The Hardin tribune-herald. [volume] (Hardin, Mont.) 1925-1973, 1935-12-06

PupIShed by Special Arrangement with the Q
Copyright: 1885: I
I'm TWO PARTs-PART TWO
James, for James G. Blaine!"
Whatever are you talking about?"
1.-THE strutting turkey cock. Some
body called him that"
%, that's cute, Peter. Well call your
turkey James. We can play pretend.
Pretend he's the butler, and the chauf-
feur, see?"
II wish we could teach him bridge.
You and nom and I have always
needed a fourth"
peter, I a see that we're going
to grow too attached to that bird"
What If we do? You don't win a
turkey every day."
"Giving him a name makes him sort
OF, well, permanent"
When they went to the kitchen to
see how the turkey Jared Peter turned
on the light and addressed him:
well, James, here we are back"
James blinked sleepily and clucked
deep in his long throat.
Look, he knows his NAME" Peter
exclaimed delightedly.
At bedtime James was deposited in
the garage. Peter awakened in the mid
die of the night and suddenly was as
sailed with the disturbing thought that
carbon monoxide gas might have &C
cumulated from his small sedan. He
worried half an hour, unable to sleep.
Then he got up, dressed in trousers,
garage half expecting to see his prize
stretched out dead. But James was
roosting on a rafter, having achieved
that eminence apparently by hopping
on the running board, thence to the
hood and the top, and finally to the
loftiest height possible. Peter regarded
this triumph with profound admira-
ton before calling, flames, you rascal,
come down out of there"
James only blinked drowsily and
made a cultural noise. Peter had a
notion to return to bed, but the
thought of carbon monoxide was too
horrifying. He finally climbed up and
compelled the turkey to leave its perch
with an affrighted jump and a swish
ing seesaw of wings. After a struggle
he succeeded in tucking James under
his. arm, but only after sundry angry
peckings from the irate and annoyed
bird. He placed him in his clothes
closet for the rest of the night.
The following night James found a
new abode in the snug and warm Gel
a VI C1lC 1looSC "11SAC l 4AFSN'
Peter told his mother of his definite
decision to keep James at least until
Christmas, %fattening him on special
poultry food from By-Products, Inc.
Margaret can't bear the thought of
eating him." he explained.
Hes practically n of the family"
said Margaret.
I'm another week." said Mrs. Dudley,
II would feel like a cannibal myself
if I were to eat him."
Peter came home the Saturday aft
ernoon after Thanksgiving bearing a
variety of %provender recommended In
the advertising of By-Products, Inc,
as especially nutritious for turkeys. He
hurried to Margaret's basement and
there discovered her regarding James
with profound reproach. She cried,
"Peter, O, Peter, you can't imagine
what has %happened!" Alarmed, he
steeled himself for a shock:
Tell me, Margaret. Is James lll?'
"Worse. o. worse. I never would nave
believed it of him-it-her;"
Gee, goodness, get it Off your
chest"
"Look, James is not James at all.
He-she-has just been living a lie.
And here is the proof" She held up
for Peters inspection a large, speckled
egg. Peter blushed hotly.
"Goodness jimminy sakes alive, you
don't mean to tell me"
IT do certainly mean to tell you"
well, I want to know! There's only
n thing to do"
"What?"
Change his name. Her name, that
is. Isn't she the deceitful little mink?
How dared she?"
"What shall we change it to-"
"Jamesetta, what else? You know,
Margaret, this confirms a suspicion of
mine. I've been looking at the pictures
Of turkeys in those library books.
Jamesetta never had enough red on
her neck to qualify as a masculine
turkey. But I lever thought"
Nov that she's laid an egg it's
easy to see she's a lady"
II hope she's a lady. It's all Nick's
fault, really. He said she vas a young
Montana tom But what does a New
York saloon keeper know about tur-
keys?"
The evenings and Sundays between
Thanksgiving and Christmas were de-
voted by Peter to an earnest study OF
turkeys. He became absorbed in the
subject and began to compute now,
with his bank balance and his moth
er's slender resources, they could RISK
a bold plunge. He even caught him.
self wondering whether Margaret
might not be persuaded to throw her
into the common pot, but
this temptation he hurled vigorously
from him as unworthy.
He read all the farm and poultry
magazines he could buy. sent for ad.
vertising booklets and literature that
set forth the merits of breeders, IN
cubators, vermin destroyers, and the
like. He learned the best approved
methods of stimulating egg produc-
ton. studied proper nourishment, mar
keting problems, and attended a COM
bination livestock and poultry show.
He put in a couple of hours examining
with eager interest an exhibit OF prize
NOW AND THEN