Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1888-10-23
MICKEY AND THE MACAW

MICKEY AND THE MACAW.
1t was growing dusk in the gorgeous room.
The bars Of gold that had laid on the floor
when the sun crept in at high noon had faded
away. There was deserted air about the
place that told the mistress was away. The
ID roses she Left in the Indian bowl were
and there was dust on the gay little
= z figure of Love that stood at the side
Il Smirror He was kissing his hands
"a W same merry gesture, but no one
z -ea : In the dusk that four fingers off
sssach hand were gone. No one but the macawi
He had bitten them off He had stepped |
slyly into these unexplored regions and had |
been. having high jinks. The head of the |
Spanish muleteer lay on the ground like a |
gay ball.
The bird stepped gingerly about, and |
looked for new mischief to do. Montmor-
ency Jackson, the new waiter, had heard the
crash, and now opened the door rather tin
idly. he was superstitious, and had no
knowledge of the ways of the strange bird.
SCOT to get dat debhil back to him roost"
/ sad Monty. GLOW gwine do it, blame 4
4 knCwp
He moved cautiously amid the gold and
white chairs, easels and fancy tables, while
Tie bird kept fierce eye on him
1t did not retreat; it was ready for attack.
IL made dash at his heels, crying:
Nigger, niger, nigger!"
If you was man, I'd knock 20 down."
said Monty. Reckon jess wait till Polly
II 60. as. She know de ways of dat buhd
% SATAN better
So Monty went out forgetting to shut the
door carefully, and the macaw followed in a
few moments, and stepped out into garden.
Intoxicated with liberty he went farther.
The sun and the spring together made even
Shantytowp beautiful. The fresh green
grass was toothsoms 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 spendthrift had scattered
his wealth broadcast.
Mickey Driscoll's blue eyes were dim, and
his little freckled face was very sad.
"Yis, me bye the mother was saying
sadly, as she rubbed away in the steaming
suds, and held up one of Mickey's shirts to
see If it was white enough, 1.-THE crathur has
to so. know yell miss the milk av her,
but yer poor father won't do a hans turn for
Nan was browsing on an old newspaper
just then, but seemed to have an eye on the
speaker, and came nearer as though to hear
more.
ats the drugs does be running away wild
the money. bad cess TO it, said Mrs Driscoll;
ian the more he does be takin the worse
he is
''But there's places where We can git loads
md To- bfs,1z Of fNr mot pir,fT
Mickey, with a CLEAN in his blue eyes. 81
know; seen one t'other ay-dissipashuns,
think they calls EN-
''Oh no. Mickey; that's not it, sure" said
Mrs Driscoll, with a sad smile. But how
Is it that We don't lave button on yer
shirts
.'Mother," cried Mickey, don't sell Nan
TO-DAY S0methin' good might be happenin'.n
Il won't SAID Mrs. Driscoll Sure she's
loika one av the family. See her now a atm
az that old Trybune wild all the relish in the
wurruld, the crathur. Shes larnt manners
wonderful, and niver touches the wash now,
since she swallyed me Dist 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
him when he tried to speak to her He stood
leaning on the deserted pig pen, which had
now no pig in it, Hard questions surged
through his small mind His father had
worked 50 hard, and his mother did not waste
her time gossiping ~ the neighbors as some
did, and Vet now they had scarcely enough
to eat, and Nan, poor Nan, had to goi
I'm goiu to earn that money meself, " said
4.
fercely about him. I'm 8 years old
AS he spoke out loud, he heard a queer
voice behind him cry shrilly, ''Shut up
He started and his heart beat fast The
words seemeG to come from the inside of the
pig pen.
But Mickey looked all around him It did
not sound like Patsy Flynn's voice, yet he
searched the rocks for that red headed
urchin. He was hiding behind one OF them
no doubt.
I'D loike to hit somebody Mickey said
as he went back to his place and leaned
against the pig pen, kicking at stone witt
his coppeTtoed shoe.
"Oh give Us a rest, said the voice within
the pig pen.
Mickey turned and looked. Then with
startled cry he ran to the house
Mother mother he cried, his eyes di
lated and his hair standing up on his head
''come quick and seeI There's something
alive in the pig penn
rs it a pig, Mickey, darlin'!' cried tn
poor woman, thinking perhaps miracle hal
been worked for her. or that some good Sa
marian had been moved to give her pres
ent.
"A pig with feathers! Oh, mother an i
a-lr-
Mickey shivering.
The mother hurried on breathlessly.
Sure it's a burrudn she said in a moment
IAN be the token, Dim thinking Owe see
the loike in a show Arrah, Mickey, m
boy, its a great foind nowl But LUX at th
fierce eye aY it, and the Crane feather
Sure it's a grandee among the burruds an
has the air av an imperor.n
The macaw eyed the two people sternly.
moved toward them, and they fell back
"CaIl it, Mickey, agra said the mother
AN what will be afther calm itF' asko
Mickey, taking up stick, at which til
macaw looked with fire in his eye.
Thin vans | seen was parrots, but tn
is quare AM different" she said "Whin
talks so ilgant, perhaps it can tell US it
name
then and Mickey called him.
Say" be cried, whats the name Of tn
bu-1ud, / dun nor
The man stopped the whir of his wheel al
went over 10 tue pen.
dot, said he in broken English, "dot VI
a macaw. He is wort twenty dollar We,
you git him, ehF looking suspiciously at Il
two
"Git oud wild yer blatherskitfn' y said Mr.
DriscolL Your cav, indade AM how d
it come to be your cav, ye Dutch spalpee
It's my cav"
The man looked angry and puzzled
VI did say SO alretty," he muttered; I'm
cav"
Don't be renatin' your les cried Mr.
Driscoll angrily. "a comm on me premis
an ayin' claim TO me cav, Mickey, darlir
we'll tex the cav in the house at wanst."
The irate woman laid a rash hand on Il
bird, while the scissors grinder shrugged b
shoulders and went back to his work.
Mrs Driscoll felt as if pair of red h
pincers had met on her finger Her screa
reached her husbands ears, and he totter.
TO the door.
hat Is the mathergn he cried angril
yeu draw the police wild yer hullabulloo
"och, cried Mrs. Driscoll, I'm .ather tn
cav TIL he larns manners-luk at me finge
The haste Get me the poker, Mickey"
NO no, mother" cried Mickey 81 knc
what; well smother him in a shawl and q
him in that way"