Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1881-03-05

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| tnat found Jou-1ou, the female bird, lying
| dead upon the floor. My first idea was that 1t
| was mean piece OF vengeance upon Jack
part. and taxed him with 1t. but he denied 1t
| Indignantly.
~ IN not such brute as you seem to think,
Madge," he said. 81 don't like the birds, but [
! wouldn't hurt feather OF their tails Look
J here. though as he poked out with the point OF
! Ills penknife something that had lodged In the
! tiny beak. Here is what did the mischief.
/ of poetic Justice"
| 1t was a tiny bit of red wafer which he held
! out for me to examine, and OF course had to
acknoW ledge that 1t alone had caused the catas-
! tropbe. buried my little pet mournfuly, and
thought OF bringing another TO replace her, but
JACK put his veto upon any such proceeding.
But, JACK, said, " Bijou will die OF lone
lineSs."
Let him, said Jack, savagely. and that was
Well, BItou didn't die OF loneliness On the
contrary, after rejecting on the situation for
I few days, he plucked up heart, and launched
himself into such torrent OF rollicking song
that Jack was more frantic than ever. Not even
the melancholy sight OF the Destful of cold little
plush speckled eggs seemed to dash his gayety
In the least. To tell the truth, was slightly
disguised, Though would have died before
would have told Jack so,l for. Try as might,
could not persuade myself that that triumphant
rollck1ng. gurgling song bore the slightest re-
Semblance TO wall Of despair.
We saw Uncle Philip tolerably often, though
ne no longer staid with us. noticed, however
that lie could with difficulty be persuaded to
enter the back parlor. Even the sound Of
b jou's singing, which penetrated the closed
DOORS made him start and vince in manner
which was simply absurd, though he never said
anything.
We were In daily expectation OF Aunt
Clal1ceS arrival, the date OF which was not
quite certain, and she was staying with friends
who continually urged her TO prol0ng her visit.
After the day for her coming to US had been
three times fixed and so often postponed,
made up my mind not to expect her until saw
~ diam oil sJ,ot,rr t,tc
OF her from my mind.
| was sitting at my sewing one morning,
when Jane came up to tell me that lady was
In the parlOT. who declined to send up her
name.
IAN agent, no doubt" said. 81 wish you
mad asked her business, Jane. But no matter
must go down soon. to Shut up Bljou, In any
CASE
SO sewed on TRANQUILITY until had finished
the piece Of work on which was engaged, and
then ran down stairs, humntng blltne little
tune as / went. ! never finished that tune
though; for the first thing my eyes fell upon Ia
the hall was Aunt Clar1ce. Yes, Aunt Clartce,
sitting demureiy in the hall chair, but with no
very demur expression upon her face. On the
contrary, 1t was a much agitated and dis
heVelled Aunt Clarice upon whom looked-an
Aunt Clarice who appeared equally divided be-
tween tears and Indignation, and who met my
ast0nlShed gaze with one full OF Wrathful mean
Ing gg,oor ,,,u. ,,.,,o.,r
dreamed or seeing you to-day? Why In the
world didn't you go into the parlor, even II
Jane hadn't sense enough to take you there?
mat girls plumbers are really beyond any
Don't scold the girl" said Aunt Clarice,
grimly; Its not her fault. She took me In
there fast enough; but II people VIII turn their
parlorS Into menagerle5, they can hardly expect
their friends to stay In them"
"Menager1eS! Dear Aunt Clarice cried, Il
never thought you would mind poor Bijou too.
You're as bad as Uncle Philip"
Aunt Clarice turned Slightly red. eff that's
your 1Qea OF 69Ou,' she said, 81 have no more
to say" and she began to gather up her belong
fngS as Ii she meditated instant flight
But. dear Aunt Clarice,'' l cried, don't be
SO frightened! | was just going to shut him
up, Ior ne has been out quite long enough"
81 should think SO, said Aunt Clarice) but
never knew that you minded birds so much"
Birds said Aunt Ciartce, with an indie
scr1baole information. "But / do mind birds
very much-such birds as this; birds that walk
grabs at your ankles"
AUNT Clarice, . l cried. ats Hero that you
mean-Jaek,s great, holrid dog. Do you mean
shall do? Jack says that there is no narm In
him, but he always dances and grins at US so.
HOW snail we ever get him out, for neither Jane
nor dare touch hin?'
Aunt Clarice had relaxed slightly when She
found that had nothing to do with Heros
laugh. ~
Don't trouble yourself about getting him
out she said. He Is safe enough there, for
shut the door upon him. He kept quiet until
Jane had gone, put as soon as l was lett quite
alone and unprotected he fIoundered out from
under the very sofa that l was Sitting upon,
aud danced and grtnned at me, until fairly
TOOK TO my heels: Now I'll go up stairs and
take my things off,"
Jack only laughed when complained to him
Of Hero'S escapade said that as my pet had the
run OF his study III was only fair that his should
i the run OF the rest OF the house. He post
lively refused TO chan him. or even to keep MIN
In the yard and cellar. as lmploreJ him TO do
II only On Aunt Clarce's account.
NO, no." he said. my relations have had
noW."
OF course when Hero had once found his way
up 8 alrs there was an end OF everything. Moth
lug Wou Induce him to stay down after Lh at
IL is my belief that he had found out some way
OF Worming himself through key-holes. for no
amount OF locking and barring would keep him
out. The worst OF IL was that he took a violent
fancy TO Aunt Clarice. Or rather am inclined
to think that lie found her irresisubly teasab!e
ana was deep and artful enough to pretend a
Ilrm confidence In her fondness and admiration
IoT NM AT all events, wherever Aunt Clarice
was, Hero was sure to be somewhere near. II
sue SAT ooWn upon sofa, Hero Wr1ggled out
from under 1t; II she entered a room, Hero
bounced at her from behind the door, nay, he
even secreted himself under her bed at night
Tor the express purpose OF coming out In the
small hours, and Weakening her by the contact
OF his cold wet nose and his warm wet tongue
AFTER she had twice aroused the whole hou 5e-
| hold by her wild shrieks at these uncanny
visits, Aunt Clartce mildly but firmly an
my dear Madge," she said, 81 am very fond
OF you; am fond OF Jack. too; but really a man
VINO Keeps such wild beast about his house is
NJ only FOR Bedlam. l can't expect you to turn
MIN Out for me- SO have decided to turn nv
sell out Tor him. | am not quite ready to 90
nome yet, so have taken board for a few weeks
! WneTe shall be quite comfortable"
JACK only laughed, aud said, "Tlt for tat "
when be heard OF Aunt Clarice'S departure He
laughed still more when. on comparing notes
we found that she and Uncle Philip were now
Inhabitants OF the same boarding house In 9th
Street-a curious coincidence, certainly, but not
worth going into Mysteries about. It really
seemed as II Jack would never get over It,
Every now and then, during the whole evening
ne would suddenly throw himself back kick uD
his heels In the most undtgnified manner and
roar. When asked him his reason for such
behavior he would say only. "Uncle Philip and
Aunt Clarce.-ho! no. ho." And for DAYS the
mention OF either name would bring most ab-
surd and d1abolical grin to his face which was
handsome enough one In general,
III.
It was rather curious, / thought. that since
Aunt Clarlce had LETT us so abruptly We had
seen nothing either OF her or OF Uncle Phillip
although more than week had passed. Aunt
ClaI1ce WaS always Out-Or 80 the servant said
When j called; and as for her, she had never
once crossed our threshold since that unlucky
day.
was just expressing my feelings upon the
subject 10 Jack, with Bljou hopping about the
carpet at my feet, when the doOr-bell rang ana
Jane brought In the mornings mail. There was