The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1912-04-17

A big, snowy turkey gobbler resented the small intruder in his especial pre-, serves, and with spread tail and drag ging wings came at him threateningly. If that turkey gobbler had known the sort of things with which Billy was accustomed to holding his own he never would have issued that chal- lenge. Billy accepted instantly. He danced around with stiff arms at his sides and initiated the gobbler- Then came his opportunity and he Jumped on the big turkeys back. Wesley heard Margaret'S scream in time to see the flying leap and admire it's dex- terity. The turkey tucked it's tail and scampered. Billy slid from its back and as he fell he clutched wildly, caught the folded tall and instinctively hung on for life. The turkey gave one scream and relaxed its muscles. Then it fled in disfgured defeat to the hay stack. Billy scrambled to his feet holding the tail, and his eyes were bulging:
 "Why, the blasted old thing came offv' he said to Sinton, holding out the tail in amazed wonder.
 Sinton, caught suddenly, forgot everything and roared. Seeing which, Billy thought a turkey tail of no ac- count and flung that one high above him, shouting with childish laughter as the feathers scattered and fell. | Margaret, watching, burst into tears. Wesley had gone mad. For the first time in her married life she wanted to tell her mother. When Wesley had waited until he was so hungry he could wait no longer he invaded the kitchen to find cooked supper baking on the back of the stove, while Mar garet with red eyes nursed a pair of demoralized white kittens.
 "Is supper ready?" he asked.
 'It has been for an hour," answered Margaret.
 "Why didn't you call us?'
 That "us" had too much comrade- ship in it. It irritated Margaret. !, "I supposed it would take you even longer than that to fix things decent again. As for my turkey and my poor
  "T am mighty sorry about them, Mar garet, you know that. Billy is very bright, and he will soon learn''- "Soon learn!" cried Margaret. "Wes- ley Sinton, you don't mean to say that you think of keeping that creature here for some time?'
 "No; think of keeping a decent, well behaved little boy" Margaret set the supper on the table. | Seeing the old red cloth, Wesley stared in amazement. Then he understood. Billy capered around in delight "Ain't that pretty?" he exulted "I | wish Jimmy and Belle could see. We, why, we ist eat out of our hands or off l old drygoods box, and when we fix up a lot we have newspaper. We ain't ever had a nice red cloth like this." Wesley looked straight at Margaret, so intently that she turned away, her face flushing. He stacked the diction- ary and the geography of the world on.a chair and lifted Billy beside him. He heaped a plate generously, cut the food, put fork into Bi1ly's little fist and made him eat slowly and properly. Billy did his best. Occasionally greed overcame him, and he used his left hand to pop bite into his mouth with his fingers. These lapses' Wesley pa tiently overlooked and went on with 1 his general instructions. Luckily Billy did not spill anything on his clothing or the cloth. After supper Wesley took him to the barn until he finished the night work. Then he went and sat by Margaret on the front porch. Billy ap- l propriated the hammock and swung by pulling rope tied around tree. The very energy with which he went at the work of swinging himself appealed to Wesley.
 Mercy, but he's an active little body" he said. 1'There isn't a lazy bone in him. See how he works to pay for his fun.''
 Gro Be Continued.)