Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1899-02-01

The man laughed. He had won his
turkey at shooting gallery around
the corner and could afford to.
This broke up the fight, and the
trffie under discussion was allowed
to drop for the present.
So they would give party. Their
bitterest enemies of the Pocket were
invited. They were given to under
stand there would be unlimited tur-
key and food of all kinds.
''I'fl bet it's lie." said one of the
invited guests promptly.
The boys washed patch on their
faces and knocked at the little but
tonholer's door. They wished TO bor-
row huge kettle they knew she pos
sessed. All the Pocket people borrow.
We'll kill de kids if dey hurt IT,"
they explained, "but we're goin' tc
give party to-morrer, fool party,
and we want dis. Don't yer tell de
kids dere amt no eatin'."
She sat sewing after they left, and
uhinlNing. too. They must be good
boys to want to give pleasure to their
mates. Of course they would have to
play party. How could they have eat
ing? Poor boys!
1t was good she did not understand
their fool party" nor the impish
glee with which they were planning
it. She lived alone with her button
holes. Day after day was the same,
save sometimes the holes were work
ed with light thread and sometimes
With dark. She did not mingle with
her neighbors, though many a time
she went away from her window with
sorry heart for what she saw OF
them.
Presently she began to sew so ex-
citedly She pricked herself several
times. "Why not?" she thought, and
her eyes grew very bright. She arose
very quickly and took AN old wallet
out from under the mattress. It held
all her savings. They were small
People are mostly satisfied with ma
chine-made buttonholes.
'There'H be enough for a turkey
dinner anyway, of course, therell be
am awful lot of them, but I'll get paid
tonight, I can get stuff enough, I
know
Her thoughts went to her cheeks
and made them pink. She raped
sharply on the window TO the two
boys, who were sihting outside close
together, planning their deviltry.
Boys" she called, 'I'll tell you, l
can't eat my turkey all alone to-mor-
row. I never do." Ooh, buttonholer.
when did you eat turkey last?' $50
I'm a-going to bring it to the party,
and maybe a few fXin's."
The boys gasped.
"And l want you to help me carry
things to the table tomorrow. We'H
set it right in the middle of the Peck.
ct there, and We'll have a real good
time"
The boys forgot their plans. They
were not pretty plans. Immediately
they began to plan with her. Hers
were "eat tim" plans. Theirs could
wait.
On her way home from leaving her
work that night, the little button.
holer pushed her way through into
crowded shops, and spent all her say.
ings away. Her arms were loaded
full, her cheeks still pink, and her
eyes shining. Never in all her life
had she spent money like this.
Them poor boys" she said to her.
self and laughed.
AhC i0u-idCcu ,pOllceIndn, whose
beat was near the Pocket, insisted on
carrying some of the bundles for her
He also approved of her.
'Goin' to keep Thanksgivin', i
guess he said with his eyes on her
pink cheeks.
The pink cheeks grew pinker, and
she dropped a bundle and said, "Yes.'
About noon ON Thanksgiving Day
the Pocket was aghast to see the little
one-sided buttonholer handing out
her table. Their curiosity become
morbid when they saw her proceed tc
set it.
The boys added supplies also. Heads
OF lettuce, few apples, raw turnips
and potatoes, a great quantity OF
cranberries.
I'VE were after gettin' 'em," one
The little buttonholer asked NO
questions. She thought maybe they
had run errands for them. Her heart
was one OF gentle simplicity.
y, how good the Pocket smelledi
Lovely! Why, it smelled just as good
as restaurant. The turkey was the
biggest in the world. And so brown.
The guests all came, and in time
to see the struggle to make the dishes
go round (they didn't,) and to get
boxes and chairs enough to sit on.
Then the party began. The little
buttonholer sat at THE head of tho
table, and hacked off pieces of tur
key. Her two helpers were every
where. They showed back the crowd
which would come too near. they
passed things, they bossed gloriously
~ out this was a party! Such things
10 eat. and so much.
One proposed toast, only there
was but two glasses. to Cur Holy
wan" and bowed to the little button
holer. For the time she had touched
the boys heart. and he glorified her
But at this she looked so shocked.
the other boy said quickly, Our But
ton Holy Wan. of counsel"
They always helped each either ont
Years later it stood them in good
stead
"It amt no lie," said one of tbe
guests to another. There is every
thin to eat. Won't l lick him to-mor
reri"
The noise and uproar grew so loud
at the party. that the policeman
heard it out on the street and showed
his way into the Pocket His face h.
came redder when he saw the little |
,uttonholer seated on the soap-boxes |
iealing out goodies.
BY the time a huge cake, covered |
With wonderful frOSfino woe ont hba