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

that kind-hearted household have disabused her
Of the fond delusion by word or look.
| Mrs. Dunaiian and Miss Becky received me
as if had been their dearest child, and Miss
Penelope P. Poindexter bowed and courtesied
to me with an air of great condescension. II
which was brought medium-sized apart
ment with whitewashed walls and ceiling hung
around with engravings Of Bible subjects and
the front and side windows shaded by blue
paper shades; bare floor with a large home
made rag rug before the broad open wood fire
and rich old mahogany tables and chairs set
| back formally against the walls. Molly took
| away my chinchilla hood and cloth cloak and
aunt made room for me at the fireplace and re-
peated all the questions that had been asked
| me by Molly. Before could answer half of
them colored woman came to the door and
| said: Supper am on de table, Miss Peggy"
And We Were all marshaled out of the parlor
INTO the ball and through the back door into
the the dining room, which was in keeping with
the rest of the house, whitewashed walls bare
floors. old mahogany furniture and glorious
wood FIRE that made up for all other deficien-
cies.
But the supper! In contrast to the simplic-
ity OF the whole house, such q supper! doubt
II many rich people sat down to half so good
one! Tea and coffee Of the best; cream and
butter of the richest; bread, hot and cold, of
several kinds; oysters. fish. game, cakes and
preserves The only drawback was that the
everything on the table. and to eat plente-
ously; and felt aggrieved that did not.
why, Cousin Dolly, WAS down on the river
this morning before sunrise to shoot that wild
duck for you! Molly knows / was" Cousin
Jonas complained in an injured tone.
did my best to satisfy him, and soon, to my
relief. his thoughts reverted to something else.
Molly, what do you think heard at Black
stones today?
WHAT inquired his wife.
vhx-xl o%
if anybody comes after his turkeys tonight he'll
shoot EN- like any other theft
ExclamatiOns of disgust and adherence
broke from all the company except Miss Pencil
ope p. Poindexter. who drew herself up in
dignity, and myself. who felt and no doubt
for the nonce! And in the animated discus
sion that followed learned some curious facts
There prevailed in that county q Christmas
custom so questionable that we must think it
servance"-a misunderstood and fully recog-
nized right for any man to get possession Of
his neighbours Christmas turkey il he could
and for his neighbor to take his if possible
And ne who could prove that he exhibited on
his dinner table on Christmas day the finest
turkey, whether he obtained it by fair means
or foul, was to win prize. tom ASTON" q
name frequently on Mr.. Dunallan's lips, had
got Cousin Jonas turkey last Christmas and
thereby won the prize-a richly mounted
turkey, though it was known that he
had stolen it. Cousin Jonas had never tried
to steal anybodys turkey, though year after
year he had lost his own. For, mind you. it
was the custom among the neighbOrs that,
though the hen house doors might be locked and
barred, and the dogs unclaimed, no other pre-
cautions were to be taken to guard the turkeys,
no watch was to be set no gun to be fired. So
the enterprising turkey-lifter would only have
to force the door and quiet the dogs if he could.
Now, then, because Munnimacher had openly
sworn to shoot any man like common thief
who came after his turkey, which was under
stood to be one of fabulous size and weight, and,
therefore. vast temptation to the prize
seekers the devil entered Cousin Jonas Dunal-
Ian. and he swore with an oath that scandal
dexter jump in her chair, that he would have
Munnimachers turkey and win the prize-a
set of double harness this time-or perish in
the attempt!
"Oh. Jonas, don't think of such a thing
That cur is just the wretch who will keep his
word and shoot your pleaded Molly.
'Nun-nun-nO, Jonas! Dud-dud-don't you
do nothing of the sus-sus-sort!' commanded
Aunt Peggy. who always stammered when she
was agitated.
Miss Penelope P. Poindexter drew herself up
and began:
I'm the days of my remote Scottish ancestors
cattle stealing among the high nobility
But as all were too anxiously occupied in try
ing to dissuade Mr.. Dunalan from his enter
prise to listen to her family traditions she SUBJ
sided into naughty silence. Mr.. Dunallan was
saying:
Il will give that low fellow a chance to shoot
me this night and see if he dares to draw a
trigger! And / will have his big turkey on our
dinner table tomorrow and the prize harness
on our horses the next day or my name is not
Jonas Dunallan!''
''Marauding among my Scotch ancestry"
began Miss Penelope P. Ponder ter, but her
voice was drowned in the answer Of the oppo-
sitiOn raised against Mr.. Dunalans resolve.
II must have one of the niger boys to hold
the lantern for me while open the door of the
hen house" persisted Cousin Jonas, totally ig-
noring remonstrance a. he rose from the table
and went and brought his shaggy surtout from
the hall and began to draw it on.
That you sha-sha-shan't, Jonas Dunallan
II you choose to ris-ris-rist your own life. you
sha-sha-shant rist one of them poor niggersr
Aunt Peggy declared.
Jonas did not gainsay her in this, but laughed
and caught my eye and said:
cousin Dolly, bet my boots you're game
enough to go along O me and capture old
Munnimacher's turkeyt'
l know not what demon Of mischief took
possession Of me at that moment, but thought
of Di. Vernon and Helen McGregor and other
venturesOme herOines Though in Justice to
them L have never heard OF either robbing hem
roosts), and l answered.: THAT am, Cousin
Jonas and sprang up from the table to
fetch my cloak.
'Jud-Jud-Jonas Dunallan you've gone mad
ra-ra-ravin mad! Dod-Dod-Dolly Phippard:
sed down this mint, miss stammered and
spluttered Aunt Peggy, leaving her place at the
head OF the table and coming around to me.
Come along ONE. Cousin Dolly! I'm boss
in this house, commanded Cousin Jonas, loft
lily. but laughing all the time, as he lighted a
candle and stuck it in the lantern.
Iput on my cloak. buttoning it from throat
to feet and pulling my hood over my head.
And then / drew on my wooden mitts and was
ready to follow my leader, amid the aghast
looks of our relations and the muttered COM
ments Of Miss Penelope p. Poindexter, who was
saying:
Even in the lawless days of my remote an
cestors no damsel of degree"
But we lost the rest as the door closed behind
us and we went out into the wild wintfy night
Heaven and EARTH what black and lowering
sky Not a star visible and the snow-covered
ground only dimly seen in the smoky light of
the lantern. The snow was deep but soft and
came up over my boot tops, wetting my stock
ings before l reached the gate. An easterly
wind was blowing gale and rose in such gusts
as nearly inverted my cloak and if it had not
been buttOned down so closely, would certainly
have taken it over my head and off my back
And il it had not been for the lantern we car
ried we could not have kept the path leading to
the gate. The black sky the clustering wind,
the spectral snow, all made q scene 80 wierd as
shall never forget SO long as live