The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1902-03-14

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room and drawing room occupied the
center, the bed rooms were on each
side, and the whole was surrounded by
a verandah carpeted with cor mating
and supported on wooden columns, to
which elk horns were nailed as stick
racks. From the beams Of the veran-
dah were suspended jars containing
calladums and other foliage plants,
and here and there stood tall china
Jars of scarlet shoeflowers, white gar
denias and roses.
In front of the bungalow there was
a circular carriage drive enclosing a
very pretty garden; and on the left
was the shrubbery, then space planted
with tall guinea grass for the horses,
and lastly the compound.
The verandah was our favorite haunt
when the heat of the day was over,
and the tatties, or blinds of split cane,
were drawn ap. And here We gath
cred one evening about half-past five,
the lamps being lighted, but not yet
turned up. Tea was upon the table,
and the barefooted servant-a white
bearded old fellow, dressed in jacket
and a petticoat, and with his hair fast.
ened in a bunch behind, and huge
comb stuck on the top of his head
was lowering about, bringing in fruit
and other edibles. Tom and | were
trying to keep the mosquitoes at bay
hy cheroots, but it was such hard work
that little iced claret cup was abso-
lutely necessary every now and again.
The ladies were admirng the blue
woodpeckers, and the black and yellow
orioles fitting in the jack fruit trees
in the garden, and Jack, seated upon
a cheetahskin, was playing with a
rascally looking bull dog.
But suddenly we were startled by
the most CHASTITY noise that l ever
heard in all my life. If Il fiend bad to
die by sIrangulation, l should say that
his cries would be something like it,
but they could not be more unearthly.
Had it not been for a fact at which |
have already hinted, l am quite sure
that nv hair would have been stand
ing on end 1t made the building
whimpcr, and the impudent house
lizards, which an instant before had
been crying, "Chtck- oh! Check-oh!' all
over the place, crouched in the shad-
ows and became as dumb as mice
But the momentary silence was
broken hy slight scream from poor
timid Amy and loud laugh from Tom.
Its one of those diabolical devil
BIRDS" he said, rather pleonastically.
"And a very suitable name," 1
added, with a sigh of relief. eff there
are many of them about don't think
| should care to live at Ceylon."
Tom laughed again. Ask the SER
want there" he said "He will tell
you all about 1t.
"The Slngalese have superstition
that it forbodes DEATH put in his wife
gravely. "Of course l don't believe it
myself, but it always makes me feel
very nervous. Amy, my poor child,
there is nothing to be afraid of. l
wish
"Oh! please shoot the devil-bird,"
interrupted Mrs. Mornington, clasping
her small white hands in an attitude
of entreaty. Oh! do-do-do, Mr..
Harter"
why, Fanny" ! asked, looking in
astonishment at this bloodthlrsty
young woman. When any members
of her sex are present it is fortunately
not necessary to say much to keep the
conversation going.
because | should like to have the
bird prophesy its own death and not
any misfortune to us. And then Amy
is so silly-aren't you, dear?-and |
want her to give up believing in super
stiton and nonsense"
But how
"Why, show her the dead bird and
put it in front of her and make her
handle it, Oh! you don't know how
brave one becomes when one learns
that there is nothing to fear"
An exceedingly dangerous expert
ment," | remarked.
What deplorably foolish creatures
men are!" exclaimed Mrs. Mornington,
shaking her finger at me in a way that
made me feel quite ashamed of myself.
NO wonder they are turning them
out OF the school-boards in England
and pntting in women instead. Dear
me, | can make it palmer to you than
that team of white bullocks coming up
the road, when | was a child, | lived
with an old aun. in drowsy old sea-
port town which was infested with rats.
They used the drains for thorougLfares
from the harbor to the different houses,
they invaded the kitchens and ran
sacked the larders, and was, oh, SO
frightened of them. Ill soon cure
you of all that nonsense, Fanny" said
my aunt, who was strong-minded
spinster. SO she laid down traps all
over the house and made me take out
the dead rats with my very own hands
just think of my terror at first! But
afterwards | got SO accustomed to
handling them that would have dared