Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-12-24

sand won't them Munnimachers sing small
when they miss this turkey tomorrow" he
| crowed.
"Ahr' cried again. "but don't Won think
they have missed it already?"
mo, bless you, they think they frightened
us away with their firing, but ii amt so jolly
easy to scare us, is it, Cousin Doll?''
Not to any great extent" of course an
swered with q toss, for / was as young and
| vain as Violetta is now and did not stop to re-
| hect that had really been frightened nearly
out OF my wits: ''but ii is a wonder that they
dld not follow us up more closely with their
Feared to! feared to! Feared we'd return
the favor and fire back!'' replied Cousin Jonas
We had now reached the house. There were
no shutters to the windows Of Dunallan Hall
and the paper shades were not pulled down, 80
that the light from the fire and candles shone
cheerily out from the front Of the house. Cousin
Jonas put the lantern down and knocked.
Molly's maid, AIRY, christened Ariadne,
opened the door. We entered and walked
all the ladies Of the family gathered around a
small table before the open wood fire engaged
In their usual avocations of knitting or sewing
Cousin Jonas tossed his cap to distant chair
anu stood before the disapproving eyes Of the
| Here we arer' he exclaimed. "with the
finest turkey in the state Of Maryland! and not
ball in us, though We were fred at at least q
dozen times! Wasn't we, Cousin Dolly?''
assented with the proud humility that be-
came a battle-ax heroine.
/ shot at! Oh, my Lord! NY Lord! You
might have been killed, Jonas!" cried Molly,
Historically.
overcome by the difficulty Of expressing her
| emotions.
| And while you were out on your expedition
to the poultry house OF the low-born person,
TOO much honored by your visit. young gentle
man" began Miss Penelope P. Poindexter
..'your own premises were raided and your finest
! turkey taken of"
| Great whales and little fishes! Is that sop
cried Cousin Jonas. starting back aghast.
Yes, it is !" chimed in Cousin Molly. "Uncle
cabin is close by the hen house. So he went
there to see what was the matter. He got there
Just In time to see two persons running away
with turkey that WAS squawking awfully"'
| on just in time to see them running away.
Nat always gets in time for that. WE'LL what
then? He gave the ALARM and every Niger
that had gun fred. Of course" said cousin
Jonas.
mo, Jonas they didn't. You know very
weil you gave strict orders that not gun was
to be fired at any one who might come to our
hen house tonight. Besides, all the men except
uncle Nat were out on a coon hunt.
"Oh; yes! But heard firing close to the
| % uio We. II was from the cOon-nuntlng
| 'Well, what did Nat do when he got there in
time to see the thieves make off with their
booty"
| ''Nat came up to the house and told us, and
AIRY and went back with him to the hen
hen turkey, was gone.''
., Here deep groan from Aunt Peggy. Mrs.
Margaret Dunallan, attested her grief at the
loss of her favorite fowl.
| Wa1l
1T is the fortune of war. Maybe this will
make up for that" So saying he tossed the
huge turkey on the table.
All the ladies suspended their work and bent
| their heads to scrutinize the prize. while
COUSIN Jonas and stood looking proudly on.
Then suddenly Ariadne, the pretty mulatto
maid, surprised and offended me by bursting
out laughing, and before could recover from
my angry establishment, Aunt Peggy frightened
me by an outbreak Of excitement that caused
| her to stammer worse than ever, and rendered
| her words almost unntelligible.
"Lul-Lul-Lul-Lord almighty, Jud-Jud-Jonas
Dunallan, if you amt gone and kik-kik- killed
my best brood hen turkey"
| mo, 1T amt. 1t is Munnimacher's gobbler.' ~
| solemnly declared Cousin Jonas.
| Its my hen tut-tutturkey." persisted Aunt
Peggy: =,
Uttered Ariadne.
"Why, of course, it is. Oh, JONAS" said
| on the table.
And so it was! Jonas Dunallan had never
been near Munnimacher's premises Indeed
he never would have taken young girl on such
an improper expedition. But by way Of a les
son or practical joke or both together, he
had taken me on a round about tramp over his
own ground and brought me to his own hen
house. and had stolen his own hen turkey, max
ing me believe it was Munnimachers prize
gobbler. The dogs he had so deftly auieted
were his own hounds and house dogs, and the fir
| ing we heard was from his own men on their coon
hunt: Floppy recovered under good treatment,
and lived to be the mother of many more
| broods.
''There, children there is the truth about nv
stealing Christmas turkey! / did not feel
much like Helen McGregor when went to bed
that nightr'
! But, grandma, didn you git awful tooth
ache gittin' wet?' inquired Tim, who was cut
ting his second set of teeth and having trouble
| with them.
| "An' didn't you git awfur sore t'roat?" in
CURED Til, whose tOnsils we're her weak points.
Nor pleurisy? nor put in the elder
girls.
| mo, children, 1 got no harm at ALL Young
women were not 40 delicate then az they are
now. Envy, dear, there is your father latch
key in the door; go to him. Lu and vi.
the little ones are almost asleep; put them to
bed Dolly, you stay and help me to undress.
| To Won all y, TT