Cheraw chronicle. [volume] (Cheraw, S.C.) 1896-2005, 1915-11-04
A Thanksgiving
Family Party
Bv DONALD CHhM6ERLlN

There was one 1ll.nkSSlNliiS Wien
the head of our large family invited |
every member that could be reached to
SPEND Il week in his large country |
house. including Thanksgiving day
There were brothers and sisters, collS
ins, second cous,ns and third cousins.
Many Of my relatives had never
seen.
Those of us of my generation went
In for a good time together. The girls
were of that age when taste for mis-
chief predominates Nothing seemed
to please them so well as to perpetrate
some innocent practical joke OH us
boys. \ third cousin Of mine. Becky
Aldrich, one morning while watering
some plants with sprayer sprinkled
the back Of my neck. Though she was
behind me. she failed to escape before
| saw who she was.
One night when was getting ready
for bed l found the legs Of my paja.
mas sewed up. When I had ripped
the sewing, got them on and tumbled
into bed l found the sheets scratched.
uttered one exclamation and heard a
giggle at my door. | had turned on
the light, so, springing out of bed. l
tiptoed hastily to the door, opened 1t
and was in tine to grab the last of
flock Of girls WHO ran away in the
darkness, for tleays1 taken the pre-.
Throwing my arms Ground my cap
tive.N gave her a SHACK, she strug.
Cling to be free, ten let her 60. Slip
ping back intsf my room, turned on
Il light. and there sticking on to the
breast of my pajamas was an elon-
gated pin Of chased gold set in the
center with single sapphire.
The Irob!em was to identify the girl
| had ! is$ed By discovering the owner
of the n. Had it been cheap article
| would ave had little chance Of do
ing so. for ;lc gillS would all stick to-
.ether to keep the secret. consulted
with m men cousins. and it was de-
rided that l should put the article up
ut auction at the Thanksgiving dinner,
bids to be accepted only from the
men.
Acco-Ging!; when the nuts and cof-
fee caro- on took the pin out of my
vest pocket and. holding it up before
the company. said:
81 found this article recently and
would be happy to return 1t to the
owner if she will claim it and prove
ownership"
1 swept the board with my glance |
but saw no sign Of a giveaway ON any
girls face.
None of them claimed the find. Then
continued: |
"Since there is no claimant for the |
article l will put 1t up at auction, re-
serving the right to bid to the men
present Of my own generation, the
proceeds of the sale to 90 to char.
ity."
The girls looked at one another curl
ouSly, not knowing what was coming.
l called for bids. and one Of my cousins.
Jack Somers. bid % cents. There was
an exclamation Of disapprobation for
such an offer, and when another Of my
confederates bid 80 cents it was re-
peated. The gem alone could not have
been worth less than $50. When every
man who was permitted to bid had
done SO S2.75 was the highest offer re.
ceived
knocked the article down to the sue
cessful man. Jim Atwood. and he hand
ed me the money. While pretending
to be interested in the payment | was
keeping one eye on the girls, hoping to
see some sign Of protest against her
property being sold out in this way
before her face. Had 1t not been for
Jim's assistance should not have been
successful in my game.
What luckr' he exclaimed. holding
the pin before him admiringly. 1--WE
wanted something like this for
gift to my fiancee. and now have
found It"
The fact of another girl possessing
her jewelry was too much for its own
er. Becky Aldrich showed by her ex.
that she was at least tn ha