The Savannah morning news., 1902-11-04

Il iOhA <tlCAdIlutI DldNh = NEW NOVEL,
Richard Gordon"
Mr.. Gordon" said Mrs. Cornish on
the following morning, as Richard and
Mrs. Seckley sat at breakfast. did I
ever tell you the story of the blue
hemp
Il don't think you ever did, Mrs. Cor
rish."
The old nurse stood near the door
with an empty tray in her hand. She
was enjoying her first relaxation from
the strain of her bedside vigils.
Shrewdly silent or briefly CHEEKY in the
sick-room, she was never laxative I'M
til danger points were passed. Then,
Theoretically, she permitted herself to
reflect an easy mind. In the present
instance it is probable that she was in
some degree actuated by a feeling that
the man of the house needed a lift.
Seeing them eggs makes me think
of 1t" pursued Mrs. Cornish. 81 call it
the blue hen because II certainly
wasn't any other color in the world.
and ii did have a blush cast when
you saw it in the sun. Well. when we
was in Brooklyn--this was before my
second husband died-we used to keep
hens. You can keep hens in Brooklyn.
The yards are bigger"
Il see," said Richard. A..
We'll. as l say, we had a few hens
eight at one time. And there was this
blue hen / speak of, which all of q
sudden seemed to stop laying. | couldn't
make it out. / think 1t was three
weeks before 1 discovered what the
matter was. You see we was next
door to a wood yard-a sort of charity
wood yard where poor wretches could
go and get a days work, and sawed
wood, and was paid at the end of each
day. My understanding was that they
got paid by the piece. 1t was god
send to many a poor family. Well,
now. do you know, there was a hole in
the fence, and that peculiar blue hen
used to go through the hole every day
and lay her egg in a certain shady
corner of the shed. under a beam. I'm
telling you now what found out after.
OF course when I discovered about the
hole closed ii up. Now, do you know
Il got the whole circumstances from
an Irishman named Brodie, who used
to saw about six sticks a day, to my
knowledge, and must have earned about
twenty cents-do you know, those shift
less, unfortunate creatures learned the
trick of the hen. They watched her,
was through with it,"
Mrs. Seckley coughed and took
definite gulp of coffee.
zone morning there was row about
the egg, and the manager of the yard
had to interfere to save the peace. In
fact l think there was a blow struck,
or some roughness, at all events. So il
came, would you believe me, that those
hungry rascals figured out the times
Of the hen-that she laid somewhere
between ten and twelve in the morn
ing, sometimes at one hour and some
times at another. but always in those
limits. you understand. There was all
ways eight or nine of the men. and
they drew lots for the quarter hours,
and they took their chances. shifting
the timetable, as you might say, every
week or SCAT least that's what they
started out to do until l spoiled the
plan. You see. If the egg was laid in
the first fifteen minutes of the first
hour 1t went to the first man: any,
where In the second fifteen minutes to
the second man, and so on. The ninth
man, II there was one that day, had to
be satisfied with the chance of it's being
laid after ~ O'clock"
Richard paused with his breakfast.
Mrs. Cornish may have suspected a
shade Of incredulity for at this point
she interJected, ut sounds like a joke,
but it's as true as I'm standing here"
ut was very ingenious" commented
Richard.
We'll. this went on, as I say, each
man taking the egg as the thing hap
pened, and Brodie told me Il was a sur
prising matter how the eggs somehow
was distributed over them two hours.
There was still some disturbance now
and then, and twice, at all events, they
had to get the manager, who had a
watch, to come out and stand by when
1t was going to be close, you know"
Mrs. Seckley coughed again.
But ! must tell you how came TO
find out everything One morning, you
] missed the blue hen. I
wasn't suspecting anything, but had
been watching her now and then, be-
cause l was puzzled to know what
could be amiss with her And when I
went to the fence heard a notes.-the
voice of this Brodie man, a man with
a brogue you wouldn't look TO find out
side the old country. / couldn't see his
head until looked down and spied rim
over the blue hen, who some
how never moved for him. Me darlint,'
he was saying - can't give
his brought - couldn't you hurry
with that business of yours this
morning. Sure. know he says. that
/ haven't had one Of your superior
eggs for eight mortal days. and me
this mornin' than I've been
for eight mortal years You wouldn't
believe 1t, but / saw him put his hand
on the back Of the hen. and stroke her
Ike you might cat. and croonin' very
soft TO her. as you might TO a baby.
'Darlint.' he says, wouldn't you con-
s'der bit? If you put II off much
longer that blackguard Of a Dutchman,
that niver raised a chick--divvie a hen