The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-07-26
Guinea Fowls as Burglar Alarms.
BY FLORENCE A. DAWSON.

well, well, it's good to have my two daughters home again," said Dr. Wltherbee, as he clucked to old Dobbin and the family blackboard rolled away from the station.
 "It's good to be back too" said Dlsie, as she drew In deep breath Of the sweet coun- try air.
 After six months absence their simple country home seemed 10 both a paradise, With which the fashionabie boarding school in New York city was not to be compared. As the blackboard rolled on they exclaimed with delight as first one familiar object and then another caught their eyes. At last both sp-ang to their feet and waved their handkerchiefs and kissed their In uds toward m of fashioned homestead with q broad lawn in front and q bit of orchard behind. This was home. and there was mother on the porch waiting for them.
 As Dobh'n turned in the gate, however. q sudden screech above their heads startled the girls so that they both sat abruptly down again. And the screech WAS followed by chorus of dlscUrdant, alarmed cries
 Goodness! what Is it?' exclaimed Marie and Elsie together
 The Doctor laughed Do you mean to say that two country raised girls don't know what guinea hens are?" he said And loOk ins back at tree which Vverhung tue drive. the girls behold n number of these birds among the foliage.
 How h0rr,ble Where did they come from7' they asked.
 But before any explanations could be made the carriage had drawn up at the porch md Marie and Elsie had leaped from it Into the arms open to receive them.
 If was not until they were sitting at that delightful home supper md the cries of the guinea fowl again broke shrilly forth that the glr,s remembered about them.
 Some patient to sec me suppose" said Dr. Witherbee. We don't need q doorbell since your mother has made pets of guinea hens" Anll he went out 10 see who the caller night be-
 "Oh, mother! Not really! They don't always scream Ike that whenever anyone comes. do they?" asked the girls.
 "Not in the daytime, replied Mrs. With erbee "Rut at night they have taken to roasting In that tree, and they are the most wakeful creatures imaginable. No one can come in or out of the gate with ont their rousng to proclaim the fact It's most amusing and has come to be quite joke among the neighbors." Then noticing that the girls looked rather dls- mayed by these facts. their mother added: ''You won't mind the noise after you get used 10 IL. No one around here keeps guinea fowls, but when l was a girl father always had them and l learned to love them dearly When I was deserted by my two daughters this winter l thought  them again as pets And you've no idea what comfort they have been and how fond have become of them
 After supper the three Stanford boys, who lived opposite the Witherbees, came over to see the girls. As they tramped up the path the guinea hens sounded their discordant1 chorus and the boys mimicked the harsh cries. thereby exciting them still more.
 Good evening. girls. Glad to see you home prnin. Welcome to Guinea Hen Ranch" the boys called Gayly.
 And this was only the beginning On that and several succeeding evenings crowds of jolly young people walked or rode from all over the countryside to welcome the With erbee girls home, and not single arriving or departing guest escaped the vigilant out cry of the guinea hens. This afforded end less amusement 10 the callers. One merry party thanked the girls for having such beautiful bagppe orchestra proclaim their arrival. Quite like sending brass band to meet your guests, they said. Others likened the harsh yocen of the birds to alarm clocks. Everyone had some joke to crack on the subject or some new ridiculous ap- pelatlon with which 10 dub them.
 But though the girls tried to take the fun good naturedly. ns it was meant, both were deeply mortified, and learned to fairly hate the fowls. who. they thought, made both them and their home ridiculous. They raclxed their brains for some means by which they might get rid of them without offending their mother, whose heart was eyi- dently wrapped up In these new pets. No plan presented itself until ono morning Mrs. Wltherbee unexpectedly announced her ln- tention of spending two weeks with their Aunt Susan.
 'lt seems too bad to leave you now. when we have no cook she said "but Susan has written that this will be the most con venlent time for her 10 have me, and you'll appreciate me all the more when l come home"
 ITO say nothing of how I'll appreciate you after course of fashionable boarding school dinners" laughed the doctor
 The girls thereupon decided that they would surprise thelI father by the excellence of the dinner they would prepare him that night, and they went into the kitchen early to begin it.
 "Now that mother is away we must seize the opportunity 10 get rid of those guinea hens" snld Marie as she pared the potatoes. ''we'll carry them out, few at time, in a basket and sell them for what we can get"
 But mother would be heartbroken," pro- tested Elsie.
 ''No, she won't mind when she gets home ''It's only the idea of parting with them she hates. And we'll buy her something pretty with the money they bring, to console her."
 The doctor came in hurriedly as they were