Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1897-02-12

TraYcr> Wei. come over the fence
and have dish of tea in the summer
house, and Rachel shall come i'll after
wads and make You Il glass OF SOME
thing still ior Il night-cap"
Principally at five o'clock donned
my spruccst attire, and with a smart
flower in my button-hole-gay dog
that | wa,->lippcd over the fence.
Miss RarhclwaS there, looking rs fresh
a. Il spring cabbage with the dew on il,
which | consider Il very pretty smile,
and ~. !.adc me welcome with one OF
her IL aiming smiles. There, too, was
the unlucky parrot i'll lis cage, and
standing just outside the summer
house. | had noticed that it had been
set out to itself as usual on all fine
days, and as far as | could see nothing
had transpircd to make me think
they had any cause to suspect my I'M
position.
| purposcdly sat with my back to it
and avoided taking notice of it in any
way whatever.
Tea went off all right; my old friend
was very CHEEKY and Miss Rachel
showed me great attention. i could
hear Polly rubbing her beak up and
down the wires of the cage, and swing
ing backwards and forwards in the
metal ring.
After the meal Capt. Trayers went
indoors to get his supply of necessaries
for the evening, and, turning to me,
Miss Travers, commenced:
"By-the-by, Capt. Manley, how is
your parrot? have not seen it out
in the garden lately"
felt my heart beating q bit faster,
but with every semblance of outward
calm, said:
"No-the fact is, it's not been at all
we'll; in fact, it's dead"
"Deadw she exclaimed. "Well, /
never. What did it die of"
81 really don't know" l replied.
at died quite suddenly about week
ago"
81 hope our polly isn't going to fol-
low suit" she continued. "She has
been very dull and quiet the last few
days, but seems bit more lively this
evening. l don't think she has
spoken a word all the week"
"Thank goodness l inwardly
calculated.
Things were beginning to look bit
awkward, and cast about for some
thing to change the course of CONVEX
sation. l am not quick thinker,
however, and before could collect
my wits, Miss Traverse continled:
"Dear, dear, to think your. poor
Polly's dead! Well, I am sorry! l
should be sorry to lose you, Polly
DEAR" she said, addressing the parrot.
Bnt really, Capt. Manley," looking
me straight in the face. az can't
make our PollyO ut. Sometimes
could almost believe she was a differ
emit bird She hasn't once seemed
pleased to see me all the week."
felt the blood rapidly rising to my
cheeks and forehead, but 1 trusted to
my tanned complexion for it not to
show. 1 feebly replied: Perhaps
she's moulting."
1t was an unlucky slip. "Well,
now / come to think" said Miss
Travers, al noticed that its tail looked
much paler after its bath the other
morning, and the water was quite
red. Is that sign of moulting?"
eyes, / often used to notice it
about my own parrot"
"But I thought your bird had no
red about it," she pursued
"Confound the woman's persist
ence." thought. but I stammered
az mean-that is to say-you see
I've noticed it in all red parrots
have ever come across. They shouldn't
be bathed at all, it Injuries their
constitution"
ooh! thought you recommended
it," she said.
$50 had, dozens of times. "Only
for the gray Ones" I said, forming a
convenient distinction on the spur of
the moment.
Miss Travers did not seem inclined
to pursue the subject further, much to
my satisfaction, and then there was a
dead pause
During the whole of our conversa-
ton the subject of it 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
I do not know, but at this opportunity
it burst in with "Hi, hill"
l was getting desperate, and could
think of nothing to change the SUBJ
ject: and yet if 1 didn't say some
thing I was terribly afraid the parrot
would.
A bicycle bell sounded down the
road.
care yous&hinking of getting q
bicycle, Miss Traverse" said.
"No, certainly not" she replied !:
chow can you ask such question:"
Another awful pause, during which
l mopped the perspiration from my
brow.
"Ra-Ra-Rachel, / love youp