The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1892-01-01

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asked pa.
lit was Terryr she screamed. "It':
him, the thafe, that's got my money
We counted it, and he says as how
there was enough to get married OF
afther New Year Have him arrested
Misther North, for the howly Vargin'.
sake"
But how did he get the keys?" pI
asked.
| ''How can know?" she groaned. 81
had awful dhrames all night av walk
in and climbin, and was that sore
this mornin'. He's got my money some
way" and then she began to how
again.
Pa went to town, but sure enough
Mr.. O'Brien wasn't to be found, and
the man where he worked said he had
gone off on the north bound train, but
said he would be back in day or two
can where did the dirthy thafe get
the money for his ticket" cries Molly,
''whin niver red cint did he have in
his pocket?"
Pa told her he had put the police on
his track, and that quieted her so she
managed to cook the dinner, but she
cried quarts between times.
That was the day before New Year,
and after dinner grandma took us into
the pantry to see the things. Oh, l
couldn't begin to tell you what loads
of pies and cakes and fruits and
| candies there were, but we hardly saw
anything for looking and wondering at
monstrous turkey that hung from a
big hook in the ceiling. 1t was a
mammoth, and grandma said that old
as she was she had never seen any
thing like it. 1t was of a big breed, to
begin with, and had been fattening in
a coop for year.
For two MONTHS" grandma said
1.-The turkey has been fed on pecans
and walnuts. and just look at the fat!
If it isn't delicious, then I'm no judge
of fine turkey"
Even Molly got up her spirits over
that turkey, and told US how she was
going to stuff it with truffies. and such
gravy! After that she had another
crying spell, and took herself off to
bed.
The next morning, after breakfast,
she took the keys out of her pocket
and started for the pantry. went
along, but she was ahead. She opened
the door and gave a little start and
cried out: Where's the turkey?"
Sure enough, there was the hook, but
no turkey. Molly looked on the
shelves, behind the barrels, and in
every nook and corner, as if the mice
could have moved that monster Then
she says to me, looking as white as 4
sheet:
Bob, run to the misthress and be
asllin' her if she moved the turkey?"
The turkey" cries grandma, jump
ing up. What does that girl mean?
Has she lost her senses? Where should
the turkey be but in the pantry where
she hung it?"
1T isn't there, grandma" l said, and
then every body ran to the pantry. Molly
was sitting in chair, looking scared
to death, and gasping for breath.
Its gone. it's gomez she hollered,
jumping up and clapping her hands
Its gone like my money! The door
was locked, and the key in my ocket.
The window is barred, look! They
haven't been touched! Howly saints,
but it is bewitched the house is"
Well, it was just as she said. Every
thing was in its place, the ducks and
geese and mutton, and not single pie
or cake had been touched. The thief,
whoever it was, only hankered for the
big turkey.
''But W no could have taken it?" says
grandma. looking hard at Molly. Il
don't suspect you, Molly, for you've
been with me for ten years, and I've
never missed pin. But did you have
visitors last night, and did you give
them peep at the turkey?"
me have visitors" Molly cried, ''and
me pore heart broke entirely at losin'
me money, and Terry's rascality. No,
ma am, cried, till the slape came, and
then | dhramed av the turkey. Yes
did, and it was alive and flynn and l
runnin' afther it. "
well. it's no use moaning" grand
ma said. She's a sensible old lady.
and she never cries over split milk.
Wen go without any dinner if you
don't go to work, Molly. I'm sorry
about the turkey, but | reckon we
must make a shift without it. Where's
the sage and onions for the goose
stuffin'?"
Here's the onions, ma'am, but
clean forgot the sage yesterday when
Jim went to town for the things. But
/ remember l have bag of sage in
my chist, keeps for gargles. I'll run
and get it"
We heard her lum bering up the stairs
and around, and then she gave
screech which sent us up there in a
hurry. There she was lying fiat on her
back, pounding her heels on the floor
and howling and laughing like one of
the laughing hyenas you see in shows
ITS the turkey! the turkey she
howled, in my chist- wropped in my
silk shawl the grandmother lift me-"
There it was, sure enough, wrapped
neatly in a white silk shawl-Molly's
only piece of finery.
Everyone looked at each other, and
grandma lifted Molly's head and
slapped her back, and made her drink
some water When she came to her
self she was white and trem bling like
q leaf You couldn't pay her to touch
that turkey, for she said the witches
had been moving il, and ma and grand
ma had to stuff it and put it to roast.
Pa said that he was sure that Molly
had put the turkey in the chest. maybe
when she was asleep. At any rate,
we made a splendid diuner, though