Thomas County cat. [volume] (Colby, Kan.) 1885-1891, 1885-12-03

his opinion that Rupert was a good
boy, and was going to have a donkey
with long ears" 1t was evident that,
in spite Of the melancholy fate of the
poor Princess. Thaddy had great
longing for the society at the cottage.
Miss Doxy sat up late. expecting a
message of some sort from her neigh
bors, but none came. Poor Prince
Charming was uttering doleful and dis
cordant cries for the lost partner of his
joys and scrrows.
"Oh, how truly thankful could be
Tomorrow" thought Aunt Doxy, ''if
those people had only gone back to
town.
But when she arose in the morning,
bright and jolly Thanksgiving sun
was peeping above the gables OF the
little red. olive and yellow cottage, and
an ample Thanksgiving smoke was
pouring out of its chimney.
Aunt Doxy seated herself at the
breakfast table sad at heart. The chill
dren said little. and the poor peacock
recommended his wailing. Suddenly
there came violent knocking at the
back door. 'The answer to my let
ter" thought Aunt DoXy.
But it wasn't. For the next moment
there burst into the room a stout Irish
woman with a big basket, dragging in
a shame-faced boy-Mrs. O'Flanigan
and Barty!
From the basket arose a voice
muffied and hoarse, but still familiar,
and sounding like sweet music to Aunt
Doxy's ear.
80 Miss Appleby. num-" said Mrs.
O'Flanigan, ''it's kilt intoirely I am,
mum. wild shame, an the HART iv me
is broke, so it is, that liver I'd see the
day whin me own boy-an' his fayther
as sinsible man as liver shtepped in
two shoes-wudn't know the difference
betwane turkey an paycock. Shure,
he SEE yersilf was away AN the young
Teddy guy him lave to pick out a TURF
key for himsilf, and he tux this wan,
so he did, for foine large turkey, and
him a-thryin' to wiring the neck ov it
when l hears the quare voice ov the
craythur. And seq l: WHATEVER air We
about, We spalpane?' SEE 1; it do be
Miss Appleby's paycock We have there.
An he havin' the neck of the poor
basic half wrung, an the craythur
near kilt, l was afeerd to bring her
home til We. An shure, sphlinthered
up the neck ov her and docthered her
up wild swate lie, an last night she'd
ate bit, an this marnin' her voice had
grown that swate and nat-chooral
'twould bring tears to the DIES ov yer.
And, SEE to Barty, SEE l: Come along
up to Miss Appleby's wild me- seq 1,
AN if it isn't hangin' yell get seq I,
it's in the cowld Jail yell spind yer
Thanksgivin' Day. SEE l, fur MUIR
therin' ov her poor haste Ov paycock
an We wud have murthered her but
for me- seq /. -
Barty looked as detected as anything
so small could well look, but he lifted
up his grutf little voice courageously.
''Shure | nivver knew that cray
thur could be a paycock widout tail
at all, at ALL he said piteously, San
seen it warn't manin' any harrum I
was, an the HART Ov me quite broke
intoirely, an me mither's-an' we not
havin' anythin' barrin' praties for our
Thanksgivin' dinner, shure We mott
lave me off, Miss Appleby, mum-an'
shure I'll nivver come where hear the
voice ov a paycock agin.'
Aunt Doxy was so happy to have her
dear Princess restored that she could
blame no one. Never mind, Barty,
you needn't feel badly" she said.
.You shall have the turkey promised
f,A on1 oil rnoAx, for
the oven. But, oh, dear" she ex-
claimed, IF only hadn't written that
letter."
Barty's woe-begone look gave place
to beam of happiness; but as he and
his mother went off with fine turkey
in the big basket he still protested that
''shrre it was not right haste at all.
at all, that pertinded to be paycock
an had mt no iligint tail-feathers.
Aunt DoXy was still bemoaning her
sad mistake when Martha Washington,
who felt that perhaps she was some
what to blame in the >natter, came in
with letter.
.'Oh. dear, is it the answer" said
Aunt Doxy.
Reckon not, Miss Doxy, it done
come froo de post-offis, replied Mar
tina Washington, scanning it closely.
"'Pears like it might be from Miss
Sarah Wilmelmina.
''Oh! oh!' cried Aunt Doxy, as she
read the letter, "what do you suppose
Sarah Wihelmina says? She says that
Mrs. Gracey knows the people in the
cottage very well, and that she con-
graduates me on having such delight
full neighbors. They are Mr.. A.,
the celebrated artist, and his family;
and Mrs. A is the daughter of my
old minister, DR.. Forristall. who is
going to spend Thanksgiving with
him.
Aunt Doxy dropped the letter in
her lap. "Oh, that letter, that dread
full letter." she said. "What must they
think of me?"
But now Thaddy looked up suddenly
from thoughtful consideration of the
yellow kittens eyes.
care you sorry you wrote it, Aunt
Doxy; true as you live, and never do
so AGAIN." he asked. solennly, "and
would you be little easy on fellow
if-if-if an accident had happened to
that letter."
"Why, Thaddeus, what do you mean?
Tell me instantly" cried Aunt Doxy.