Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1906-02-08

dying, and we've newer kept = secret
from her except-well-"
Except our engagement, Patsy,
which we thought We kept from her
for about two hours
And she found it out, as she will
find this OUT cried Patricia. Der
rick, can't do it, besides, how could
it be nanaged?"
Easily enough; your training as q
singer should be quite sufficient to flll
the woods with cuckoos,' laughed
Derrick. I'VE villa go down to the
copse, right away from the house, and
practise. Don't forget that the note of
cuckoo is not true major third in
terval but something just between.
would do it myself hut even Aunt
Mamie, with her lifelong experience
of cuckDos, has never heard baritone
bird"
Derrick. my boy did you hear
that?' And Miss Nancy Austin turn
ed eagerly toward the window the next
day. Very frail and pathetic and
feeble was the reclining figure on the
NSASA. An3o pOOA, 1dAAt1S V1u ldUy.
with the sorrowful blue eyes had been
lying quietly, mentally reviewing the
past, while her nephew Derrick sat
watching her from behind his paper.
Aunt Nancy was very patient, very
grateful for all the love and devotion
given her by the two beings she loved
so we'll. Only once that morning had
there been sudden whisper frona her,
will the spring never come? Shall
never hear the cuckoo's note again?"
And now her face was transformed and
any doubt for his deceit that Derrick
had left were for the moment set at
rest. Pat and he had done the right
thing
Dear Aunt Mamie, it is too early,
isn't it, to hear the cuckoo?" said he.
deceitfu1ly.
Il ana not mistaken declared Aunt
Mamie. open the window-no, it
will do me good. All. Derrick, the
beautiful bird is here at last! Hark!"
And softly in the distance came the
hute-like notes Of springs harbinger.
Aunt Mamie listened in an ecstasy.
l.
loves the cuckoo almost as much as I
do
"Oh, Pat has gone to the village!"
said Derrick, unblushingly. He felt
fully repaid for the morning rehearsal
Patricia made an excellent bird-as
he saw Aunt Nanie's tired eyes close
and watched her as she contentedly
dropped off to sleep.
And day by day the cuckoo brought
content to Aunt Mamie. The two con-
spirators indeed were at times far from
happy. They were guiltily conscious
OF deceit toward one who had been
mother to them and yet-could it be
wrong to make Aunt Nannies last
hours happy? Every day Pat declared
she would go down to the copse no
more, and every day found her guiltily
stealing thfther, while Derrick did his
best to parry awkward questions and
to explain her absence. It was not al
ways easy
Derrick" Aunt Mamie said one
morning, Where can Patricia be? l
cannot understand her; 1 do so want
~
she has not once been with me when
it sings. She used to be so sympa-
thetic! It almost seems as If she does
not care"
Poor Patricia, an eighth of a mile
off, making the woods resound with
cuckoos! Derrick felt that it was very
bad on her. Why could not the real
abominab1e article come along?
"Dr. c. is quite wrong, though
he is naturalist! He said the cuckoo
is never known to sing so early.
told him he was quite mistaken, for
/ had heard it myself He said nature.
never made a mistake, and got quite
excited over it until he saw that was
excited, too"
Don't, auntie," said Patricia gently.
"1t isn't worth 1t; you know we heard
the cuckoo"
We haven't heard It today, pet