The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1909-11-23


the house. A moment later Amanda
heard him winding the kitchen clock
preparatory to retiring for the night.
"A woman that's married might as
well give up trying to have her way
about anything" murmured Amanda
discontentedly. Just as If ! didn't
know that there turkey In the shed was
the biggest of the two. If don't eat
that turkey I'll not eat any-so there!
I'll show jeremiah Butler I've got
some gumption If | am a poor. miser'
able married woman"
Having delivered herself OF these SEN
timents, Amanda felt more cheerfully
disposed and In her turn retired to bed.
where her husband was already breath
ing loudly and tremendously.
The next morning when she went out
to feed the poultry two big bronze COB
blers were stalking about the yard.
each with a rag about one leg. The
red flanneled turkey ruffied Indignantly
every time his beady eye caught sight
Of the Objectionable color on his foot.
The other one gazed mournfully at a
piece of black tape that adorned his
extremity.
Jeremiah crossed the yard with foam
ing pals of milk.
whats that there black ragT de-
manded Amanda angrily.
Her husband looked quizzically at
her and then went on. THAT there
turkey Is In mourning because he's go
ing to be killed for Thanksgiving din
ner." he said dryly.
Amanda said no more. but her plump
face grew very pink. and her smooth
forehead was creased In an anxious
frown.
That morning the rival turkeys
fought bitterly. Whether 1t was the
red flannel which aroused the mourn
ing turkeys gorge l cannot say. 1t is
sufficient to note that they fought fair
~ and that the red flannel gentleman
put the other to open fight. When 1t
was all over Amanda went out and
smilingly picked up several handouts
of bronze feathers.
jeremiah, who had witnessed the bat
tie through a crack In the barn door,
grinned openly and went back to his
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
of turkeys. After awhile others no
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 bird was as conscientiously stun
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 1t 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 If he 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
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 a 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