The Newark journal. (Newark, Ark.) 1901-1959, 1912-11-22

with four small sisters, she mao IIveu
on the mountain. the household drudge
for her shiftless father. When he
had won her love Jed had, for the
time. been inspired with a greater in
dustry than that of the men about
him. But gradually he had dropped
back, and he knew, and Mandy knew,
that before them both stretched the
dull dreariness that was the common
lot of the mountaineer of that sec
ton.
You could get out of it If you
would" Mandy had said. And when
Jed had questioned her helplessly
How" she had flung out, "0h, II you
were man you would find a way"
and that had been the first quarrel
Since that. there had been many
little quarrels, and Jed knew that
Mandy was chatting under the thought
of his incompetence. And she was
right. BY all the vigor of young man
hoods that was in him, he knew that
he should be doing a mans work
somewhere. not stagnating among the
hills.
He thought of 1t all as he tramped
after the turkey. 1t seemed to him
suddenly that his quest took on a
sacred significance. He had promised
Mandy turkey. He must keep his
promise or be less a man.
The blackness of the November
night settled over the forest. AS he
came out upon a craggy turn of the
path he could see, far up. the light
In Mandy's cottage window. He knew
that she was making her simple prep
arations for the Thanksgiving dinner.
Without the turkey there would be
only the usual fried meat and corn
bread. with perhaps a little festivity
added in the way of a simple pudding
with raisins in 1t. Jed had bought
the raisins at the store in the city
many miles away. on one of the rare
and tedious trips when he laid in his
stores for the winter.
With the thought of che city came
vision of the shops as he had seen
them then. Men did not hunt for tur-
keys there-they bought them from
the butcher, above whose stalls the
big birds hung in plump rows
He laughed little as he thought of
them, and laughed again as a resolve
grew slowly in his mind Then he
counted the money In his pocket. 1t
was enough. There would be many
miles to travel to the city and back
again. But Mandy would have her
turkey for the next days dinner.
All that night the snow fell. By
morning the road were almost i'm
passable. Mandy. high up in the lit
tie cabin. looked out with anxious
eyes. Suppose Jed had hunted all
night, and had been lost in the forest?
Such things had happened even to
experienced woodsmen, when they
were overcome by cold. She prepared
simple dinner, bearing patiently the
complaints Of her father and of the
disappointed children.
Jed amt no good said the old
man as he stuck his fork into the
fried meat Il thought he said he'd
bring turkey"
HE did say so, Mandy responded,
but they aint any wild turkeys left
in the woods"
''They's plenty of turkeys for them
as hunts Them" sneered the old man.
JED amt no good
He's better than the rest of you"
Mandy fiared, and then apologized
,penitently. Il didn't mean to be
hateful, father"
But the children's disappointment
was harder TO bear.
Il don't want to be thankful" little
Annabel walled, when Mandy tried to
talk OF the reason OF the feast. Il
want some turkey-and ] want 1t be-
fore can be thankful Bit"
Mandy felt. however, that II she
only knew that Jed was safe she
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