeper was widow, with a .'disposi-
ton like cross-cut saw" and a uni
versal suffrager, who had driven her
husband into an early grave, which was
the first quiet place he found after his
marriage day. If no wood was brought
into the kitchen, there was no fire. If
the Captain neglected to whittle shaw
ings to start the morning fire, there was
no breakfast, as he found out on several
occasions. She would slave for no man,
she said, and the Captain was heard to
remark that she would starve before
she would help herself. She was ''pow-
erful strong in a meeting OF suffrage
cranks, and could stick more pins into
a defenseless man when his back was
turned, than any other debater. 5st
Therefore, as the time wore on, Thurs
day morning, and no turkey came for
the entertainment of the Captains appe-