Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1907-03-22

one else, even though he had been
captured and imprisoned by them.
Thinking thus, 1 determined to re-
lease him. 1 jumped from the gate,
walked up the broad, flower-begirt
walk, and raped loudly on the door
steps with my riding whip. Soon a
young girl, fair and winsome, came to
the door. Without undue hesitation
and unnecessary words I made known
my wish. OF course l could release
him!
"I was just thinking, only this
morning, of doing so myself" the girl
said. "I should never have imprisoned
the birds own peculiar actions had
not led me to believe him perfectly
used to a cage and human compan-
ionship. Near the first Of the sum-
mer I was sitting, early one morning
out on the lawn, practicing my violin
lesson. I had hardly started when I
saw, to my surprise, mocking bird
mocking bird, as 1t proves to
limb of the tree under which 1 sat.
Instead Of flying, as I expected him to
do, he hoped nearer me and sat very
still all the time I was practicing. l
thought IL bird was so unafraid Of
a human as he seemed to be Of me,
that he had previously been used to a
cage So when he hoped to my
shoulder 1 caught him and put him
in a cage, lest the cat should catch him.
But not a song have heard from him
since 1 put him in there, and I am so
glad you have come to claim and, best
Of all, to release him."
What the girl told me prompted me
to relate the incident Of the guitar, be-
sides strengthening my belief that Of
all his enjoyments Happy Heart liked
music the best. l regretted that his
love for music had caused him to suf-
fer all the long, hot summer in the
misery of confinement in a life-sap-
ping cage. But as he sat on my
shoulder and strung his ripping
had suffered no severe injury.
The little girl was all smiles when
l rode up to the gate with Happy
Heart sitting on my shoulder and sing
ing, and her eyes were bright with in
expressible joy as she took him from
nv shoulder when I dismounted, and
went flying into the house to tell her
mother.
Back in the garden Of bloom and
back in the orchard where the trees
were bending under their burdens Of
ripening fruit, Happy Heart sang with
a passionate vigor.
have known him to sing for hours
without stopping once. Even the
nights were made delightful to each
ever-ready listener, for Happy Heart
sang by starlight as much as by sun
light. And it seems to me that his
sweetest songs were sung in the dark
est hours, teaching me to be happy
and hopeful when the things of life
are darkest.
1t was fortunate for Happy Heart
that he had been released from the
confinement of a cage. but, a few
nights later l thought it more fortu-
nate for the liberator than the libe-
rated. Wearied by days tramp
through the fields and lover the hills
afar," was early to bed and-early
to sleep. 1 was awakened near mid
night by the distant rumble of thun-
der, which ratified the shutters slight
ly. 1 laid awake listening. for some
time, to the varied storm sounds. Then
the noise Of the thunder and the wild
shrieks Of the wind grew drowsily
monotonous; and I again lost con-
sciousness in sleep.
do not know how long 1 had slept
when 1 was awakened by sound
sweetly familiar. 1t was Happy
Hearts song, sweetly audible mid the
lessening noise of the fast abating
storm. Suddenly, as the rain ceased,
his song grew louder, and 1 could tell
he was not far off. But where was
he?
A flash of lightning revealed the se-
cret. Perched on heavy glass vase,
which was full of flowers, was Happy
Heart, singing as though his life de-
pended upon it, Prefering sleep, just
then, to song, 1 called softly to him,
hoping he would quit making merry
the gloomy night, for l could not
sleep while he sang. But this he did
not seem inclined to do, for in an in
slant after 1 had called him he was on
my pillow and beating my face with
his wings Then he would fiutter
frantically from the bed to the WIN
dow and back again. Once 1 saw him
clinging desperately to the mullion OF
the window frame, and drumming i'm
patiently on the glass with his bill. He
did this repeatedly, much to my mys-
tiacation l endeavored to quiet him,
but he would not quiet.
Seepily l came to the conclusion
that he had, by mischance, been shut
up in my room during the day and
was now wanting out. But thought
it best that he should stay in the room
till morning. So 1 called to him
again in a gentler tone, and he f1utter-
ed back to the bed and stood on my
pillow l put my hands on him and
stroked his back as he liked for me
to do; but even this did not quiet him.
From the bed to the window and back
again he futtered, creaming wildly all
the while. 1t was only after I had got
ten up and pulled the dainty lace cur
tains aside that he grew quieter.
had scarcely returned to bed when
heard, despite Happy Hearts sing
ing, a noise that caused me to forget
for an instant the presence Of my lit
tie friend.
The sound I heard was a sharp,
sudden >creak, right close to the win
dow, as if the shutter had been
wrenched loose and the clasp broken.
I laid still and listened, vaguely con-
scious that Happy Heart was singing.
The storm was over by this time: