The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1895-11-29

not aware of having done anything but
miss my Thanksgiving dinner, and that
was my misfortune, not my fault. Much
obliged, father, butt
But here he paused, smothered into ST.
lence by embraces, kisses, showers of tears,
little cries Of rapture. His mother, Mahala
and Lefty all had their arms about him at
once.
The presence of Enos, his voice, his
manner, told them that whatever had hap
pened he was guilty of no crime.
The old man, shouting "Thank God!"
over and over again, rested his hand upon
his head, and it was Lefty who at last lift
ed her sweet, shrill young voice, putting
the explanation into a nutshell.
"Why, didn't you know, Enos,' she
cried, THAT the Elmbridge Gazette said
that you robbed the Longtown bank, and
that Mahala and Ed couldn't be married
now? And we all believed it. That's why
pa prayed for you and we cried. And a
nice Thanksgiving day we've had of it ~
81 heard that the Elmbridge Gazette
mixed names the first day." said Enos,
"but understand they contradicted it all
today, with apologies to everybody"
"Perhaps they have" said old Mr. Pyn-
! chon, wiping the tears from his eyes.
"But reckon we left today's Gazette I'M
der the mat, where the boy put it. We
didn't think of it.
Lefty ran out of doors and came in with
the paper. The correction was there in
black and white
The editors regretted that, owing to the
mistake of a person whose connection with
the office had been severed forever and who
interviewed deaf janitor, since no one
| else would say anything on the subject,
"Mr. Enos Pynchon, cashier of the
LOngtown bank, whose lovely sister was
about to be united in marriage to Edward
Percival, the only son of the president,
had been spoken of as committing the das-
tardly crime of which the assistant cash
! Ter, young man of dissipated habits, was
| really guilty"
The rest of the paper was devoted to
laudations of the Pynchon and Percival
| families, collectively and individually.
Poor Bill!'' said Enos. "Drink and a
| woman-the old story. But Percival and
I caught him and brought him back. He
| had most of what he had stolen about him,
and the bank has lost next to nothing.
| They will not prosecute him. He has done
| for himself, that's all Not a word need
have leaked out, but for that Cabling old
! janitor. But-you believed Tiny own
| folks believed that of me?"
AS he spoke another person entered
! the hired man. Sam. His hat was crushed,
| his coat torn up the back, his face red and
one of his eyes blackened. But he looked
| triumphant.
"I've fixed 'em, he said. 81 amt no
literary man myself, but my brother reads
| the Alumbridge Gazette constant, and
after dinner he showed me that paper full
Of lies. So left early and went over to
| the Office where they was all to work for
| tomorrow, with their coats off, and took
| it out of their hides. I'm Pynchon's
man. l said. What's these lies you We
been telling about my folks?' All con-
| tradicted,' says they, in this mornings
! paper
"'To jiggers with contradictions, says
! I, and 1 sailed in. The floor is strewed
| with them, and this on my best pants is
| their gore, but don't begrudge it,"
"Ah, there was one who believed in
! me, " cried Enos as he held out his hand
to Sam, who gave it pumphandle shake
of the most vigorous Sort
"You shall have new suit, SAM" said
Mr.. Pynchon 81 wish I'd been along to
help YOU"
"What's become of Percival?' inquired
Enos. "He went back into the road after
he reached the gate, and as supposed he
had caught sight of Mahala somewhere I
came i'll without him.
At this moment window was lifted
from without.
Mahala stepped into the kitchen. In a
! moment her betrothal ring was on her fin
ger and dreadful little letter that it had
almost broken her heart to write in the fire.
Before it had done blazing Edward had fol-
| lowed her, and his arm was about her
waist and their lips met.
And now the whole family came troop
ing into the kitchen, Mrs Pynchon crying
oheerfully:
''We must eat Thanksgiving dinner to-
day if we have it at midnight. All hands
to help me-" And every one set to work
with will The turkey was roasted and
the vegetables cooked, the pies warmed
and the cranberry jelly turned out. The
cider foamed in the jugs, and the red
checked apples shone in the lamplight,
and all was served by 9 of the clock pre-
cisely.
Enos, whose word was law that night,
declared that his champion, Sam, must sit
| down with them, and Sam, nothing loath,
took his place and did justice to the feast,
and never were more thankful hearts than
those that beat within the bosoms of the
assembled Pynchons as they bowed their
heads to listen to Mr.. Pynchon's simple
grace
And Mahala, sitting there beside her
lover, with all her beloved kinsfolk near,
felt that strange and terrible Thanksgiv
ing day become in an instant exactly like
bad dream from which she had awaken
ed and became the happiest girl in the
world once more.
A Warning to the Gobbler.
Gobbler Turk, o Gobbler Turk,