Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1881-01-28
PEEPEE.

Dusseldorf, | found myself rs quietly
settled in regular routine Of lie rs
though had been for months accus-
toned to il. A quiet, dreamy, half
dull, half-pleasant little city tits, where
no one is ever excited or i'll hurry,
where everything goes on like clock
work, and where the people have a
look as though they had lived hun
dred years and expected to live a cen
fury longer.
My appointments were in the rear of
third story Of an oid-fashioned house,
facing the konig's Alice, and consisted
of u small chamber and studio, the
latter half-faced with glass SO rs 70 adj
nit abundant light, projecting beyond
the lower stories. Here | painted and
studied my art audaciously, and
smoked and took beer with my brother
artists-having soon, though an
Englshman fallen into the easy, social
ways OF the Germans.
From this glass juttq of my studio, |
had a full view of the rear of an OPP
posite row of houses, with the gardens
intervening. Five they were III all;
and from having them constantly be-
fore my eyes, soon became acquaint-
ed with families occupying them, and
their several ways and characteristics.
They could see me MS well, but certain
ly did not interest themselves rs much
in me as | did in them.
In one of these gardens was generally
Il family Of pretty children, who car
ried on merry games and romps. In
another was Il fat, comcly matron with
two fat and comely daughters who
used to knit and embroider IN the
shade of linden There was IN old
couple, very rosy and comfortable, and
very gormandizing on four O'Clock saus-
age and beer There was Il thin, elder
ly lady, who took coffee and tarts, at
round table under an arbor, with
poodles and gossip. But the house
in the occupants Of which | felt the
greatest interest exactly faced me; and
here every day | was accustomed to
see a beautiful young lady, seated i'll u
kind of open pavilion attached to the
house, and absorbed in either reading,
embroidering or painting i'll water
colorS Sometimes She was alone
sometimes in company with tai, thin,
lady, of uncertain age, sallow complex
ion, and many curls; but generally she
had for companion Il large green par
rot, which swung ON Il perch close TO
the little table mt which she was oc-
cupied.
The first time that | particularly OBJ
served this bird She happened TO be
alone i'll the pavilion, sobcrly seated ON
her perch. In mere idlencss whis-
tied to attract her attention She look
ed up and down, croaked in an aston
ished sort Of way, and finally cooked
her eye ut me with an expression of IN
dignant surprise. ] whistled again, and
she grew excited, bristlcd up, swung
herself around, and shrieked out
marie! Marie Marie! Come here
MarieW
As in answer to this imperative sum
mons, there appeared from powered
garden alley the beautiful girl whom |
had 50 often noticed She had hand
full of roses, which she dropped in u
careless way on the table, and then
seated herself to copy them.
"What is it, Peepec9" She said in per
feet English. Good Peepee, take this
and be quiet
She gave the bird lump of sugar,
which she held a moment i'll her beak,
and then dropped, while she ruilled her
feathers and looked angrily AT me.
"a humbug humbug humbug. she
shrieked. 'Look out! / know
And then she broke into a shrek Of
discordant laughter and swung herself
from her perch, head downward.
Her pretty mistress painted on, and
presently the elderly lady came out and
carried the bird into the house.
For some days thereafter ] found
myself more interested in watching
Polly's mistress than should have
been, considering my studies 1t was
clear to me that she was ignorant of
this observation, if not of my existence.
Her back was generally toward me,
and then | could note the beautiful out
lines of her figure, and the grace Of her
attitudes.
Now and then Polly would slide
along the balcony and step onto the
back of her chair, and even upon her
shoulder, when She would put up her
white hand to caress and smoothe the
birds plumage
And whenever the bird got excited,
and called. Marie Marie Marie" her
pretty mistress would quiet her with a
lump Of sugar and few softly muir
INJURED words.
At length one day, when, palette and
brush in hand, | mad unconsciouFly
paused from my work to observe Polly
and her mistress, the latter suddenly
turned to set the bird on her porch.
Her uplifted eyes, directed straight to-
ward my window, encountered mine.
/ affected to be absorbed in mixing
colors, and she turned away quietly
and resumed her reading, az il it utter
" oblivious Of me. rather wondered
at this lack Of maidenly susceptibility,
especially considering that ! was re-
garded as rather a good-looking and
gentlemanly young fellow.
One day, when imagined from my
pretty neighbor's non.appearance that
She must have gone out, ! took &C.
casion to improve my acquaintance
with her protege, Peepee.
She received my polite advances
with indignant CONTEMPT, and IN reply