Omaha daily bee., 1903-05-31
Short Story
by Frances
4. Schneider

ing quietly away put the parrot in his
cage.
He's frightened. poor thing, and don't
know what he's about" she said, wrapping
the injured finger in her handkerchief.
Let me bind It up" her visitor insisted
kindly, but peremptorily. Il know what a
parrots bite is and that brute amt any
exception"
you must not call him a brute, re-
monstrated Miss Pinch with pale dignity.
He is most faithful and sffectionate. And
oh" she continued in a burst Of gratitude,
II am so thankful to you for bringing him
back to mel"
But he had finished bandaging and started
abruptly for the door. Just across the
hall he turned and said:
Il hope my photograph don't annoy you,
ma'am."
Then It il your monograph she ex-
claimed. eagerly. "Oh, no, l like to hear 1t
very much"
IT'S good company for me- looking
pleased. Il live alone. Goodbye, ma'am,
and / hope your fnger'll soon heal up
Perhaps during the fortnight her kindly
neighbor was more frequently in Miss
Pinch's thoughts than she herself realized.
When she met him one warm evening
walking in the square near her home there
came an extra tinge Of red to her cheeks
and a warm glow in her bright dark eyes.
"How's the finger, ma'am?" he asked,
stopping directly in her path.
"Oh quite we'll, thank you"
Parrot amt tried to get away SINGER"
Oh, no. He's really very fond OF me,
He didn't realize what he was doing when
he flew away the other day"
He couldn't have, ma'am,' said the
man amilinp down af her ''WOuld WIN
mind. ma'am." he continued. somewhat
hesitatingly, walking round the square
with me once or twice"
She glanced up quickly with a little I'M
certainty. But the eyes that looked down
at her were such honest, kindly and re-
spectful eyes that she accepted the invi-
tatlon quite cordially.
1t is not a very long way about the
square, but they made the journey Just
twice. when Miss Pinch knew that her
neighbours name was a bachelors; that he
was an electrician with a modest but suf-
fcient salary; that he found the phono-
graph a great solace in his loneliness and
that he was turned 49," Three times more
and Tom Downing knew that Miss Pinch
had not a relative in the world, except her
nephew, Richard. who was a graduate Of
Harvard and a very learned man." that
some day Richard would settle down In a
little home and that she, Miss Pinch, would
keep house for him. He knew, moreover,
as well as IL Miss Pinch told him-which
she certainly did not-that It was she who
had paid for Richards education.
That night, as Miss Pinch was preparing
for bed, she said to the parrot:
Polly, dear, l think 1 have found a
friend"
And across the court rang with blatant
energy the strains of Annie Laurie as
played by Tom Downing's monograph.
Spring had come. The square was a
bower of green and whenever Miss Pinch
could snatch half an hour from her work
she FASTENED thither TO sit by the fountain
or walk the asphalt paths. 1t was here one
evening she told Tom Downing a most i'm
portant piece of news. Richard was COM
ing to New York early in June.
Hes coming with a college friend" she
~recounted proudly and eagerly, only for
n day or so, but 1 shall see him."
I'm very glad, ma'am. and II there's any
thing l can do to make his visit pleasant
I'll be glad to do It. Perhaps you'd like
the loan of the photograph for an even
ing"
Thank you. but I think Richard and his
friend will be sure to want to go some
where. See something of the city. Most
likely they'll want me to go. too"
oh, I see. You'll go to the theater."
Il don't know where they may wish to
-, and I shan't care much, as long as
I'm with Richard" she concluded with q
happy little laugh. II haven't seen him for
over two years" Q
Tom smiled sympathetically.
On the morning OF the eventful day or
| 0vhtnh DN1koEa urna a. r-f,-1 NEg.. nl-zA
was up bright and early, seated by heI
window at work. with the parrot in his &C.
customed place on the table opposite
gravely and silently watching her every
movement from his perch.
whats the matter, Polly? Why dom
you talk to me2"
DRY up grumbled the parrot.
'Dick taught you that. He did his besr
to make you n rude boy" The littlC
woman smiled over her recollections o
Richards efforts to corrupt the parroti
speech and morals. A pleasant and un
usual breeze lifted the stray curls on he
forehead. People were astir In the houses
opposite and looking up she caught Ton
Downing's eye as he stood at the window
and smiled across at her. Slowly tn,
hours crept ON with nothing to mark then
but the Ginning of the clock in a neighbor
ing churCh tower. Inc color deepened II
, Miss Pinch's cheeks. Her eyes .shone ex
/ pectantly, but still her busy fingers few
At 70 o'clock she prepared and ate he
: simple dinner.
1 He must be here soon. now" sh
thought, as she reseated herself by tn
/ window.
: Two o'clock-S O'clock o'clock, HOY
. frequently the hours chimed now. Their
must be something wrong with the clock
. she was sure. At 6 Miss Pinch laid dow.
e her work and sat twisting her fingers nerv
e ously. The parrot watched her suspi
% ciously. He had never seen her in thi
O mood before.
TITS a beautiful world" he ventured in
sinuatingly.
' Yes, yes, Polly-its-oh. why don't h
Gomez
a The red in Miss Pinch's cheeks faded OF
A and the bright light that had shone in he
A eyes all day grew dim.
At 3 o'clock the next morning Miss Pine
was startled by a knock at the door.
A last!' she cried excitedly and ran I
. answer the summons. But it was only
messenger boy, who handed her a not
With trembling hands she tore II open an
- read:
Dear Aunt Lucy-Frank and I have bee
on the jump ever since we got here yester
u day noon and have not been able to hn
a gnara moment In urh{ch 20 "a. $50, nal