Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1896-12-24
JENNY.

sc r DUNNO what In creation to gis
your ma for Christmas, Mandy,
and Jason Hogarth looked at MS
daughter inquiringly as II expecting ner
10 suggest some suitable gift. But sne
was busy at that moment testing the
condition Of a cake In the over by thrust
ing a broom straw into 1t, and when sne
had risen to her feet her father SAID:
'T got her q nice silk umbrer with
silver handle las Christmas; paid -FOUR
dollars an seventy nine cents for 1t; an
III be switched II she's had It out O
the case 1t come In but one solitary time,
an then she knowed It want goin' to
rain. Beats all how savin' your ma 10
Of things. There's the silk dress pattern
] got 'er two years ago this Christmas,
not even made up yit. l want to rt
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 mn a Christmas git. pap
Eyes; blamed If know whiS to gitT'
II can tell you in one word, pa"
"You kin? Well, I'll git 1t II 1t don't
come at too high fgger. Never had bet
tel crops in my life than had this year.
Your ma done her full share O. work an
I'm anxious 10 git her something real
harnsome for Christmas. What shall 1t
beT
His daughter looked at him steadily for
q moment and then said slowly and dis
t;nctly:
Jenny
sullen frown took the place Of the
kindly smile on his wrinkled face. His
eyes flashed ominously and his voice was
harsh an; cold as he said:
Haven't ! told you, Mandy Jenners,
never to mention that name tn lneT'
II know that yon have" replied Man
dy with gathering courage; "but i never
said that wouldn't 90 it, and when you
asked me what thought mad like best
for Christmas, just told you what
knew she'd like bas.. She'd rather have
my sis:,r Jenny than anything money
can buy. 1 firmly believe, pa, that ma Is
shortening Ler days grieving for Jenny.
She just is! I'm going to say my say
while I'm at 1t, whether you like 1t or
not. / know that owe you respect, but
owe my own and only sister something,
too, and one duty is just as important as
the other. If /"
''Wait a mint, Mandy" her father
said, rising and buttoning up his over
coat. when your sister Jenny dis
,graced the family by up an running
away with Will Martin an marryin into
that good-for-nothin' Martin family,
said that I'd never own her as my daugh-
ter ag'in, an / never will l said that
she should never cross my threshold agin,
an she never shall"
II know that the Martins are a poor,
shiftless lot, an that Will was as trifling
as any Of 'em. Like enough 1t was born
in 'em to be so. But there never was
anything bad about EN-, and he's dead
an gone now. An when think of poor
Jenny workin' the way she has to work
over there in Hebron to support herself
an her two little children, an you with
plenty an to spare, know 1t isn't right
an II we weren't so poor ourselves an IL
my husbands invalid mother didn't have
to live with us, I'd bring Jenny an her
children right here to live"
I'D never darken your door ag'in II
you did"
II guess ma would. It's a burning
shame, pa, that you won't even let her
90 to Hebron TO see Jenny. It's killing
ma. It's wicked. II I was ma I'd 90 no
matter what you said"
Your ma knows very well that she'd
have to go for good IL she went at ALL"