The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1904-11-26
Che Cunning Point.
AN ORIGINAL STORY.

In the first place want it distinctly understood
that am not the little bird that tells everybodys
secrets aud keeps little girls mothers posted as to
their doings. am quite sure that bird iii former
incarnation must have been newspaper reporter
or detective; but that is neither here nor there 50
far as my antecedents are concerned.
Even now | would not speak 1t not all 50
strange.
Living, as l do, with woman of artistic tenn
perament-her friends call il temperament, her
maids call it temper-there is probably no other
bird that leads such strenuous life as |.
Did YOU ever live with one of artistic temporal
mcnt. No! Then you don't know what 1t means,
but | will tell you. 1t means a constant series OF
surprises. 1t means sugar and lettuce to eat one
morning and nothing al all the next day. 1t means
baths and perfume on your feathers. and ribbon
on your cage. 1t means terrible strain OF excite
ment to keep up with the piano in the meTnlns,
and temptation to stay awake half the night 70 be
petted.
There was nothing of all this before came
TO live with hcr-and the strangest thing of all Is
how we happened to come.
We were IN fact, very undecided about 1t at
first We used to have long discussions about 1t
through the bars of the cage. That was when he
and | lived together in the other place-the little
four-roomed bachelor flat where used to have
such happy times. Life interesting therein
the evenings--but all day long it quiet l
would rest up and be wide awake to do my tricks
in the evening. Didn't | tell you | was trick
bird. O. yes | am exceedingly intellectual Every
body seems to regard me almost marvellous.
When we lived in the fiat | used to perform
for the xoupg gentlemen iii dinner coats, who
called OH us in the evenings. After some especial
ly applauded trick ! would mount my perch and
blink my thanks for their keen appreciation of my
talents. Though it was strange after these delight
full evenings the andlady was always put out at US
jrto the water hard il really gave me quite
shock; but understood and never said Il word.
have often seen beautiful ladies, too, far
beautiful than she-n fact, | can't quite see why
he didn't marry of them instead of a simple
little thing with brown hair and undisinguished
looking.
III never forget the day she first came to the
studio. The q lngements had al been made and
my master was TO paint her portrait
From the moment she phoned that she and her
mother were coming the excitement was awful.
We had terrible argument with the landlady
because the place hadn't been busted for two weeks
Then my master went out and bought flowers and
put them all around the rooms.
Well, after that portrait was finished there
wasn't any doubt about the matter We had fully
decided to come here and live with her.
Things are so different here. There are lace
curtains and rubber plants and piano-some
paintings, t0O-Dut not ike those III my masters
little studio-and there is always an odor of French
perfume about. a/
Sometimes my master used to brighten me by
saying be was sure we should have to part, as she
hated birds and wouldn't have me- but one day he
came home looking quite radiant. and said he had
asked her point blank if he could keep me. don't
know what she said-bUt, at any rate. I'm here.
Then a terrible quarrel. | don't quite I'M
derstand what it was about, bat | heard her say
she wished she had never seen u.s. and shortly after
ward my master came to my cage and said. in a
husky voice: "Old fellow, you're the only real
friend | have You take any kind of treatment
and don't say word about it," Then he kind of
chokcd up and didn't say any more but just put
his finger through the bars of the cage. imme-
datcly hoped on it and looked ait him out of the
corner of my eye.
At that moment there was soft rustic behind
us, and, as if b. mutual consent, we both looked
up. She looked so pentent and didn't say word,
but just straight over TO my cage and knelt
down and put her finger through the bars. | took
the hint and hoped ON, and said 'peep-peep," and
then they suddenly forgot that | existed
That day she fed mo herself from her own hand
and brought me fresh chic1weed and apple. Ever
since then have been leading ,this strenuous life,
and wearing French perfume on my feathers and it
is so exciting in its way that have almost ceased
to long for the bachelor fiat, where | spent such
happy days.
DOLLY MALONEY
Class 05, Sacred Heart Academy, Ogden.