The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1888-10-12
MICKEY AND THE MACAW.


place that told tho mistress was away. TIE
red roses she left in the Indian bowl were
faded, and there was dust on tho gay littlC
bisquo figure of Love that stood at the side
Of tho mirror. He was kissing his hand.
with the same merry gesture, but no one
could SEQ in the dusk that four fingers of
each hand were gone. No one but the macaw
| Ho had bitten them off! He had stepyed
slyly into these unexplored regions and had
been having high jinks The head of the
Spanish muleteer lay on tho ground like q
gay ball.
Tho bird stepped Gingerly about, and
| looked for new mischief to do. Montmor.
cncy Jackson, the new waiter, had heard the
crash, and now opened the door rather TIKI
idly. He was superssit:ors, and had no
! knowledge of tho ways of the strange bird
"Got to Get dat Gebb:l back to him roost, I"
Sac Monty. How Gwinc do it, blame II /
Lncww
Hc moved cautiously amid tho gold and
white chairs, oascls and fancy tables, whio
tho bird kept ilcrco eye OH him.
It did not retreat; it was ready for attack.
It made dash at his heels, crying:
"Nigser, Niger, iiiggerp
IF you was o man, I'd knock yo' down, -
said Monty. Reckon jess wait till Polly
como homo. Sho know do ways cf dat buhd
oh Satan better"
So Monty went out, forgetting TO shut the
door carefully, and tho macaw followed in n
few moments, and stepped out into a garden.
Intoxicated with liberty he went farther.
The sun and the spring together made even
Shantytown beautiful. The fresh green
grass was toothsome TO the nimble goat that
sprang from rock to rock. Knots of white
daisies starred the emerald sod, and gold but
tons of buttercups CLEANED richly every
where, as if some spcndthrift had scattered
his wealth broadcast.
Mickey Driscolls blue eyes were dim, and
his little freckled faco was very sad.
"Yis, mo bye" tho mother was saying
sadly, as she rubbed away in the steaming
suds, and held up ono of Mickey's shirts to
SEQ if it was white enough, 'tho crathur has
to go. know yell miss tho milk NV her,
but yer poor father WORT do hans turn for
a month yet and Nan must DO soldn
Nan was browsing on an old newspaper
just then, but seemed to have an eye on tho
speaker, and came nearer as though to hear
more.
ats the drugs does be running away wild
tho money, bad cess to it," said Mrs. Driscoll;
''al' the more he does be takin' the worse
he is"
"But there's places where ye can git loads
and lashin's Of medicines for nothin'," said
Mickey, with a CLEAN in his blue eyes. 81
know; l seen ono t'other day-dissipashuns,
think they calls em."
"Oh. no, Mickey; that's not it, sure" said
Mrs. Driscoll with n sad smile. "But how
is it that ye don't lave n button on yer
shirts?'
Mother" cried Mickey, "don't sell Nan
today. Somethin' good might be happenin."
~ WON'T" said Mrs. Driscoll "Sure she's
loike ono nv tho family. SEQ her now q atm
nv that old Trybuno wild all tho relish In the
wurruld the crathur. She's larnt manners
wonderful, and niver touches the wash now,
since she swallyed me bist white aprin; but
that was in the lasht winter, poor crathurl'
Mickey wandered out rather forlornly, for
want had crept into the poor little home and
made itself felt Nan followed him, but
something came up in his throat, and choked
him when he tried to speak to her. He stood
leaning on tho deserted pig pen, which had
now no pig in it. Hard questions surged
through his small mind. His father had
worked so hard, and his mother did not waste
her time Gossping at tho ncighbors as some
did, and yet now they had scarcely enough
to cat, and Nan, poor Nan, had to gol
I'm goin' to earn that money meself," said
Mickey, strengthening himself and looking
ficrccly about him. "rm years old"
AS he spoke out loud, he heard queer
voice behind him cry shrilly, "Shut up"
Ho started and his heart beat fast. Tho
words seemed to como from the inside of tho
pig pen.
But Mickey looked all around him. It did
not sound like Patsy Flynn's voice. yet 10
ii, oI for.
urchin. He was hiding behind one or them,
no doubt.
"I'd loiko to hit somebody" Mickey said,
as he went baol; to his place end leaned
against tho pig pen, kiciiin. Ct Stone with
his coppertocd shoe.
"Oh, givo us n rest" said the voice within
tho pig pen. fs Ev-e
Mickey turned and looked. Then with
startled CRY lie ran to tho house.
Mother, mother no cried, his eyes di-
lated and his hair Standing up on his head,
''comc quick and see! There's something
alive in the pig pcn"
"Is it n pig, Mickey, Jarlin" cried tho
poor woman, thinking perhaps n miracle had
been worked for her, or that some good ,5a-
marian had been moved to give her pres
Ont.
"a pig with feathers Oh, mother. an 10
tallss-sure it speaks like Christian" cried
Mickey, shivering.
Tho mother hurried on brcnthlessly
''Sure it's burrud," she said in. 4 moment,
"ea' be tho token, Dim thinking Dive econ
the loisc in a show. Arrah, Mickey, rie
boy, i.s great fond nowi But LUX Mt tho
Gerco eye az it, and tho Crane feathers
Sure it's n Grandco among the burru,is, an it
has the air av an imperorl"
Tho niacaw eyed the two people sternly. 1t
moved toward them, and they fell back. ~
'Call it, Mickey, agra" said the mother.
''An' what will be afther calm itg' asked
Mickey, taking up stick, ut which the
macaw looked with fire in his eye.
Thin vans l seen was parrots. but this |
is quare an different" sho said "Whin 1t
talks so iligant, perhaps 1t can tell US its
namc."
A scissors grinder stopped In tho road Just |
then, and Mickey called him.
"Say," he cried, whats tho name Of this |
brrrud, dun nor
Tho man stopped the whir Of his wheel and
won't over to the pen.
"Dot," said ho In broken English, "dot vos
D ynacaw. Ho Is wort twenty dollar We're