The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1899-12-08
nice Thanksgiving day we've had oil

itp'
81 heard that the Elmbridge Gazstt
mixed names the. first day." SAT-
Enos, "but understand they con
tradicted it all today, with apologies
to everybody"
perhaps they have" said old Mr.
Pynchon, wiping the tears from hi
eyes. But l reckon we left today.
Gazette under the mat, where the boy
put it. We didn't think of it,"
Lefty ran out of doors and came il
with the paper. The correction was
there in black and white.
=. The editors regretted that, owing tc
| the mistake of person whose connec
| ton with the office had been severed
forever and who interviewed q 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 Per.
cival, the only son of the president, had
! been spoken of as committing the
dastardly crime of which the assistant
| cashier, a young man of dissipated
| habits, was really guilty."
The rest of the paper was devoted to
laudations of the Pynchon and Per-
cival families, collectively and individ-
ually.
Poor Billr said Enos. Drink
and a woman--the old torys But Per-
cival and L 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 word need
have leaked out, but for that Cabling
old janitor. But-you believed it
my 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 black
ened. But he looked triumphant.
I've fixed EN-" he said. II amt
no literary man myself, but my brother
reads the Alumbridge Gazette con-
slant, and after dinner he showed me
that paper full of lies. So left early
and wentover to the office where they
was all to work for tomorrow, with
their coats off, and l took it out of
their hides. Pm Pychon's man.,
said. What's these lies you've been
telling about my folks?' All contra
dicted,' says they, in this mornings
paper
Ito jiggers with contradictions
says l, and | sailed in. The floor is
strewed with them, and this on my
best pants is their gore, but don't be-
grudge it,"
'Ah, there was one who believed in
me-" cried Enos rs he held out his
hand to Sam, who gave it a pump
handle shake of the most vigorous
sort.
You shall have new suit, SAM"
said Mr.. Pynchon. Il wish I'd been
along to help YOU"
what's become of Percival ?" in
quired Enos. "He went back into the
road after he reached the gate, and
suppose he had caught sight OF Mahala
somewhere, l came in without him."
AT this moment window was lifted
from without.
Mahala stepped into the kitchen.
In q moment her betrothal ring was on
her fiDger and dreadful little letter
that it had almost broken her heart to
write in the fire. Before it had done
blazing Edward had followed her, and
his arm was around her waist and their
lips met.
And now the whole family came
tIOOPlhS lhIO Guc hltCIlGu, MIS-. fyn-
chon crying cheerfully:
1--WE must eat Thanksgiving dinner
today 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 0 of the clock precisely.
Enos, whose words was law that
night, declared that his champion,
Sam, must sit down with them, and
Sam, nothing 10th, took his place and
did justice to the feast, and never were
more thankful hearts than those that
beat within the bosoms of the assem-
bled Pynchons as the 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
Thanksgiving day became in an in
slant exactly like bad dream from
which she had awakened and become
the happiest grit in the world once
more.