Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1890-10-11
ONE GENT

/
berry, said good Mr. Green, clearing
his throat with an expression of door
die coming into his face. "I-we, ahl
heml have coughl Please excuse
me. The fact is my dear lady, you
your neighbors have heard some very
distressing mysterious sounds - heml
really, must have taken severe cold.
Let me get you some wine, said
Mrs Mayberry, "No9 Well, you were
saying my neighbors have heard dis
tressing mysterious sounds.
"Yes, and we have come Toto
madam is your husband at home 2" cried
the minister, breaking down all at once
before Mrs Mayberry's innocent gaze.
the cold perspiration trickling down his
kindly old face.
No, sir, he is out, as told you, fish,
ing and hunting.
"Then TO whom, my child, were you
addressing those frantic prayers not to
strike your"
The little woman cast one weak, help
| less look at the trio, made one futile
struggle to control herself, and gave
way to peal after peal of irrepressible
laughter. A fearful thought passed into
the minds of the minister and the
deacons-the cruelties of her husband,
and the humiliating knowledge that the
secret she had so striven to keep from
the world was one no longer had driven
her mad. They gazed at her sorrow
fully, till at last the pretty lunatic re-
covered herself sufficiently to say,
"Come with me, gentlemen" and to
to lead the way to the little conservatory
at the back of the house.
She paused before the door and held
up her finger, and presently they heard
voice within crying: "Oh, oh, ohl
am your true and faithful wifel Don't.
don't strike! Oh, oh, ohl" What did it
mean? The tone was very much like
what hers would have been in anguish
or fear, though there was certain hard
ness and want of intonation about it. at
first hardly noticeable, but plain to be
heard, that her voice could never be
capable of.
When they had listened for moment
she flung open the door and motioDed to
them to step in They did so, glancing
about the plant filed, flower gay little
room, in the center of which stood a
wooden painted stand, from which hung,
head downward, green parrot IL am
your loving faithful wifel" shrieled
Polly. Then in a mild conversational
tone, rather startling change from her
tragic speech, la, la, Peter, what a
tease you arel" Then suddenly righting
herself, with blood curdling YELL Bad
cess to ye, now, for a haythen Chineel"
And once more back again TO her moan
ing, "Oh, have mercyl have mercyl
Spare me, for / am defenseless and
womanl"
"Look, gentlemen, said Mrs. May
berry, "there is the one who makes those
frantic appeals for mercy. A friend of
ours in the city wrote play, and we
got up company of amateurs and per-
formed it for some charitable purpose.
was very much interested, and prac-
ticed so indefatigahly my part that
Frank threatened TO desert me. and Polly
caught it, too. But in spite of my try
ing so hard, forgot and left out ever so
much Of it when the thing finally came
off. We've tried to break Polly OF re-
peating what she learned, but every now
and then she will begin on it, and when
she does shut her up in here.
Then, as her glance wandered out into
the grounds, "Yonder comes Frank now.
He can reach the river by a short cut,
by climbing our back fence, so he usually
goes that way. Won't you wait to see
him?" They would not, but hurried
away as sheepish a looking party as you
ever saw, apologizing over and over, in
a very incoherent way, to which the
smiling little woman, who bowed them
out, kept repeating:
1T was a most natural mistake. They
say parrots always catch the very tones
of the voice of those with whom they
are associated The story was too good
to be kept from Frank, who, though he
laughed heartily at it, yet could not help
feeling little annoyed, but his wife
said: "Now, dear, as / told them. it was
a natural mistake, and we would have
thought the same in their places.
~Well, perhaps we would, answered
Mr. Mayberry, who was after all one of
the kindest Of husbands and most good
natured of men. And thus ended the
great sensation Of Pryville, and so in
fatuated was Mr.. and Mrs. Mayberry
with the place, and the place with them,
when the summer ended that the crowd
of admiring friends who saw them off
for their city home, heard them say as
the conductor shouted @All aboard, /
think well have to come back next sum-
mer. Dora
"Yes, indeed, Frank, and bring Polly,
a. L.
The Pulpit and the Stage.