The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1891-11-27

But even sacred legacies can be, at
times, trying. Not that the major had
had the fact borne in upon him, as it
were, until the children were well
grown, Teddy had started to college
! and Joined the rabble, and Kittie had
shown a decided and unblushing pref
erence for certain sophomore whom
he had caught on his way back from q
stolen visit to Teddy's room sliding down
one of the pillars that supported his (the
major's) porch, and whom he had there
after forbidden the premises.
Granted these'children tried him, and
that he made them aware of the fact
by the use of language peculiar to the
major; for all that they felt that their
uncle loved them as dearly as they
loved him, and when Teddy preferred
his request, rash though it had been
considered at the first blush, they were
quite confident that he would not re-
fuse them so innocent and eminently
praiseworthy desire. They had talked
it over together so often. this sister and
this brother; that it had, by degrees,
because of the increasing familiarity Of
the idea, lost its first impossible aspect.
1t did not occur to them that what they
had talked and dreamed over until it
had grown to seem almost thing ac-
complished might burst upon their
fond uncle with all the unexpectedness
of thunder clap out of clear sky.
The very moment poor Teddy had
chosen was unpropitious; the major had
but Just discovered fresh traces of
collegiate usurpation upon the person
of his beloved war horse, Sultan, and
his rage. in consequence, was at 4 pro-
nounced pitch.
Invite your college friends to eat
Thanksgiving turkey, is it?-a Thanks
giving divil! I'll tache them to give
thanks in ma house, Would We pour
wine for the murdherers of your uncle,
and shtir sugar in it to their liking?
Tare an ours, but you're a cool-faced
lot, wild the chake of grinning
chimpanzee! Invite the bloody beg
gars, say you--eh, no, ye'llsnot! l be-
lave I'll reserve the right to do what
invitations done in me own house, or
know the raison why! And I'd rather
have the company of tramps-d'ye
mind that-the poor, meeserable,
abused, misunderstood tramps, that
niver lift finger to do anyone mean
turn, thorough, honest, daycint min,
that lave a citizen in pace, lave the
gates on their hinges, the shingles on
the. roof'-here the majors anger
roars amain-"and the roof on the
housel No, sir! To perdition wild your
college monsthers-but We may ask
livery tramp We mate in the sthreet to
come and dine, wild Maj. McCalligan-
say that he is their friend, and that
turkeys Shall be roasted in honor of
them-that the deserving hungry shall
be fid at the ixpinse of Maj. Me-
Calligan, and that bread and wathers
too good for the likes of'-here fol-
lowed untranslatable, but unquestion-
ably vigorous, Celtic epithets-"college
companions!"
Poor. children, Teddy's notion of
doing the hospitable was nipped in the
bud, so green that there was no means
of determining just how rich in hue or
how beautiful a flower it might have
period of bliss wherein a most enchant-
ing gown of peach blossom tinting
shared equal honors with the figure
of a tall and rather awkward youth
known to the college world as Jim
Junior"-this delightful dream vanished
in the miserable dawn of her uncle's
tempestuous mood, and the wretched
sun of day of disappointment shone
through niists of big unshed tears.
"Uncle, you haven't forgotten your
proposition concerning Thanksgiving
i'm other words-to-morrow?"
''Eh. Teddy? Bless me soul, me boy, /
what?"
ITO fetch a pack o tramps on Thanks I
giving day to dine with you. I've met
thirteen in the interim-sorry it's thir-
teen-such an unlucky number; but
since told each one to fetch all the !
scarecroYs he could scare up along
with him, wouldn't wonder-hello,
uncle, what's the matter?'
'Noth-nothing, Teddy-nothing, me
boy" The laugh shouldn't be on him,
he'd be bound. What an ass-what a
long-eared, deep-mouthed, braying ass
he had been TO give that boy Teddy
land, if Teddy. others, of course, others .
who were his arch-enemies and es-
pecial' abominations) such grotesque,
such an absurdly ridiculous hold upon
him..
Had you forgotten about it, uncle?"
Forgotten? Dye think me mim'r.y's
failin' me? Well have a regular fast
turkey enough fer twinty. and oyster
dhrissing to confound the natives. It's
Maj. McCalligan that can taich the be-
nighted world the rale naming of hos
pitality. Faith, it shall be beautiful
shpridr'
And it was. The great oaken table,
pulled cut to its last joint. with the
company napery covering its polished
surface, groaned with the burden it
bore. There was no half-heartedness
about Maj. .McCalligan; the glitter of
his best silver. the sparkle of his finest
crystal, the glowing hues of the bright
est flowers from his hot house, the
aroma arising from well-cool1ed viands
all these awaited in due time the
coming of the guests.
BY ones and twos and threes they
motley crew-an unkempt, I'M
washed lot of hungry men, knocking
at the side door. knocking at the back
door, ringing al the front door-each
and all cordially welcomed by Maj. Nc
Calligan, who stood bowling (foreswear- {
ing, however, the shaking of dirty paws
held out to him now and again), and
seeming really to enjoy the revenge he
felt confident Teddy. the rascal, had
thnnohf To IA Re rnnn him 1t acfnallv