The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1899-01-11
was light of weight. and could ly over

was light of weight, aud could fly over
anything constructed Of laths.
One day the widow found the hen
busily digging a large hole in the
midst of her pansy bed. Thereupon
in the heat of her anger she gave vent
to dire threats.
''lf / find you over here scratching
again, you, Belinda Blaisdell, ] shall
kill you. Do you hear? You think
wouldn't do 1t, but / just would.
have had to kill hens before now and
didn't like the job, but / almost
think I'd enjoy killing you, you mean
old thing. Now rememberl I'm a
woman of my word and ] shall keep
it, il | have to chase you all the way
home to catch you"
AS she went into the house, she be-
gan TO repent of her threats. 81 sup
pose should hate to kill her." she
soliloquized. "but / said / would aud,
yes, | WILL if she scratches any more,
But I'll keep a close watch of her and
keep her away 81 that | won't have to
do it. And I'll get Abb all to build his
fence higher"
After that Belinda was on Mrs. Mil
lett's mind most of the time. She
was driven home many times day,
and never got n chance to have a good
scratch.
But this thing could not go on for
ever. As cold weather came ON,
and the frost had taken most of her
flowers, Mrs. Milletts vigilance began
to relax, and one day Belinda came
over and found nice sunny place in
grassy banking, where she scratched
aud busted to her hearts content for
half an hour before she was dis.
covered.
There she lay her feathers full of
dirt aud her eyes blinking sleepily,
when Mrs. Nlillett came along ana saw
her.
The widow pounced upon her, but
Belinda was too quick for her. There
upon began a chase which only ended
in the middle house, which Belenda
had always used for y dining room
aud living room.
The next day there was news for
the gossips. Abijah Blaisdell had lost
his hen.
"You see, | was away from home all
day." he said, "and didn't get home
till dark. But I'd left feed enough for
Belinda's dinner and supper, so
didn't worry about her. | went out and
| shut the door of the third house, be-
cause | supposed she'd gone to bed,
| but ! didn't look in, as | was in Il
hurry to get to my supper.
"Well, this morning / went to let
her out, and she didn't come. The
house was empty. The other two
houses were empty, too, but in the
second one there were some feathers.
Now, lsupposc for some reason he took
a notion to sleep in the second house,
aud as l didn't shut that, some var.
mint got in aud caught her. : was n
fox most likely"
For day or two Abijah was low
spirited, but he was of philosophical
mind, and he decided to make the best
of it, so he began to tear down the
henhouses, as there was no further
use for them.
1t was the fourth day after Belinda S
disappearance that Abijah went to do
some whitewashing for Mrs. Millett
"You'd better stay to dinner" she
had said, "then you can work longer, "
and Abiiah had agreed.
The widow was up early that morn
ing and had her dinner started be-
times. Only few minutes before
Abijah came she removed the cover
Of kettle which was singing on the
stove and looked in anxiousiy.
II expect you'd a-been as tough as
billed owl if | hadn't kept you SO
long" she said. ''As it is. guess
you'd better boil pretty steady till
noon"
Abijah worked busily and cheer
fully, and as the savory smells from
the kitchen came to him, his spirits
rose and he whistled his favorite
tunes.
When dinner was announced he
dropped his brush instantly and came
without delay.
He enjoyed his dinner immensely,
and as he took second helping of the
central dish he said, looking across at
the widow
'I believe this is the best chicken
pie / ever ate"
"Tm glad you like it, "she answered,
and he noticed that she blushed at his
compliment.
They say that the way to mans
heart is through his stomach. If this
is true, that chicken pie must have
been the entering wedge in the case
of Abiiah Blaisdell.
Be this as it may, he and the widow
were married last June. Boston
Herald.
Dog stops IA Eunnwav