The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1900-07-20

"Sell It," said Mrs. Cluffins peremp-
torily. ITS no good to you, and jim
son would give anything for it al
most"
Mrs. Gannett shook her head. "The
house wouldn't hold my husband IL /
did," she remarked, with a shiver.
"Oh, yes. it wouldp' said Mrs. Cluf-
fins. You do as tell you, and a
much smaller house than this would
hold him. told G. to tell Jimson he
should have it for E5."
"But he mustn't" said her friend in
alarm.
Leave yourself right in my hands,"
said Mrs. Cluffins, spreading out two
small palms and regarding them COM
placently. It'll be all right, promise
YOU"
She put her arm around her friends
waist and led her to the window, talk
ing earnestly. In five minutes Mrs.
Gannett was wavering, in ten she had
given away, and in Is the energetic
Mrs. Cluffins was en- route for jim
sons, swinging the cage so violently in
her excitement that the parrot was re-
duced to holding on to its perch with
claws and bill and could only think.
Mrs. Gannett watched their progress
from the window and with a queer
look on her face sat down to think
out the points of attack and defense In
the approaching fray.
A week later a four wheeler drove
up to the door, and the engineer, dart
ing up stairs three steps at a time,
dropped an armful Of parcels on the
floor and caught his wife in an en-
brace which would have done credit
to bear Mrs. Gannett, for reasons,
of which lack of muscle was only one.
responded less ardently.
"Ha, it's good to be home againw
said Gannett, sinking into an easy
chair and pulling his wife on his knee.
"And how have you been? Lonely"
81 got used to it," said Mrs. Gannett
softly.
The engineer coughed. "You had
the parrot" he remarked.
eyes, had the magic parrot" said
Mrs. Gannett.
"How's it getting on?" said her hus-
band. looking round. "Where is it?"
"Part of it is on the mantelpiece,"
said Mrs. Gannett, trying to speak
calmly. part of it is in bonnet box
up stairs. some of it's in my pocket.
and here is the remainder"
She fumbled in her pocket and placed
in his hand cheap two bladed clasp
knife.
ION the mantelpiece" repeated the
engineer. staring at the knife. "In a
bonnet box?"
"Those blue vases" said his wife.
Mr.. Gannett put his hand to his head.
If he had heard Alright, one parrot had
changed into pair of blue vases, a
bonnet and knife. A magic bird
with vengeance!
81 sold it," said Mrs.. Gannett sud-
denly.
The engineers knee stiffened inhos-
pitably, and his arm dropped from his
wife's waist. She rose quietly and
took chair opposite.
"Sold itp' said Mr.. Gannett in awful
tones. "Sold my parrotw
IL didn't like 1t. Jem," said his wife.
81 didn't want that bird watching me,
and did want the vases and the bon
net and the little present for you"
Mr.. Gannett pitched the little present
to the other end of the room.
''You see, it mightn't have told the
truth, Jem," continued Mrs. Gannett.
''It might have told all sorts of lies
about me and made no end of mis-
chief"
ut couldn't lie," shouted the engi-
neer passionately, rising from his chair
and pacing the room. ITS your guilty
conscience that's made a coward Of
you. How dare you sell my parrot"
Because it wasn't truthful. Jem,"
said his wife. who was somewhat pale.
"If you were half as truthful, you'd
do," vociferated the engineer, stand
ing over her. "You, you deceitful wo-
man."
Mrs. Cannett fumbled In her pocket
again and producing a small handker-
chief applied it delicately to her eyes.
81 got rid of it for your sake," she
stammered. "It used to tell such lies
about you couldn't bear to listen to
it."
"About me?" said Mr.. Gannett, sink
ing into his seat and staring at his
wife with very natural amazement.
'"Tell lies about me? Nonsense. How
could it?"
81 suppose it could tell me about
you as easily as it could you about
me-" said Mrs. Gannett. "There was
more magic In that bird than you
thought. Jem. 1t used to say shock
ing things about you. couldn't bear
It."
'Do you think you're talking to
child or foolT' demanded the engi-
neer hotly.
Mrs. Gannett shook her head feebly.
She still kept the handkerchief to her
eyes, but allowed portion to drop
over her mouth.
al should like to hear some Of the
neer, with bitter sarcasm. "if you can
remember them"
'"The first lie." said Mrs. Gannett in
a feeble but ready voice, "was about
the time you were at Genoa. The par
rot said you were at some concert gar
dens at the upper end of the town."
One moist eye came mildly from be-
hind the handkerchief just In time to
see the engineer stiffen suddenly in his
chair.
''I don't suppose there even is such
a place" she continued.
"I-b'lieve-there-is." said her hus-,
band ierkilY. "T'Ye heard our chans