The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1889-09-21


being u collection OF her warm
friends present, Il am very much
obliged to you for your 'andsome par
rot, but / didn't want you to make me
SO valuable present."
20, my dear Mrs. Hillstone," said 1,
availing myself Of this opening dex-
trously, II am sure twenty pounds is
nothing when one gives any thing to
an esteemed friend like you"
Twenty pounds for a parrot. my
wordF' said young Ruggle of the
Poultry 81 say, Dynley, thought no
one but you would run to that figure
for bird. Amt that what you gave
for yoursP"
Mr.. Dynley, an inoffensive and hen
pecked man whom l knew little of,
muttered something inaudible and
blushed, while Mrs. Hillstone to my
great delight, took up the dialogue.
81 dare say you wouldn't spend
your money so foolishly on any friend,
Mr.. Ruggle. shouldn't thinl, that at
all likely" she said, incisively, and for
once [ felt grateful for her Madame
Angot style of emphasis, for young
Ruggle was effectually snubbed. But
hang him, he had hit on avery ticlxlish
subject for L had my suspicious, and
they were soon changed to certainty.
Where does Mr.. Dynley live?"
asked of my neighbor, a prettyish in
sipid girl, who went regularly TO the
museum to copy casts.
"In Russell square. Mrs. Dynloy is
great friend Of ours" she answered,
she is so fond of birds"
just what thought! Russell square
that truculent bird fancier had said.
OF course there are more parrots than
one, but q much smaller proportion of
| fools who would give twenty pounds
for one. 1t might not be the same, but
shrewdly surmised it was. But after
all, who was to know any thingP Only
| remembered with some misgivings
that my fair Alice had most abnormal
attachment to candor, and had over
and over again apropos des bottles
declared she could forgive any thing
rather than deceit. My little stratagem
of course did not deserve that name,
but after asserting had paid twenty
pounds for specific bird of the first
water, it would certainly be most an
noying if it turned out by any mishap
that the real transaction came to light.
At this moment | heard Mrs. Dynley,
who had masculine voice, well assort-
ing with the rule she exercised over
her husband, asserting that her parrot,
sent her by friend, who was an
amateur fancier Q breathed freely
again), was wonderful bird. To
whom Mrs. Hillstone replied, smiling
broadly:
"Ah! my poor Polly is as charming
its famous bird-and / shall al
ways thank Mr.. Philton for having
given it to me. Yates. bring it in"
yates was page of preternatural
precocity, and much trusted by the old
LADY,, ''and let us hear it talk"
We were in the dessert stage now,
and the wine, must say, was really |
very superior to that a good deal farther
West, so that the assembled company |
were in a leisurely and appreciative
mood. Young Ruggle smiled sarcas-
tically when Mrs. Hillstone wasn't |
looking, and Alice saw him and flashed |
one scornful glance at him which much
delighted me. For | had a sort of a
notion that he had an idea of trying to |
win that exquisite girl, and he was GER |
tainly richer (and well he might be,
grubbing over some business about |
sugar from morn till nightly than 1. |
His chief diversion was foot ball, a
rough, laundering pursuit which l alb
horred, as mine was billiards, when |
a pool of fellows with few sovereigns
about them can be made. But this is a di-
gression, only / mention it to show how
very antipathetic we were, for he had
a blunt style of conversation which he
called "honesty," as he called diplom-
acy ''trickery," so that we loved each
other like couple of rival terriers.
In marched Yates, the big cage in
his hand, which he placed near his
mistress chair. "Poor Polly" said
Mrs. H. soothingly, running her finger
over the wires, which Polly with great
agility made spring at, with the evil
of biting as uncompromis-
Ingly as she could. Poor Polly" re-
peated the old lady caressingly, while
Polly sat with glittering eyes fixed on
her, but deigned no response. ''She does
not seem very loquacious, was heard
in Mrs. Dynley's contralto tones. Alice
looked vexed, and Mrs. Hillstone
looked at Mrs. Dynley somewhat acid
y, while Dynley himself drank his port
glad that his wife's
eyes were Off him for the time and on
MS hostess.
"Where did you buy this bird, Mr..
PhiltonP" said the lady to me.
/ hesitated, but made virtue of
ooldness: "From an old acquaintance
,f mine," i said; she is a splendid lin
yuist."
"Just now she seems to think silence
s golden" said Mrs. Dynley, with a
litter. And the parrot gave IL screech
hat set all ones nerves on edge, and
,alled out, 'Ill warm yer!" a phrase,
suppose, picked up from the mater
,al endearments of her former locality. :
".
Poor Polly" as Mrs. Hillstone af-
ectionately called her, did not for
iome days add any thing to the vulgar
,emarlf which is lust chronicled, and