Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1906-11-30
but even then he was somewhat dissatis-


but even then he was somewhat dissatis-
fed.
You Sec" said the facetious broker to
his farmer, these incubator catalogues
promise you all the way from 60 to 100
per cent results. have no doubt that
we could find one that would promise los
per cent. If We kept on looking. They're
almost as bad as the stock market tip
STEERS who advertise in the Sunday
papers"
II must be confessed. however, that the
chicken birthrate was never reconciled
with the incubator catalogue promises.
But the sun was tanning Armitages face
and hands healthful shades of brown. Six
months Of nature study gave the broker
gain of "a pounds of muscular tissue; he
had a wonderful appetite and cultivated
a spirit of cheerfulness that enabled him
TO overlook the discouragements that be-
set the most learned and theoretically
clever amateur poultrymen- He discov-
cred that his farmer had an unconquer-
able thirst, but as he rather fancied the
man he condoned his periodic falls from
the path of abstention. Whenever Haydn
yielded to temptation the mortality rate
among the chickens ran high. They were
immune from nothing in the way Of
chicken diseases. Armitage had an alb
soluJe faith in the belief that the wander
ing bacteria and tramp germs peculiar to
chicken diseases in the state OF Connect
cut visited the Far Hills poultry ranch
with premeditated murderous intent
you needn't laugh" wrote Armitage
to Clark and Dennis. but this is funny
game It's more exciting than the stock
market, and costs almost as much to
play it. I'd give yellow 500 note to see
a hen that could produce 200 eggs a year
That l am told is the record on the
champion hen-the standard of excellence
Mine are producing at the average rate
Of per annum. l am shipping them 10
New York at 25 cents a dozen, and they
have cost me so far an average price Of 80
cents apiece. I spent s1.25 the other day
for medicine to cure a rs cent hen of
canlSered sore throat. In about 100 years
1 believe that could reduce the business
to an exact science. You fellows don't
know anything about raising families
until you try the cultivation of incuba tor
chickens It's one thing to breed 'em
and another thing to raise em. They can
die faster than anything I ever heard Of
Why didn't you suggest that buy steam
yacht IL would have been cheaper?"
In May, following Armitage's discovery
of the possibilities OF life in the country,
the chicken fever had subsidized, to be re-
placed by the golf germ, which took hold
of the New Yorker in virulent form. In
letters to the Office Armitage told of his
growing fondness for the game, and he
sent along his scores. which were quite
passable for n dub" II, however, Clark
and Dennis heard that their bachelor
partner was to be seen almost daily on the
links Of the Far Hills Country club with
Millicent Howe, a Brooklyn girl of beauty
and amiable manner, II was certain that
he never mentioned 1t In his correspon-
dence. And they, also, were clever enough
not to mention it.
In October. after Miss Howe and her
parents had left their country place,
Armitage discovered that golf had lost
many of its charms. especially when
played alone, and that chickens had no
attractions with which to combat loneli-
ness. Chickens, in fact, began to annoy
him, and he became more and more con-
WINGED that he was very lonely beg
gar" and needed a home" He had
heard statements Of that kind before,
but had never quite believed them.
It's queer" he thought, "but I never
knew what II was to feel lonely until this
year" And all the time he was thinking
of a tall peaceful, brown eyed, brown
haired gin, who had a kindly smile.
The climax came one October morning.
Armtage had been awakened by the
lusty Growing of rooster The windows
were wide open; the day was breaking.
Not sound but that of the Growing bird:
Cock "a -doodle-dooi"
! Armitage rolled over in his bed, half
awake. Again the cock crowed. But this
time the sound conveyed 10 Armitage's
ears was:
/ WOmen-fule-n-e-T-e
Once more II was repeated and then
| again. Armitage raised his head to
listen; and the answering crow of weak.
cracked-voiced rooster came like an echo:
"And-so-they-do-
Armitage was wide awake now. He
couldn't be mistaken in the sounds They
were as plain as the daylight streaming
though the windows Then the chorus
came swelling loudly, joyously, dolefully,
reluctantly, but absolutely unanimously.
without one dissenting ROSTERS voice,
from all over the ranch:
"And-so- they do-e-v-e-r-y-w-h-e
"That settles IT," cried Armitage, leap
| ing from his bed, now thoroughly awake.
"To Wall street and Brooklyn for me.
/ I'll never hear a rooster crow again that
| II won't be a case OF Women rule here
| Queer; it never sounded like that before,
and I bet that I'll never be able to lose
| it."
On the night Of the day when the undis-
puted statement OF the ROSTERS left its
! impress on the mind Of their owner, his
plans were made by an event over which
he had no control Hadyn, his farmer,
coming home intoxicated upset a lamp.
The fire that resulted put the Armitage