Middletown transcript., 1902-11-01


but you couldn't get it, Mr.. Osbornel
No, no, it wouldn't do at all, You might
bring on war-or something. It's 8
sacred stork, you know"
81 shouldn't steal the bird, - Osborne
said. "Besides, even il it is sacred, its
keepers are probably secular enough.
Which one would you like? / suppose
they're all here"
"Oh, OF course / should like the high
priests stork best. But really, you must
not think any more about it. I am 80
sorry l spoke of it.
Osborne did not reply. The more he
thought about the sacred stork, the more
he wanted it for Evelyn. The old days
of rout and tourney were over. These
piping times of peace we're very comfort.
able, but in the first flush of his new
emotion, this modern lover felt that be
would cheerfully turn the clock back two
or three centuries, if he could, and trans.
form himself into an armored knight
ready for any feat of arms in the service
of his lady.
In the undertaking which Evelyn, by
the mere expression Of q wish, had sug.
gested, there might not be anything
difficult or dangerous perhaps, still it ap'
pealed 10 Osborne. The first thing to dc
would be to secure a reliable interpreter;
for although, after the manner OF tourists,
be had derived something from pains.
taking study of the curious little book Of
such sentences as please you to sit for
the table," ''To stint not for TO eat your
self FULL" and Behold this venerable
the uncle of unworthy my's father" in
parallel columns of French, English and
Japanese, the volume had nothing to say
about Amada or his fowls.
Osborne was quite gay, as having given
Evelyn into her brothers care and
watched her from the wharf until she
dwindled into pink and white speck in
the distance, as the tender puffed noisily
back to the Benedicts' yacht, he turned
his steps towards the narrow street along
the water front.
That night, three figures might have
been seen stealing cautiously along a
shaded path in the temble grounds. AS
they came from out the gloom of cam
phor tree into the blazing moonlight, two
of them hugged OsborUe's shadow, NOV.
ing more noiselessly-Osborne's interpre-
ter and the most secular of the keepers Of
Amada's sacred storks.
"Bother that moon," Osborne ex.
claimed under his breath.
"Eh?" interrogated the keeper of the
interpreter.
"Our munifcent patron would hide
himself from the envy of the heavens, I"
explained the interpreter.
"Tell him that the great Amada smiles
at his zeal, !" the keepe: suggested suavely.
The three were nearing the enclosure
where the storks we're kept. When they
reached the netting, the keeper advanced
and gabbled softly.
"That strikes me as rather slow way
when one is pressed for time" Osborne
said. "Why don't you go in and shoe
them out?"
"Shoo sacred stork?" the interpreter
cried aghast. "Impossiblep'
'Not at all" said Osborne, and before
the astonished Japanese could utter
protest, he leaped over the netting. The
birds set up clatter and ran around the
enclosure, Tapping their wings.
''Cateh it, catch itP' Osborne cried,
racing about the pen and beating the air
wildly with his arms.
"But not that one!' the interpreter ex-
for Osborne was in pursuit of a
stork distinctly superior to its fellows
keen-eyed, clean-plumaged, tall and agile.
'That is the king Of the storks, the high
priests bird-great Amada's-"
''Great Amada nothing" Osborne re-
turned briefly, dropping unconsciously
into his Gotham yernacular, and grabbing
the. bird by the leg. 81 was to have my
choice. I choose this. If you can't let
me have it, l do not want any of the
FOWLS"
The interpreter turned to the keeper
and an animated colloquy in Japanese
followed. Then the interpreter addressed
Osborne grayely:
''That the bird may carry to the men
Of foreign land and an alien faith
Amada's glad tidings, and turn some from
the error of their ways, the concession is |
made, although, if the priest" The
interpreter paused expressively, shiver-
Ing and opening and closing his palms |
with shrug. "But the cost to the in
trepid and energetic harbinger OF new
hope-Amada's herald, divinely COM
missioned-will exceed by twenty sover-
eigns in English gold the amount first
agreed upon"
''How muchp' said Osborne, drawing
purse from his pocket.
''Sixty sovereigns."
The money was transferred from Os.
borne to the interpreter and from the in
terpreter to the keeper. Tie birds legs
vera tied, and squaking and quacking, it
was dropped into strong canvas sack.
"Fly! we are discovered! The high
priest! Fly, fy"
1t was the interpreter who raised the
alarm, ju, as Osborne was about to throw
The sack over his shoulder. The two
Japanese, tucking up their skirts, made a |
lash for the shelter of some trees.
Osborne stood moment irresolute.
81 am no Bird" he said to himself, |
'but flying seems to be in order. Per-
maps I'd better try it," and suiting the
action to the word. he too took to his |
heels, the bird in the bag over his shoul-
Ter protesting valorously at every step. |
Reaching the wharf, he surrendered his
prize to the Spindrift's steward, who was
waiting with the tender to take the stork
,ack to the yacht.
An hour later, in remote quarter of
%ba lyaar1av nrI |