Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1889-09-26
..Biddy's a miserable worm.n

.'Biddy's miserable worm.
The expression seemed to have Pc
culiar fascination for her, for she said
next week, and always in tone of
bitter self-abasement-
| 1 loved Biddy, and think she was
fonder of me than of any one else. al
though her affection was of an I'M
stable and often treacherous kind,
saying Jamie. jamie. jamie" in the
softest. cooling voice, and in the same
instant giving my fingers an unmerciful
bite or my hair an agonizing pull if
she could; and she never failed to
scream with laughter after one of
these unkind performances.
| Her cage hung out of doors in the
summer time, where she was the de-
| light of children and the terror of
dogs. and where she mimicked every
| huckster and peddler who came near,
| crying his wares.
..Shears to grind! Shears to grindr'
would cry the untidy and desolate
man going by with his tinkling hand
bell and his grindstone on his bent
back. and ''Shears to grind! Shears
to grind!" Biddy would scream, while
the scissors-grinder would stop short
and stare in comical. open-mouthed
| amazement at the saucy birds cage.
had owned Biddy about six months.
and mother said she was "sick and
tired" of having such saucy and use
less creature around. when something
happened to change mothers opinion
of Biddy's usefulness.
Father came home from four
weeks trip bringing with him nearly
three thousand dollars that he had col
lected for the firm by which he was
employed. Most of it had been paid to
him that day. so that he had had no
opportunity of sending it by draft.
It was after dark when he reached
home, the banks and business houses
were closed, so that there was nothing
to do but to bring the money home
with him, and it always made mother
nervous and uneasy to have money in
the house. Father laughed at her
fears.
mo one knows that L have the
money but ourselves" he said. II
would not worry in the least about it
if I were you. I'll lock it up in one of
the dressing-case drawers, and it'll be
all right in the morning"
was almost ten o'clock, and father
was getting ready for bed, when there
came ring to the door, and a mes
senger-boy brought telegram for
father, telling him of the dangerous
illness of his brother, who lived at
Hyde, ten miles distant. and asking
him to come out on the next train.
THE last train for tonight leaves in
twenty-five minutes" he said, as he
ran up stairs and began putting on his
shoes.
In four minutes he was gone, and
mother and 1 were alone.
THAT money! cried mother. as we
listened to fathers fast-receding foot
steps on the stone-pavement. II soish
your father had taken it with him. I
never once thought OF it in the excite
ment and hurry in getting him off. I
shall not sleep moment tonight"
When father was away I always
slept on a lounge in my mothers room.
instead of in my own little room over
the hall at the other end of the house.
! Our one servant slept in an attic room,
| and mother was too timid to be left
| alone in her part of the house.
1 was only twelve years old, but
mother said she felt greater sense Of
security and far less lonely when
1 was near her, and I felt proud of the
confidence she expressed in my ability
to protect her.
| Biddy was given the freedom of my
room at night. Her ladyship's cage
door was left open, the windows and
doors of the room we're closed, and if
Biddy chose to take a little exercise
by promenading around the room she
was at liberty to do so.
She always availed herself of this
privilege. and would go waddling
about screaming:
I'm a lady! I'm the mayors lady!
Ha, ha. ha! the mayors LADY,"
But she always retired to the cross
oar of the cage for the night. I nearly
always found her perched on chair
back or on the head-board of the bed
when / entered the room in the morn
ing. and the only way to get her back
to her cage was to put her breakfast
in it. To all my coaxing and threat
ening she would simply say:
II won't! won't! von'tn'
And she wouldn't. And it was not
always safe for any person but myself
to enter the room.
Once she flew at Jane, our Irish do
1nestic, who came screaming down
stairs with Biddy clinging by her
claws to James skirt and screaming
almost as loudly as Jane herself.
On the night of which I write,
Biddy was in her cage in my room.
When father had gone mother came
to my room to ask me to come and
sleep on the lounge. as usual. and
opened the door of Biddy's cage before
I left the room. that she might enjoy
her promenade when daylight came.
Although mother had said she was
sure she SHOULD not sleep a wink"
heard her breathing in that heavy,
measured way common to sound sleep
ers when awakened a few moments