The Hot Springs star. (Hot Spings [Hot Springs], Dakota [Dakota Territory, i.e. S.D.]) 1886-189?, 1889-11-29

A1AttAe LOUISE Spout labG summer
with grandpa and grandma on the
farm. One day Louise happened to be
in the great kitchen all alone, when
she thought she heard some one at the
door.
1t was not a loud knock. 1t sound
ed like this: "Tack, tack tack. Tack.
tack, tack"
Louise listened a moment, and then
she heard it again: "Tack, tack, tack.
Tack, tack. tack"
"Well," she thought, II suppose I
must open the door, because grandma
has gone over to Mrs. Burton's, but
I'm almost afraid to-"
So she opened the door and looked
up to see who it was, and at first she
thought that no one vas there, but
when she looked down again there
stood the old fat yellow hen that
grandma called "Biddy."
why, Biddy," said Louise, sdid you
knock on the door?"
Eyes, yes, yes" said Biddy, by nod
ding her head a great many times.
And then she walked into the kitchen
and walked about in a very curious
way. She went up to the great water
barrel which stood in one corner, and
strained her neck to look iuto the dark
space behind it. Then she went to all
the other corners of the room-and'
tn re were a good many-looked care
fully under the old secretary" and
stood for some time gazing into grand
pas straw hat, which had fallen upon
the floor.
just then Louise looked up and saw
grandma standing in the doorway.
20 grandma" she cried, swhat does
make Biddy act so?"
u think 1 know what Biddy wants.
said grandma, "but 1 can't quite let
her have grandpa's hat for a nest.n
Then grandma went out to the barn
and brought in half a key, in which
she had nicely arranged a bunch Of
sweet hay, and this she set on the floor
in n corner of the room.
Biddy seemed to recognize this al
once, and she Immediately jumped into
the nest. But, dear mo, what an idea
to think that anybody but her could
arrange that nest! She picked it, and
trod it, and rufled it for more than an,
hour, until she painted faster than
Louise could count. and she had to
hold her wings out straight, she was
so hot.
Louise sat and watched her with
wonder and delight, until at last Biddy
sat quietly on her nest, and the hum-
ming of the bees came SO drowsily
through the widow that Louise was
having just a little nap in her chair,
when she was startled by a very sud-
den and joyous sound. It was this:
"Cut-cut-cut-cut-cutt cut
Observation-Disclosures" over and
over again, and there stood Biddy,
cackling, and looking with pride at a
new white egg.
20 me! o me! o me!n cried Louise,
dancing up and down with delight.
"Grandma, come here, quick! Biddy
has laid a great, white egg!"
1t was, indeed, true, and Biddy con-
tinued to do SO for twelve days, and
she and Louise became firm friends.
But after that Biddy grew cross, and
said "Kor-r-r-r!" whenever Louise
came rear her.
Then Biddy sat upon the eggs almost
all the time for three long weeks, until
one morning when Louise came into
the kitchen she heard a faint speep.
peep, peep" which seemed to come
from underneath Biddy's wings.
After breakfast grandpa took Biddy /.
from the nest, and there were eleven
downy chicks, and one little fellow who
could only get his head out, aud sat
disconsolately in the bottom of his
shell, blinking his eyes at the world.
"Oh, they are SO lovely!n cried
Louise; "and that little fellow is in his
cradle" and she took him out of the
nest and rocked him in his shell q min.
ute, and then grandpa picked him ont
and put him with Biddy and the others
in Q nice large coop in the yard.
There Louise watched and fed them
every day, and after some time grandpa
opened the coop one day and let Biddy
go to walk with her children.
This was Biddy's hour of triumph.
She marched straight for the kitchen
door, where she saw grandma sitting on
o low stool with her lap full of crumbs.
It was q hard struggle for her to
0 q the chicks up the two steps that
led to the kitchen, and very amusing
to see her try SO hard, but at last Il
was done, and Biddy proudly led her
brood into grandma's lap, and there
they ate until their little crops were
And grandma. looking at the eroup.
said, "Han'some q picture as ever /
saw."-Touth's Companion.
CIRCUMSTANCES may make man. l,u1
nnn MAY iamsk