The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1903-11-27


There was II flush on the voting mans
check as he realized that the girl held
him accountable for the change of fam
lily fortunes.
BY Gint of carefully yelled inquiry
he fO'md cut much moro. Mr.. Carl
ton, it seemed bad obtained an in.
fciior puStti2n in Il town fifty miles
farther south. But as hc hoped for a
better opening in III" near future he
had delayed moving tie family goods
and c!iattels. There was much not
often included in the latter terms
ro%,hu$heS coaXcd to splendid size and
bloom through untoWard frusts and
protractcd drought. tUrtI"d0yrs that
whirrcd and coocd ard summed them
selves Oh the fiat roof of the lean-to,
and the fine flock of turkeys. Marion
Carlton refused to part with one Of
these. Had she not triumphantly
reared the entire Matching when The
spring winds. pip, rats and other enc
mics of turkoykind had dashed the
hopes OF neighhGring raisers! II any
one was to feast Oh far turkeys, lying
peacefully on snowy pillows Of mashed
potatoes with ;gar!andS Of parsley
round their ncciS. ii Should be tie
Carlton family. And rs the Carlton
family had but two numbers. MarionS
will was generally law.
The frost had turned The scarlet sage
to black, and the vines no longer
screened the house next door. But
every FILLING leaf seemed only to add
to the rampant that the girls pride had
raised. She WIS evidently Il fHY. sit"
in the town. fer IN the cvCnii% lhe
young folks troOpcd 10 her door. and
through the partition walls caEle
bursts of laughter and snatchcs Of Eau-
sic That they al followed MarionS
example in lcaviE. him strictly alone
was party Ja$per's fault. After the
first few rriutE% his free and easy
manner changed 10 nnr of alaofncsS.
Maria sighed rs $h" noted the
change And its the hard hearts
you're Ill aftr% havin'," she said as she
sat in her kitchen and listened 10 the
laughter from the Er"~" n"Xt door.
Just thoa Jasper la,iicd into the
room. cryin.; ioyru!iy: "I!urrah. Maria:
We're in luck. Here's Aunt Jane writ
ing tEat she wants 10 I've Sur0 that we
have Gnp THANKSGIVING turkey. and
50 she is sending us = live one. | can
Just fancy how good he viii taste with
some Of your prime dressing"
Maria bramrd. She YVES proud Of
her ;HHkiNg.
Jasper went to tIn freight Office the
next evening and escorted the turkey
lone In person. When it was tethered
TO a stake in the back yard, Maria
could not but declare that it was the
finest turkey she had ever seen. inf
nitely finer than any belonging 20 the
house next door.
But, alas. there was no chance for
comparison. Others besides Marion had
cyidcn.ly watched the growth of her
turkeys and took nm interest, ii proprie-
tary interest in them. The next morn
ing her turkey hcuse WIS empty.
Marion cried. licre it was only two
days to Thanksgiving dinner and her
fathers long expected visit, and there
WAS Il dcarth of turkeys in Oreville.
She was at an upper window gazing
disconsoiatrly toward the empty poul-
try house when her glance happened
to stray To the yard of her neiShbor
She saw the turkey tcthercd to the
post. Instantly she thought she rec0S-
nized it as her favoritc goDblcr. 1t was
a case of mistaken identity, but there
is much Of a Samencss in turkeys.
Nh, so he WAS the thief! But where
were the others? Doubtless he had
made way with them. Here her tears
flowed again. 1t WAS n melancholy sat
isfaction to think how perfectly she
had diagnosed tine strangers character
at that chance meeting so many weeks
before, but it was not a material conf
fort.
Meanwhile there was equal distress
in the house of Peyton. Maria's sister
was i'll. and she must come at once.
She had departed with many tears and
lamentations.
Jasper after seeing her off had re
turned home in Il melancholy frame of
mind. No Thanksgiving dinner for him
now. He must eat ut the hotel. And
the turkey?
Just then Il most brilliant idea came
to him. He had heard of Miss Carl
TONS loss Why not give her his tur-
key:
l:ut il very astonished face met him
next door. Was his conscience already
troubling him? MariOn's cheeks were
scarlet with anger as the unconscious
young man presented the turkey i'll his
most polite manner.
He had scarcely finished when the
avalanche fell His turkey. For how
Io,, had it been his turkey? Since last
nirht. 1t WIS adding insult to Injury
to return rs gift what he had preVl-
uusly stolen.
Iusper's Uewildcrment had changed
to anger.
"You accuse me--meT he exclaimed
incrcdulously. "nut it is only OF par
with Your previous actions. Permit me,
madam. 10 inform you that the turkey
arrived by express last night. You can
get the express agent to verify my
words. | can only hope that you will
enjoy my turkey as much as if it had
been one Of your OWL" And before the
girl could speak he had bowed ironical-
| ~ and WAS gone.
Il WIS the next evening that there
came Il timid tap at Jaspers door. 1t
was the girl from the next house. Her
long lashes hid the dark eyes and til"
scornful mouth trembled. Only the
| nose still tilted aggravatingly. Il have
| come" she said in Il very small voice,
"to say that am sorry. The express
| agent told me how your aunt had sent
it. They have caught the thieves who
stole my turkeys"
Jasper was silent. 1t was undoubt-
edly cruel of him. but he had suffered
| much.
The girl went on bravely, though
| there WAS Il choke in her voice: And
| anG--i've come to ask you whether you
wont come over and have some of Your
| turkey with us tomorrow. Father Will
| be home. and know he will be glad
! to meet you. Won't You Gomez"
Jasper saw fears shining behind the
| laus laSheS. His heart beat strangely
| as he took her outstrctchcd hand. II
| shall he glad to come Ii" said quietly.
iiut it took Maria Il long time TO get
used to the new state of affairs.
,AszxxG1s sgzzGrEseRE8
3 There is way of trifling that