The Lehi banner. [volume] (Lehi, Utah) 1891-1917, 1898-02-08
at any rate, | must risk it.

wears Il crown, SitiS SOh3~ lNNe' 80 ~
expect. never wore anything harder
than a nightcap, but true as it may be'
compared to the torture OF my nlild'
now launched on q course of duplicity'
1t would I've bed of roses.
Itvns awards the end Of the follow
inc vcs hat | happened TO be outin
the r.i Z asd saw my OLD frisrd comc
ssur.a..~ ao~a he rata of - o"H
yurdca IL La dot-anJ-c&t-T-ore style,
and, rse rae on ,Ac fence, be cried
"Iicl.oa. ca9tain, you're quite a
strarrei WHAT'S been Up? Rachel
has been talking about coming in to in
qnrc about your health, as she was
afraid something must be wrong
eyes. have lecn Bit poorly aaid
I. Oh! how cas.ly the wordsslppcd
out, although had been as right as
ninerence-why that particular sum
should be endued with more rectitude
than its fellows have never been able
to discover-this by the way.
"a bit of cold, perhaps" said Capt.
Travers. swell, come over the fence
and have dish of tea n the summer
house, and Rachel shall come in after.
wards and make you good glass OF
something stiff for night-cap."
Principally at five o'clock donncd
my sprucest attire, and with u smart
flower in my button-hole-gay dog that
/ was--slipped over the fence. Miss
Rachelwas there, looking as fresh as
spring cabbage with the dew on IT,
which l consider very pretty smile,
and she babe me welcome with one of
her beaming smiles. There, too. was
the unlucky parrot in it's cage, aud
standing just outside the summer
house. / had noticed that 1t had been
set out TO sun itself us usual on all fiuc
days, and as far as / could see nothing
had transpred to make me think they
had any cause to suspect my imposition.
purposely 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. / could
hear Polly rubbing her beak up and
down the wires of the cage, and swing
ing backwards and forwards in the
metal ring. ,e,
After the meal Capt. Travers went
indoors to get his supply of necessaries
for the evening, and, turning to me,
Miss Travers commenved:
"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, i said:
"No-the fact is. it's not been at all
well; in fact, it's dead"
"Dead!" she exclaimed. "Well, /
never. What did it die of?'
81 really don't know" l replied. gu
died quite suddenly about a week ago"
Il 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 even
ing. | don't think she has spoken
word all the week."
THANK goodness!''I inwardly ejacu-
lated.
Things were beginning to look bit
dN hNuiNs datt teSO doOuo III
thing to change the course of conversa-
ton. l am not quick thinker, how
ever, and before / could collect my wits,
MISS Travers continued:
Dear, dear, to think your poor Polly's
dead! Well. l am sorry! sould be sorry
to lose you, Polly DEAR" she said adj
dressing the parrot. "But really, Capt
Marley" looking me straight in the
face, II can't make our Pollyout.
Sometimes / could almost believe she
was different bird. She hasn't once
seemed pleased to see me all the week.
felt the blood rapidly rising to my
cheeks and forehead, but trusted to
my tanned complexion for it not to
show. feebly replied: perhaps she's
moulting."
1t was an unlucky slip. well, now
l come to think" said Miss Travers, II
noticed that it's tail looked much palel
after its bath the other morning, and
the water was quite red. Is that
sign of moulting?"
"Yes, often used to notice il about
my own parrot"
"But l thought your bird had no red
about it," she pursued.
"Confound the woman's persistence"
| thought, but stammered: 81 mean
l..