The Lebanon express. (Lebanon, Linn County, Or.) 1887-1898, 1897-02-18

''sr n my hutton-holtA-gay dog thu
| ysss-.-slippsd ever the fence. Mis-
.aciieiwns tsera, looking rs fresh 1
! sFfiag ca5hase with the dew on Il
AaicA cpuslder very pretty sim.i,
ad she l4sie me weiconie with one o
sr aean.ing smiles. There, too. wa
| & W,lGeky parrot in its cage, aut
| peng Just outside the summer
ssc. / Lad noticed that 1t had hcei
| Il out 10 sun itself us usual on all iin
days, and as for Us could see nothini
had transnired 10 make me think the,
had any cause to sfssact my imposition
purposcly yat wlth MY back 10 Il
and avoided taking notice of 1t il IN,
Way wliGaneE.
Tea wsat uif all right; niy Oh fl'ta.
was Negv caeery and MSS n. {
aaawsa me Regt attention. ! cca1
hear s,bbii, her hcak a4 u
deayls iae y,:cs pf the cgse HID s@.
Ig backwards and forwards III IL,
metal ring
.lt.gr tia moal Capt. 1'ravers ,gtr
u'lnafs t li's snppig VI hece&a II
ar she ase,lpg, and, turning to III
asiss stgia lainmcnyyd.
Y lAise. Cas.t. MaaIey, how
ycug I haye not seen it cut 81
the g@Rlen ta,eyr
l fel, IFS heart heating a bit faster
bat NstA etcrv semblance of outwar
calm, said.
'tNu- Yer iact is. it's not been at all
we'll. D fact, it's dead"
las eXclain "Wen,
never. i.Aas did il die OFF,
4 raa'!g nj lllov.' replied. 81,
died g';ls uilasnlv q Tout Il week aro. .
q hare en Poll isu't goiag to II
low s,,5s, ID continued. she has beer
very dun ana quioi she Lass few days,
brt seems e Sit more lively this even.
ing. | don't think She has spoken a
word all the week"
''ThanA gootineas,''I inwardly eiacu-
lated.
Things were beginning to look bit
awkward, atd ] east about for some
thing 70 chanse the course OF conversa-
ttoI. am not i qniek thinker. hoW
eFer, ar,jieiere | caaid collect my wits,
Mss IFagers cont auet:
''Dear. dear, to think your poor Polly's
dead We'll. | ani sorry. / sould be sorry
to lose you. Polly dear" she said, adj.
G7cssing the parrot. But really, Cart.
Morley locking me straight in the
gess, 4 can't make our poIlyout
Sometimes ] could almost believe she
was u different bird, She hasn't once
seemed pleased 10 see me all the week. !"
j felt the blood rapidly rising to nv
checks aud forehead, but / trusted TO
MY tanned complexion for it not 10
show. ] feehly replied: Perhaps she's
moulting.7
Il was an unluGky slip. well, now
! come to think" said Miss Travers, Il
noticed that its taillooked much palel
after its bath the other morning, and
the water was quite red. Is that u
sign of moultinggr
''Yes, / often used to notice it about
my own parrot,
''Bu; ] thought your bird had no red
about il" she pursued
'.Confound the woman persistence.
] thought, but | Istammered: Il mean
that is 10 say-you see-I've noticed il
in all red parrots have ever come
across. They shouldn't be bathed ut
all, it injuries their constitution
"0h. thought you recommended it"
she said.
So had, dozens of times. Only for
the gray ones,'I said, forming con-
venient distinction on the spur of the
moment.
Miss Trayers did not seem inclined to
pursue the subject further, much to
my satisfaction, and then there was
dead pause.
During the whole Of our converse
tion the subject of ii had not ceased
to continue its antics in the wire cage.
Whether it was the sound of my voice
that caused it to be thus excited do
not know, but at this opportunity ii
burst in with Eli, hi"
] was getting desperate, and could
think Of nothing to change the subject;
and yet if ! didn't say something
was terribly afraid the parrot would.
A bicycle bell sounded down the
road.
Are you thinking Of getting q BIZ
cycle, Miss Trayers?r | said.
"No, certainly not she replied;
slow can you ask such question:"
Another awful pause, during which
! mopped the perspiration from my
brow.
"Ra-Rar Rachel, i love you'll" came
in clear tones from behind my back.
The wretched bird had caught the ex-
act tone Of my voice.
Capt. Manley! Siri" said Miss Tray-i
ers, raising herself 10 her full five feet
one and one-half inches. did you ad-
dress that remark to me, sir?''
had, however. utterly collapsed, and |
burying my head in my hands. / leaned |
down on the little round table. WIheth- |
er the sight Of the poor old ship in dis
tress touched her tender heart don't /
know, but she added, in softer tones: