Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1889-09-19

Hillstone the next day at dinner. there
being a collection of her warm
friends present, i am very much
obliged to you for your 'andsome par
rot, but l didn't want you to make me
SO valuable present"
20. my dear Mrs. Hillstone," said /,
availing myself of this opening dex-
trously. Il am sure twenty pounds is
nothing when one gives any thing to
an esteemed friend like you"
Twenty pounds for a parrot! 10y
wordr' said young Ruggle of the
Poultry. II say, Dynley, thought no
one but you would run to that figure
for bird. Amt that what you gave
for yours?"
Mr.. Dynley, an inoffensive and hem
pecked man whom l knew little of,
muttered something inaudible and
blushed. while Mrs. Hillstone, to my
great delight, took up the dialogue.
Il dare say you wouldn't spend
your money so foolishly on any friend,
Mr.. Ruggle. l shouldn't think 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 very ticklish
subject, for 1 had my suspicious, and
they were soon changed to certainty
Where does Mr.. Dynley live?" l
asked of my neighbor, a prettyish in
sipid girl. who went regularly to the
museum to copy casts.
"In Russell square. Mrs. Dynley is
a 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 much smaller proportion of
fools who would give twenty pounds
for one. 1t might not be the same. but
l shrewdly surmised it was. But after
all, who was to know any thing? Only
l 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 E,
kut after asserting L 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 l heard Mrs. Dynley,
who had masculine voice. well assOrt-
ing with the rule she exercised over
Der husband, asserting that her parrot,
sent her by a friend, who was an
amateur fancier q breathed freely
again), was a wonderful bird. To
whom Mrs. Hillstone replied, smiling
broadly:
"Ah! my poor Polly is as charming
its a famous bird-and l shall al
ways thank Mr.. Philton for having
given it to me. Yates. bring it in
yates was a 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 good deal farther
| West, so that the assembled company
we're in leisurely and appreciative
mood. Young Ruggle smiled sarcas-
t1cally when Mrs. Hillstone wasn't
looking, and Alice saw him and flashed
enc scornful glance at him which much
delighted me. For had 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 L.
! 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 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.
|
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
dent intention of biting as uncompromis-
ingly as she could. Poor Polly" re-
peated the old lady caressiugly, 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
ly, while Dynley himself drank his port
surreptitiously, glad that his wife's
eyes were of him for the time and on
his hostess.
Where did you buy this bird, Mr..
Philton?" said the lady to me.
l hesitated, but made a virtue of
boldness: From an old acquaintance
of mine," said; she is a splendid lin
guist."
just now she seems to think silence
is golden" said Mrs. Dynley, with a
litter. And the parrot gave a screech
that set all ones nerves on edge, and
called out, IN warm yer!' phrase,
1 suppose. picked up from the mater
nal endearments of her former locality.
| ".
Poor Polly" as Mrs. Hillstone al
fectionately called her, did not for
some days add any thing to the vulgar