The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1921-11-22
Eoening Story
Lost, strayed Or Stolen.
BY JESSIE DOUGLAS.

1t was alTost too much. Any one
would have admitted that. Janet
Brown had made a hard fight for it.
And this was the result
She looked blindly about. for her
tam, and found it at last on the hook
behind the door, drew on a pair of
heavy wooden stocking. and took her
crooked stick from its place over the
fireplace.
cheerily.
|, she gave a last look around the
bright room. The logs were laid on
the brick fireplace ready to kindle at
a spark, some brilliant red berries
stood in the cleaning brass Jug over
the hearth.
There was the big wing-chair COW
cred in gay-flowered creronne that
she had always hankered for, and the
shelf of books beside the window, that
looked firm enough if you did not
touch it.
Every single thing Janet had done
herself. She had painted the dingy
woodwork of the sitting room white,
she had Unearthed the old Jug and
polished it till her arm acned gath
cred the leaves, and covered the chair
with its workman-like gayety. She
had even put up the shelf and ham
mered her thumb black and blue in
the attempt.
was GnOuSs JdHSl
thought as she tramped down her
front walk switching with the knobby
stick at the dry brown of the grass
''But at last it was proved to her
that it was about all over"
As she walked down the highway
she stopped every few steps to peer
over the crumbling wall, to move at
a flicker Of leaves and to call Here,
Drumstick, here!" but without result.
Every one laughed at her in the
4 e-11fa INF
do it. Utterly impracticable for girl
to try to run a place like that herself:
Now if she could raise violets or even
make jam for living, if she were
tired of business in the city, But to
raise turkeys!
All those cousins and near-relations
and aunts who comprised Janet's
family could shake their heads and
cry complacently, 81 told you sou and
not a word would she be able to
answer.
She knew she could raise turkeys
and she thought with a sudden rage of
the result!
Here, Drumstick!' she called aloud
thrashing at the roadside weeds, but
no sign of the wanderer rewarded her.
why, no millionaire's baby with two
nurses and a wholeretinue of servants
could be so delicate as one wretched
well-fed turkey" her thoughts ran.
How carefully she had studied
booklets from Cornell, and how she
had fed them and seen them into
their coops at night. But they had
never got a disease that it said they
had, but bad died quickly, suddenly,
mysteriously of unknown ailments.
Sixteen baby turkeys for the
Thanksgiving market-and only one
left gone off by himself
HE doesn't need ITO think he can
get away. I'll eat him!" Janet told
herself fiercelY
Again she sent up her call, but there
was no answering rustic in the stubby
cornfield and over the rough-grown
hedge.
The suddenly before her Mortified
eyes she saw that her next-door
neighbor was plucking a bird. He
hadn't a turkey of his own and he had
made way with hers.
"Mr. Leonardo" she said running up
the walk, what have you got there?'
He looked up guiltily. ''Why-I-"
t'It's my Drumstrick!" she walled,
"and you went and stole him!" She
stood up with flushed face. ''Why. 1
was raising that turkey for market
and you Knew it perfectly well and
Tom Leonard's eyes were full of
mischief but he made his face serious
as he answered, 81 thought you were
he is" he held out d fat little fowl
to her.
But he's so little. why thought"
"His feathers, you know, they make
a 9ifference!' he explained gravely.
%As long as you-you took him and
and eat him!'
mot unless you and your aunt will
have Thanksgiving dinner with me-"
Tom Leonard explained, looking at
her with suddenly earnest eyes.
NAltho he was dressed in rough
corduroy and his ha To-
ened by farm work, he was very hand
some. There was a CLINT in his brown
eyes, a crisp wave to his dark hair
that drew Janet's eyes back.
Thanksgiving! Janet said, she
turned away quickly to hide her tears
81 can't be thankful. I shall have to
go back to the city and give all this
up-and the typewriter again. she
stumbled.
Janet, you know" He took a
checked, with hurried breath was
backing away.
Maybe I'll come to dinner. I'll
ask auntie 1t will be the last
She seurried down the path and
fled up the road. her heart beating
with rapturous thuds at the knowl- |
edge his eyes had sent her.
sit was too wonderfuI-too won |
derfull' She stopped breathless, for |
there, coming up the road, strutting in
all the prlue OF turkeydorn, was Drum |
stick, the wandereri
go aIeng!" she cried, making |
alarming gestures with her stick, and |
the turkey gobbled on ahead While she |
thought of a revenge stern enough, for |
Tom Leonard.
When two hours later she and her |
aunt, dressed in their best, made their |
decorous way to Tom Leohard's small |
farmhouse. Janet was still bordering. !
But she was the 1oudest in her I
praise of 1.-The turkey"
Hes so tender and so fat" she |
explained delightedly, but how I hate /
toHeat my dear old Drumstick'
When Tom Leonard's housekeeper /
had cleared away the dinner and |
auntie had gone to the chamber to |
take her forty winks, Janet was left (
alone with her neighbor.