Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1909-11-23

neglected garden.
At night remarkable thing hap
pened The victorious wearer of red
sought roost In the walnut tree. while
the mourning turkey ANONYMOUSLY
| found refuge In the shed. and, strange
| to relate, he chose the very spot va
Gated by his rival.
All that summer and early fall Aman-
da and Jeremiah avoided the subject
ticed that the topic was disagreeable
one. and so it was tacitly avoided by
| every one.
The first Of November two bronze
| gobblers nervously paced two narrow
pens. The red flannel turkey was gen.
erously fed by Amanda. while the black
tape bir6 was as eonscientiously stuff
ed by her husband.
Amanda grew nervous and irritable
as the weeks wore on toward Thanks
giving. She did not really care which
turkey she ate, for it had been pros
porous year with them. and she was
thankful in every sense for the fullness
of their cellar and granary. What she
really did mind was the giving In to
jeremiah. She had always been the
one to give in, and this time--it did
seem for once as IL be might let her
have her way. 1t was true she had her
way about everything concerning the
household. but
She baked and boiled and stewed for
a fragrant week before the great feast
day. There would be cousins from
neighboring towns to dine with them,
and the turkey must be slain and pre-
pared the day before. Such huge
bird would be plenty for the ten who
would be present. Amanda wished
she might invite more, so that there
would be some excuse for killing both
birds, and thus cut the gordian knot
Of contention without loss Of dignity
to either jeremiah or herself
On the evening of the second day be-
fore Thanksgiving. Jeremiah Butler
and Amanda sat in the warm circle Of
light cast by the reading lamp. Jere-
miah was reading the county paper
anu Ills NiAC was DC w LIS
Suddenly jeremiah looked up. Pete
Jones is coming around to kill the tur-
key tomorrow morning" he said, with
assumed carelessness. He'll get it all
dressed and ready for you"
1--WE been thinking" said Amanda
slowly. that you might as well kill
that there black tape turkey of yours.
He looks pretty well conditioned, and
he's the biggest bird after ALL / don't
feel like as IL l could have any con-
tention this Thanksgiving. We've been
so prospered this year"
jeremiah coughed obviously. "Aman-
da," be began rather sheepishly, II
did kind of a fool thing last summer.
When you tied rag on your turkey
went out the next morning and
changed them rags. That's why your
turkey went to roost with black rag
and mine went back to his tree with
red one. | meant it for joke at first
| thought Id have my way about kill
ing the black one, and when we was
eating ii was going to tell you it was
your bird after all, but it looks silly
now"
1T was silly" said Amanda ener-
getically. 81 about made myself sick
over them two turkeys. | don't know
IL I wanter eat neither one. If | had
known you was trying to joke-why, |
don't know as ever knew you to
make a joke, jeremiah
Il never did before" said jeremiah.
with a sickly smile II guess ! won't
again. III tell Pete to kill the black
rag turkey. aud then it'll be the one
you Selected"
I'D ruther have the wild favored
one" admitted Amanda. I'm partial
TO wild turkeys. Then it was your
turkey that fit mine and made him run
after all" She glanced at the bronze
feathers above the clock.
THAT there wild one was gamy
bird" chuckled jeremiah. with another
break into unconscious wit.
The next day~when Pete Jones came
to kill the turkey be found jeremiah
and Amanda busily engaged In clean
ing silver.
Which one Of them two bronze COB
blers shall ] kill? Ones as fat as
t'other. and each ones got dirty rag
tide around his foot
jeremiah looked critically at fork
he was polishing, and then he turned
a quizzical smile upon his wife.
XIII 'em both. Pete, and take one
home for yourself"
"And whichever one it is. Pete. enjoy
itr' smiled Amanda at her reflection In
teaspoon.