The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1907-06-14

person and receive reward
"Bill, did you ever go TO bed at
night wishing some one would give
you a knockout drop and put % ont
Of your misery and then wake up in
the morning as happy as an Alabama
niger with a new yellow silk vest2
Wen, the latter accurately describes
the way | i9lt when | got through per-
using thar 'ad' Ia the paper. WhyF
Simply because a bird that fitted that
lingo exactly was. at that very minute.
inhabiting an old cage hung out on
the back porch,
/ slowed the paper away in an In.
side pocket and ambled leisurely out
to the back porch whore He2ekiah
was running his constitution over a
big churn,
Say, Hez, said l conafentially,
you didn't know ! was an ]orEithopol.
ogist, did your
Nope said tIeze&iah, painfully
strengthening the kinks cut of his back.
What's thatg
THAT / responded, In my most
CondcscCnding manner means that
I'm all the candy when II comes to
brides,
why, | have q collection of aoarly
a million kinds at home, aud, every
night. | go in and sit and look at
them for hours, My heart is sure wrap.
ped up in Observation-Disclosures, I
mean, and | think more Of my collec.
ton than | do of all my money. Heze.
kiah.' ! put Il lot Of pathos in my
tones. Only one more bird | need to
make me happy, aud there he hangs
| pointed dramatically to the old cage.
Old friend, squeezed out a tear,
how much will you take for him?'
"llezekiah scratched his head and
pondered the subject. He ought to be
wurth a dollar no said finally. Was
| tIckled? Wen, some.
Here's Ave- ! said, putting my
hand IN my pocket. And thauk-
Hold on there o mint interrupt
cd that old villain, ! didn't say I'd
sell him for a dollar, did " Now
there's my boy Tommy that ketched
the %critter, ] reckon Tommy would
feel mighty bad II | was to sell him.
Colonel, I'd like to obleege you, but
there's my child's %feelin's to con,
slider.
We'll, we haggled and bargained
and talked and finally He2ekiah agreed
to let me have that bird and cage for
$S7, cash money. When | finished
handing yer that large Juicy bunch
Of coin, | found that | had just four
lonesome silver dollars between me
and the poor farm. However, that
was enough to convey me TO Column
bus.
Il landed In Columbus with the bird
cage done up In brown paper, ten
cents in money, and a thirst that fair
ly scorched my throat. Mebbe |
didn't stretch holes in the pavement
looking for the Smithsonian institute.
There was a young fellow behind
the desk when ! sailed maJestically In
with my bird cage, and he asked me
pleasantly what l wanted,
"'Want?' said ! In the manner OF a
John d., I want that thousand dollars
for a real live specimen of a Alter.
caterpillar Aurora. I've got 1t here
with ne. too
"Thc young fellow looked kind Of
puzzled till ! showed the 'ad.' in the
paper under his nose, and then he
smiled affably and wanted to see the
bird. yanked the Gag up on top OF
the desk and pulled off the wrapping
paper.
There he is,' ! shouted. The only
live one In captivity. Step right up,
ladies and gents, and Now what in
the deuce is the matter with your
Say, that guys face was as red as
a beet, and he looked as II he was
going to have a fl. Then he let out
a yell and a whoop and tried to tie a
few knots in himself.
my dear man. he said at last,
breathing like a horse with the heayes,
You've been %bunkoed, skinned, film
tammed! It's a common, ordinary,
everyday crow, he gasped, and as IL
to prove 1t, that blasted bird let out
a long ear-splltting cav
But howled, when I got my Soc
ond wind, "A crows all black. Look
at those wings. That's gold or I
don't know gold when / see It.
Yes, gold paint said the young
man softly as he opened the cage and
pulled that imp Of %blackness out. See
| saw, all right, for the stuff came
off all over his hands. / didn't wait
for any further demonstrations, but
made a rapid stampede for the door.
bill" concluded the Duke" pite,
ously, II walked clear from Columbus.
and ] didn't have anything to eat for
two whole days but a couple OF dog
biscuit, that no respectable dog would
touch, But them m%isfortunes amt
what broke the brave and loyal heart
Of A. l., Brown. II was having a priza
package like that handed to me when
| was awake and at the post Of duty.
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