Okolona messenger. (Okolona, Miss.) 1900-current, 1907-11-20
"A RUSE THAT
FAILED
Mr.. PEASYWINELE DROUGHT HOME
A GAME FOWL

hinged thereon.
"John?' cried voice.
With a great sigh and fearsome
look at the paper bag John answered
back,
my lover"
rs that your"
And John walked through to the
kitchen holding his hat in one hand
and the paper bag in the other and,
standing in the doorway with his head
meekly bent forward, he blirisd his
eyes in all humility.
why, john" cried Mary. "wh qtever
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 griaf." cried Mary, gasping
for breath and turning slishtly pale
What on earth ais you, John?"
Nothing" said Jchn
Then what is ii thai oAg?"
"a hen" said John
"A hen?"
Yes sad John.
"A dead oaG2"
mo" said ioan.
"a live one"
yes" said john, and he gaaed at
Mary at last in such q pleading, visit.
full way that she turned her head to
hide her look Of Ir.de
Now, they lad a raGe at the Of
fee" said John, growing b2lder at
Mary's silence, and | wen it."
He placed his list on a chair.
1T is a. game fowl" he Gag ly add
ed.
He drew jackklife from his peck
ct, placed the bag On the foor 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 it down in the cellar
for the present, John, and we will see."
And if ever a happy man first hung
his hat up in that hall and then car
ried 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.
Won't you have to build coop for
it?" asked Mary after dinner.
Eyes; shall go now" asked John,
rising from the table. THE poor thing
will have to have coop; shall l go
now, Nary"
She nodded a gracious assent and
John tripped down the cellar steps
like bride who is late to her we'd
ding, and when Mary went down a
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 thing Of
magic.
There" said John, after the coop
had 5eea finished and set outside,
nest and perch placed in it and the
game fowl balanced on the perch.
NOW, it she is only good layer"
But it seemed as if 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:
"No, John; it didn't"
Johns spirits dropped.
Perhaps" he said another night,
"she needs a bigger nest"
They enlarged her nest.
Perhaps" he said the third night,
"she needs few, oyster shells we'll
cracked up"
They provided her with that deli
cacy.
Perhaps" said John the fourth
night, "she needs a run"
They tied a string to her leg and let
her run.
The fifth night John had no sugges;
ton to offer, but his manner was so
disconsolate when Mary told him the
news of the chickens continued mac
ton that she could hardly restrain
herself from going right out and
boxing the game fowls ears. Stimuli
taneously an inspiration struck her,
and the next morning she made a
special visit to the chicken coop and
slyly slipped an egg into the next.
Il don't suppose the chicken laid an
egg" sighed John as he hung up his
hat that night.
Il don't know" said Mary, bustling
around; I've been SO busy to-day I've
hardly had time to turn around. Come
to think about it, though, she was
cackling like anything this after
noon"
John rushed out and almost stimuli
taneously rushed in again, triumphant
" carrying the egg.
''Well, Welt" cried Mary
isn't 1t a large one!" cried John.
"Of all things!" cried Mary.
"And how heavy it ISL" cried John,
weighing it in his palm. Il never felt
such a heavy"
Il slipped fell broke and Q, but
A.s~f