Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1898-08-13
HIS PUNkIN HOOD.

him alone in the Old house, the neighborS
wasted a great deal of sympathy OH him.
The women offered to do his %mending, and
ON baking days sent him pies and dough-
nuts. But when he told them that he
could probably mend fully as well as they
could, and when they found that he gave
their cooking to the pig, they sympathized
less and contented themselves with buy
ing his butter, which was of excellent
quality.
With all his Independence, however, he
had one weak point. He could not resist
Miss Serena Bowen's ginger snaps. So
every week he carried eggs and butter to
Miss Serena Bowen and bartered them for
her ginger snaps.
1t was five years now since, with the re-
mark, Il have froze my cars once too Of
ten" Joel had adopted the headdress be-
fore mentioned.
The old green hood began to show the
effect of wear. There were places where
the green outside had worn OH and showed
the white cotton batting inside. 1t was
also evident that this threatened dissolu-
ton caused Joel some anxiety, for in one
place there was sewed on with large, la
borious stitches a patch of thick black
cloth, which in contrast with the faded
green of the surrounding territory could
be seen for nearly half a mile.
Everybody noticed this dilapidated con-
dition and felt sorry for Joel. II wonder
If he will wear that old thing next year,"
said Miss Serena. And, as she looked
about the oozy room that served for her
little bakery, she sighed for some unao-
cOuntable reason.
Spring came, and for some time Joel
had worn a hat, while the punkin hood
hung OH a hook in his back entry. Then,
one day toward the end of April, Joel de-
oided that it was time to pack it away for
the summer.
He took it down and looked at 1t dubi-
ously. "Ill have to mend YOU" he said,
and, preparatory to the undertaking, he
took it out of doors and hung it on the
clothesline by it's two strings to air.
Miss Serena Bowen, passing along the
road, was a witness Of this act.
That evening Joel had finished his days
work and was sitting in comfort in his
kitchen reading. On the stand beside him
was his lamp and a plate Of ginger snaps.
Ever so often he would put out his hand
mechanically, take one Of them and eat it
slowly as he read. The last bite he in
variably gave to the large black cat that
sat on his knee. 1t was evident that he
was taking solid comfort.
But presently when his hand CROPPED on
the empty plate and failed to find what 1t
| sought he reused up. A determined, al
| most grim, look came OH his face, and he
| put the cat on the floor with scant cere-
mony.
He went into another room and came
back with a w~orkbasket and ONE patches.
He put them on the table, threaded a nee
| die with much difficulty and then went
out to get the ,punkin hood.
1t was gone.
He CROPPED along the whole length of the
clothesline, but it was empty. He lighted
his lantern and searched all the yard, but
in vain.
Joel felt his loss keenly, but he kept II
to himself, and no one suspected what hat
befallen him. He was a ~forehanded per
son, and he determined that before mucl
time had passed he would have another
hood.
He got the materials, and thereafter hi
evenings were spent in a desperate tussl'
with the problem of hoodmaking. A
such times Miss Serena ginger snaps wer'
the only mitigating feature of his night
labors. Joel's disposition gave way unde
the strain, and the black cat learned tt
flee his presence.
The LIST of May came, and the hood wa
still unfinished.
One night when Joel was surrounded b.
cotton batting, cloth, needles and threat
-.oo%Io l,,ooly or hia HrCV n
had been annoyed before by boys rappint
and then diappearing. Now he was gla'
of the diversion, and he started for tn
door in hot haste.
He sped out into the night and up tn
road. In the distance he could see a blacl
figure. How he ran!
In a few minutes he overlook the figure
caught 1t by the shoulders and shook
vigorously. "I'll teach you to come knock
ing at my door!' he said tiercely.
"Oh," gasped the victim, "Ididn't mea'
for you to know l did itl'
At the sound Of that voice Joel's arm
dropped at his sides, and just then tn
moon shone out from behind some cloud
and showed Joel Bennett and Seren
Bowen to each other.
"To think of her doing it'll" said Joel a
he went sadly home. II wouldn't t
thought it."
When he reached his door, he pauset
There was something hanging to the kno
He took it off and carried 1T into IL
r house.
! 1t was a beautiful brown punkin hoot
quilted with tiny stitches. Inside it wei
q quantity of ginger snaps and a bunch
) carnation pinks.
), For full five minutes Joel stood lookin
+ at these things and then he said: "To thin
. Of her doing it'll / wouldn't "a thougl
til"
Then with a heaming face he gathert
up his unfinished hood and the pieces
cloth and cotton batting and put them
9 the stove.
While he was fixing the pinks in a va
he was struck by an enlightening thougl
: why, she stole the old one off the lii
for a pattern!"
He took out the ginger snaps and, goir
to the glass, tried on the new hood.
i was very becoming.
Then in thoughtful silence he ate a 81
5 ger snap and gave the last bite to the blat
Q cat.
v 1t was q week later that Joel was
= Miss Serena's little bakery.
eyes" she was saying, II am tired tn
p morning. Things didn't go we'll yeste
Q day, and there is SO much to fret abor
trying to suit everybody"
Joel cleared his voice and spoke hesitt
invly. "Would it-would it be easier
you should only suit one?" he asked.
Miss Serena blushed beautifully as 8
. answered very low, Eyes, l think
would. Denver News,