Okolona messenger. (Okolona, Miss.) 1900-current, 1907-11-27
|MR. PEMMYWIMkLE BROUGHT HOME
A GAME FOWL

Dyes in all humility.
why, joint" cried Mary, whatever
have you got there in that bag?"
And as she said the words the bag
moved, John standing as still as
stone, his gaze fixed on the floor in
front of him and giving no sign.
Good grief" cried Mary, gaspins
for breath and turning slightly pale.
|'What on earth ails you, John?
Nothing" said John
1"Then what is III that bag?"
"a hen," said John.
"A hen?"
"Yes," said John.
"A dead one?"
NO." said John.
"a live one?"
eyes," said John, and he gazed at
Mary at last in such pleading, visit
full way that she turned her head to
hide her look of pride.
Nov, they had rattle at the Of
fice," said John, growing holder at
Mary's silence, "and won it."
He placed his hat on chair.
1T is a game fowl" he eagerly add
ed
He drew jackknife from his peck"
ct, placed the bag on the floor and
opened the knife to cut the string
that encircled the neck of the bag.
"They are very rare" he added
again, flushing with pleasure at the
thought of his proprietorship in the
fowl and Mary's kindness to him.
WELL" said Mary, speaking with
| indulgence, put 1t down in the cellar
| for the present, John, and we will see."
And If ever happy man first hung
his hat up In that hall and then car.
ried a paper bag down into the cellar,
humming a hymn under his breath
and walking softly as a true gentle
man should, it was our John the night
he brought the game fowl home.
Wont you have to build coop for
it," asked Mary after dinner.
Eyes; shall l go now?" asked John.
rising from the table. '"The poor thing
will have to have coop; shall 60
now, Mary?"
She nodded a gracious assent and
John tripped down the cellar steps
like q bride who Is late to her wed.
ding. and when Mary went down q
little later and sat on the steps to
watch him work, johns cup Of happi'
ness was full and the chicken coop
grew beneath his hands like a thing Of
magic. \
There" said John, after the coop
had been finished and set outside, o
nest and perch placed in 1t and the
game fowl balanced on the perch
'Now, II she is only q good layer
But 1t seemed as IL that was the
very thing in which the game fowl
was most deficient.
did the chicken lay an egg" was
Johns first question every night.
And every night Mary made sympa
thetic answer:
mo, John; 1t didn't"
Johns spirits dropped.
Perhaps" he said5 another night
"she needs bigger nest"
They enlarged her nest.
Perhaps" he said the third night
"she needs few oyster shells well
cracked up"
They provided her with that deli
cacy.
Perhaps" said John the fourth
night, "she needs q run"
They tied a string to her leg and lei
her run.
The fifth night John had no sugges
ton to ofer, but his manner was &
dIsconsolate when Mary told him thu
news of the chickens continued inaC
ton that she could hardly restrain
herself from going right out ant
boxing the game fowls ears. Stimuli
taneousIy an inspiration struck her
and the next morning she made {
special visit to the chicken coop anC
slyly slipped an egg into the next.
Il don't suppose the chicken laid al
egg" sighed John as he hung up hi
hat that night.
Il don't know" said Mary, BUSTING
around; "Tve been so busy to-day Tv'
hardly had time to turn around. Com,
TO think about it, Tho ugh, she wal
cackling like anything this after
noon
John rushed out and almost stimuli
taneously rushed in again, triumphant
" carrying the egg.
well, Welt" cried Mars
isn't 1t large onel" cried John.
"of all things!" cried Mary.
.And how heavy 1t isl" cried John
weighing 1t in his palm. Il never fel
such heavy
II slipped--fell--broke and, O, bu
X was an ancient eggl
II wouldn't want to eat It." sal
Mary, turning fiery red.
70, they're not for eating!" erie
John; they're for settng!"
rGamy enough" said Mary.
Eyes. said john simply she's
game fowl"