The Bourbon news. [volume] (Paris, Ky.) 1895-19??, 1903-06-12
ONLY A FEATHER.
BY EDWARD B. CLARK.

Mrs. Schuyler Ledyard to her friend, Mrs.
George Ganzevoort, '.that Philip has money,
or. rather, will have it when he's year
older and comes into his fathers estate
He certainly never would earn anything at
the profession which he has adopted Think
of it, Mrs. GanzevooEt, he's nothing but
naturalist, and he says he's proud OF 1t.
He goes incoming Through the fields every
: day ogIing birds with an opera glass and
catching tadpoles in a tin cup. II r ~. =.
: 81 cried my eyes out because he wouldn, t
be lawyer or something useful. But IL
was mo- use. He kissed me: laughed at3me,
and said that the only.possble interest ne
could take in lawyers was in their capacity
as .leeches, and then they might make IN
! teresting Study Mercy che boy viii come
: into s., 000,0 900 in year, and while he knows
lot about everything, he likes to, talk
about nothing but tree toads and titfn1ce.
f'Oh, yes, L Know, Mrs! Ganzevoort, ne IS
awfully good and sweet tome, and all that
but you haven't heard the worst. He's been
digging ferns and scraping off Hchens for
a month with Mary Martin. Mary is
perfectly proper and very pretty girl, L
know, but mercy me, her. fathers the VII
lage carpenter, and suppose Philip should
fall in love with her?
"Well, he must obey me for another year,
at any rate, and I'm going to send him,
away tomorrow to cure him of his infatu-.
alton. You know l had set my heart on
his marrying Josephine Battels. She has
blood and money. Philip has only seen her
once or twice, but / think he was taken
nightly with her appearance for she is
striking-looking girl, you know, black hair,
red lips and superb eyes. think Philip
got a little angry with her once when he
gave her leafet that some bird society
published, and she read it and said it was
sentimental nonsense. 1t had something
about feather wearing and cruelty IN 1T.
, So it was that Philip Ledyard found him.
self sentenced by his mother toa years
Punishment. He was a fine.looking fellow,
just out of college, athletic, given to tramp
ing the fields and to looking at every form
of nature with sympathetic eyes. Asa child
he had played. with Mary Martin, because,
in childhood, especially in village life, ranks
are leveled. r .a3 So; ~ .1a<-
Philip Ledyard, back from college with
mans heart and to- some extent with
mans head, did admire pretty Mary Mar
tin. He thought his heart was still we'll
within his own keeping, but when he heard
his mothers ediet of exile, and his thoughts
turned to little cottage in the lane lead
ing to Bobolink Meadow, he was not quite
so certain. i'''- S,'-'-
Philip Ledyard told Mary that he was
going away for year. Mary said good-by
to. him, with eyes clear and with .un-
trembling voice, but tears fell that night in
an upper room in the carpenters cot. q r.
Philip Ledyard went to southern fields.
He studied botany and ornithology in out
Of.fha-rrau Mo1iaon T1ooos and finally
joined party of observers, sent out,by the
government biological survey, with instrqc-
tions to get data about the flora and fauna
of Florida 'it53i-.tsssf % d ''F .
One day the little company threaded its
way through apart of the. Florida ever
glades. The members, had heard that about
five miles from their camp there was nest
ing colony of scarlet ibisee. The scarlet
ibis is rare enough bird in the United
States to make the fact of its nesting one
of scientific interest. The government OBJ
servers were determined to get details ,of
the nesting habits, the size of the colony,
and some other data for Smithsonian in
stitution use. When they had reached a.
place near which they supposed the nest
ing colony to be, they heardi the reports
of guns. plume hunters after the ibises,"
said Philip Ledyard's friend l---'-
i "They are butchers" said Philip. s'IIet's
push on, and see if we, can't stop their devil
ISL work" l,,, et+....
! They broke through the tangled barriers
of the swamp and came upon the scene
Heaps of beautiful scarlet Great lures, with
their feathers dyed bit deeper thansthehGe.
of nature in places where shot had done its
cruel work were scattered about in the open
forest glade. The slayers had finished their
work, The last mother bird lingering in
the hopeless defense of its nestlings had just
+ fallen stricken to the ground The air
was filed with the cries of sthe young in
their nests. s,.7ag .....f.-4
Ledyard, with no attempt to conceal his
anger and loathing, asked one of the hui
man brutes how he could do such work.
cit pays, mister. Ask the women folks;
they wear EN-" ae aa .,s
Ledyard turned away. His friend said:
"Phfl the man spoke truly The women
wear them, and they know about this cruel
ty, for it's been published broadcast The
scarlet ibis brings more money than the
white egret, because it is 'scarcer. This is
the first colony ever& in Florida: Hear
the Young clamor forfood- THEY'LL call for
two days. Then they'll be silent enough.
because they'll be dead, dead from starva-
tiohs;l ~ : t&l-- .-sf'ff l:sJtsiis
Philip Ledgard's year. was up; and he was
at home again. Josephine Batteis was there.
SShe was beautiful He admitted IT himself.
half reluctantly. He had SEMINARY Martin
twice. His heart troubled him.a bit when
he saw that she had grown pale and serious
since be last saw her There was an n ifDntde-
eis7on In his heart for which he reproaeied
Enthusiastically, One daysWlseu,he Iuetetser.
she was tending a wounded robin. Her eyes
were full Of tears. Philip Ledyard went
. home tboughtfulEy,s ssl.lf Z ssl'.-y4.~
That afternoon sJpsephipe Battels was to.
go driving viii, him: She started. for her.
room to get ready Josephine. dear. 81 Said
q Mrs Ledyard, "do wear YOU new ha1. /
5wishi Rhalipfs to- seerita gItus sadmhiably
suited to your style Of beauty, y Mrs. Led
yard added, smiling.
2 Josephine SBattels stood in The doorway
readSsfpr the drive with the afternoon sun
4, full upon her. Philip. Ledyard looked at
her with warm admiration in, his eyes. She
Was a beauty, this girl His gaze went to
her hat. 1T was w6nderfal,swhite cfea