The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1896-12-25
,JENNY

vour ma for Christmas, Mandy.
and Jason Hogarth looked at his
daughter inquringly as if expecting her
~ suggest some suitable gift. But she
nos husy at that moment testing the
condition of cake in the over by thrust
;nr = broom straw into it. and when she
had risen TO her feet her father said:
~ cot her a nice silk umbreP with
oliver handle las Christmas; paid four
dolars an seventy-nine cents for it; an,
I'll he switched if she's had il out O
tho case it come in but one solitary time,
on then she knowed it want goin' to
rain Beats all how sExin' your ma is
# things. There's the silk dress pattern
got 'er two years ago this Christmas,
NOT even made up yit. | want to git
her something this Christmas that she'll
have to use an enjoy What kin you
suggest Mandy?'
You want me to tell you what to get
for M a Christmas gift. pa?
.Yes; blamed if | know wh.. to git?'
II can tell you in one word, pa"
you kin? Well. I'll git it if it don't
come at too high Il tiggnr. Never had bet
tel crops in my life mn had this year.
Your ma done her full share O. work an
I'm anxious to git hor something real
harnsome for Christmas. What shall it
tp%
His daughter looked at him steadily for
a moment and then said slowly and DIS
t:hctly:
Jenny"
4 sulen frown took the place Of the
I'D IL lad
eyes flashed ominously and his voice was
harsh AM cold as he said:
Haven't | Id you, Mandy Jenness,
never to mention shat name tn me?"
Il know that you have" replied Man
dy with gathering courage; "but i nev er
said that wouldn't 10 it, and when you
asked me what Thought mad like best
for Christmas, just told You what l
knew she'd like bas+. She'd rather have
ay sistar Jenny than anything money
can buy. | firmly believe, pa, that ma is
shortening her days growing for Jenny.
She just is! I'm going to say my say
while I'm at it, whether You like it or
not. | know that I owe you respect, but
| owe my own and only sister something,
too and one duty is just as important as
the other. If l.
Wait mint Mandy" her father
said, rising and buttoning up his over
Oat when your sister Jenny dis
graced the family by up an running
away with Will Martin an marryin' into
that goodfor- nothin' Martin family,
said that I'd never own her as my daugh
ter agin, an | never will. l said that
she should never cross my threshold agin
an she never shall"
Il know that the Martins are a poor
shiftless lot, an that Will was as trifin:
as any of 'em. Like enough it was borl
in EN- to be so. But there never wa
anything bad about EN-, and he's dea,
an gone now. An when l think of poo
Jenny workin' the way she has to wor
over there in Hebron to support hersel
an her two little children, an you wit
plenty an to spare, l know it isn't right
an if we weren't so poor ourselves an i
my husbands invalid mother didn't hav
to live with us, I'd bring Jenny an he
children right here to live"
I'D never darken your door ag'in i
you did,"
i guess ma would. It's a burnin
shame, pa, that you won't even let he
90 to Hebron to see Jenny. It's KILN,
ma. It's wicked. If was ma I'd 90 n,
matter what you said"
Your ma knows very we'll that She,
have to go for good if she went at all.
replied her father coldly. "You an Tom
be over to eat dinner with us Christmas
l s'pose?
Yes, s'pose so.''
Hhnx-
manner on both sides.
Set! set. set!' said Mrs. Jenness, a
her father walked out of the yard an,
down the road toward his own home
The settest man that ever walked tn
earth! | wouldn't stand it about Jenn,
II was mother. She's dying to SCI