Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1896-02-06

introduced Adam to the world "a
Adam. not Mr.. Adam; and be wanted
no better authority ON etiquette than
that. SO he addressed all persons BY
their Christian names. and in indul.
gence to his within every one called him
Jerry.
Jerry entered the house, took seat
In his great armchair, where he re.
manned for some time In moody CON
temptation.
The grief from his great loss made
him restless; 50 he got up and went
back to the barn. He had travelled
back and forth from the house to the
barn all day. He took a seat on an old
box by Betty's body, and stroked her
stiff, white hair. AS Jerry sat looking
at his dead cow an idea flashed through
his mind that made him fairly jump ia
his feet 1t came to him like an in
spiration. Jerry certainly accepted II
as such.
IN do It'll do it, he exclaimed
''I'll stuff Betty; I'll preserve her In
that way for me to look at. tn be
| SCCff comfort 10 lie.
Hunting and trapping had been Jcr-
RVS pursuit in his younger years. And
In connection he practised the art of
taxidermy, and sold stuffed animals at
fancy prices.
With the espousal of the plan Of stuff
fling his cow, the old mans whole being
was aroused to enthusiastic action.
He had not felt such zeal for years.
He did not stop to weigh the practical
issues Of the question, as to cost, labor,
and what he would do with the cum
bersOme body of stuffed cow. At
the first conception of the idea he ac-
cepted it completely and conclusively
as ID fitting and pleasant thing for him
to do in honor of Betty's past virtues.
In this inspired frame of mind he
went to work. A man was hired to
assist in the heaviest of the labor. 1t
was tedious and difficult task for the
old man; but patiently and diligently
he persevered. until ut last Betty
Stood mounted, on the barn floor, In
all the glory of her best days. She
was solid white in color, and Jerry had
washed her hair and brushed ii until
it glistened with snowy Wilderness.
There was just one flaw in her APP
pearance-One of her horns was broken.
Jerry had thought nothing of this dur
ing Betty's life, but now that her good
looks were the object Of his ambition,
this imperfect member was source
Of great annoyance to his artistic eye.
One evening as he sat alone thinking
of the broken horn, and how he could
remedy it, his eyes CHANGED to light on
the antlers of moose hanging on the
wall, cherished relics of his hunting
days. AS we have seen, Jerry was of a
fanciful turn of mind, and as he gaZed
on the antlers thought came to him
that made him burst out laughing.
'I'll try it, sure's i've" he said.
The next morning the great antlers
were taken down and carried to the
barn. Betty's horns were removed,
and these were substituted in their
stead. When Jerry had completed the
change he stood off and viewed the
amalgamate creature, and he laughed
rs he had not done for years.
We'll" he exclaimed i'm delighted
voice. ''ef | haven't created a new an
ermul. Why, Betty, you don't know
how well you look. You wouldn't
know your own self"
For fear of being laughed ut Jerry
had kept his operations with the COW
Il profound secret, pledging the man to
secrecy who had assisted him. But after
adjusting the antlers he regarded his
success as such Il triumph of art he
could no longer keep it to himself. SO
than evening. as Mr.. Boone was pas
sing by, Jerry called out:
Say, Henry Boone, stop n minute
I've got somethin' to show YOU"
He led the way to the barn, his neigh
Dor following. Jerry swung the door
open, and Mr.. Boone came upon-what?
He was fairly startled at the creature
that confronted him.
why, Jerry. what is this and where
did you get IT." he asked, in astonish-
ment.
las to what ii is" replied Jerry, Il
shall call 1t the antlered COW. As to
where l got it, why it's jest simply
my cow, Betty, stuffed, with some
moose horns on
When Mr. Boone cOmprehended the
full significance Of the achievement.
he leaned against the wall and laughed
convulsively.
Jerry" he said. don't think ! am
making fun Of your COW, for I'm not 1t
struck me as being such a funny idea
to stuff COW, and she is so queer look
ing that just couldn't help laughing.
You are really genius, Jerry. The
work is splendidly done, and you've
made an entirely new creature. There
isn't anything in the whole animal
kingdom like it,
We'll, you see," returned Jerry, II
used to do sight O. sech work in years
gone by, an when Betty died it jest
seemed as tho couldn't give her up.
You don't know how much Betty wuz
to me. l amt got no childun, no wife,
no kin-folks to sot my feelin's on. An
Betty had kinder filed up the vacant
place in my. heart. An while / wuz a.
lookin' at her the day she died, the
thought come to me that / could keep
Betty to look at by stuffin' her. b.
lieve, sir, that thought come right from
Heaven, fer next to the comfort o.
hayin' Betty erlive is the pleasure I've
| had I'm fixip' bar nm lilo thic