Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1909-11-08
THE ROCK ISLAND ARGUS. MONDAY, NovEMBER 8. 1903


gobhlers nervoussy paced two narrow
pens. The red flannel turkey wis gen
| erously fed by Amanda while the blacl
tape bird was as conscientiously 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 bad been a pros
porous year with them. and she was
! thankful in every sense for the fuilness
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
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 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
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,
and his wife was sewing.
Suddenly Jeremiah looked up Pete
Jones is coming around to Kill the tur-
KEY tomorrow morning" he said. with
assumed carelessness. Hell get 1t all
dressed and ready for you"
ave 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 If / could have any con-
tention this Thanksgiving. We've been
so prospered this year"
Jeremiah coughed obviously. "Aman-
da." he began rather sheepishly, 81
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 q
red one. l meant 1t for a joke at first.
1 thought I'd have my way about kill
ing the black one, and when we was
eating it l was going to tell you 1t was
your bird after all, but it looks silly
now"
"It was silly" said Amanda ener-
getically. At about made myself sick
over them two turkeys. 1 don't know
If wanter eat neither one. If had
known you was trying to joke-why,
don't know as l ever knew you to
make a joke. Jeremiabw
al never did before" said jeremiah.
with a sickIy smile. 'T guess won't
again. I'll tell Pete to kill the black
rag turkey, and then it'll be the one
you Selected"
I'D ruther have the wild favored
one" admitted Amanda Pm 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 a gamy
bird" chuckled Jeremiah, with another
break into unconscious wit.
The next day when Pete Jones came
to kill the turkey he 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 ut a fork
he was polishing. and then he turned
a quizzical smile upon his wife.
Kill 'em both. Pete, and take one
home for yourself"
"And whichever one it is. Pete. enjoy
it, smiled Amanda at her reflection in
a teaspoon.
Lame back comes on suddenly and