The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1901-10-24
By Susan Brown Robbins.

dow when the sparrows were having
their breakfast. Suddenly there was
q violent commotion among them. l
looked, and there was George with
sparrow in his mouth.
"Why, Georger l exclaimed in sur
prise, remembering his vegetarian
bringing up. He heard and looked at
me with guilty, appealing expression
on his face.
In spite Of my half-joklng cham
plonship of Passer Domestlcus l did
not like the birds much better than did
Miss Mullen, so l quite approved of
the good work George was dong. What
is more, 1 did my best to keep his Sc
cret, conniving at his guilt. and get
ting Miss Mullen to do something In
another part of the house during the
hour for Georges morning sparrow.
After he had been out a little while
he would come briskly in, sit down in
the sun and wash his face, purrlng
loudly. 1t sometimes happened that
he did not succeed in catching a spar
row, and then he would be cross, the
black imperial giving an added stern
ness to his countenance. 1 think he
appreciated the fact that there was a
secret between us.
One afternoon Miss Mullen had a
caller, gentleman, and induced her
to make him stay to tea. The rest of
the family happened to be away, so
we three sat at the table together. Mr..
Coleman was pleasant man, and as
/ looked at him 1 had feeling that 1
had seen him somewhere before. At
length it dawned upon me that he was
George of the tintype, though he did
not wear an imperial now. My deci-
sion was confirmed when George the
cat came in.
This is my cat, Tommy, Mr.. Cole
man." Miss Mullen said, and she gave
me a defiant look. Several times she
spoke to the cat and called him Tom
my, and l could but admire her abil-
ity to remember his new name. Mr..
Coleman took but little interest in the
cat, but at length he showed Miss Null
len a picture of his dog.
"Oh, she's a smart little dog, Midget
is" he said proudly.
Miss Mullen passed the card to me.
"They always make me think of q
linty dishcloth, poodles do" she said.
ut is very fine photograph" 1
said. 1T must be professional work."
and I turned it over to see the photo
grapher's name. Across the back was
written, 'Flora. Taken Jan. 1S, '9S."
AS l handed the picture back to its
owner his eyes met mine, and his face
said as plainly as If he had spoken,
Don't give me away"
There is some mystery here" told
myself, and the next day said to Miss
Mullen, 1T is funny, don't know
your first name"
1T is Flora" she answered, "and 1
Eever liked It,"
Once, when something was said
about Mr.. Coleman, she blushed q lit
tie, and said, I'VE used to be pretty
good friends, but we had a serious
quarrel, and for years we did not
speak to each other"
For several weeks / went around
-5ith the three secrets--George's Mr..
Coleman's and Miss Mullen's-heavy
on my mind, then one OF them slipped
from me. Miss Mullen saw George
catch a sparrow. shall never forget
the expression on her face, and the
struggle that / could see going on
there-the sorrow and dismay at
Georges crime and the fierce exulta-
ton at the death Of Passer Domesti
Gus.
'Oh, George!" she cried in a low
tone Of remonstrance. 81 am sur
prised at you. What shall do to you?
You ought to be punished, but it would
not do any good" A pause, while her
eyes were full of reproach, then she
said savagely, 1.-THE abominable little
pests ought TO be killed, and if you
don't do anything worse than catch
them | won't say word" In mo.
ment more, with feminine inconsist-
ency, she said pitifully, "Oh, the poor
little birdw
Mr.. Coleman called at our house Of
ten after that first time, and once he
said to me, "NNhen I've been here and
then go home It does seem lonesome
TO nave nobody but dog waiting for
me; though Midget does the best she
knows how, suppose"
Ii was after Miss Mullen found out
Georges secret that she seemed lit
lie troubled and unhappy in Mr.. Cole
mans presence At length, one even
Ing, she spoke out quite abruptly,
You We're right, George, and l was
wrong. A cat cannot be trained not
to catch birds. I've tried it ever so
many times, and now even Tommy
has failed me-" Her eyes were down.
cast and she did not see Mr.. Cole
mans face. l did, and got up quick
ly and left the room.
"And all those things we used to
quarrel over - the English sparrows,
you know, Flora. Well. you was right
and l was wrong" That was all I
heard as l went out and closed tE:
door
1t is year now since Miss Mullen
left us. George and Floral should
say Tommy and Midget-got on har-
moniously. As Tommy stIll INDUCES
in his morning Passer Domestlcus he
can no longer be called vegetarian
cat.--Ncw York Post.
A Commanding Figure.
"Hour friend is a commanding fg-