Okolona messenger. (Okolona, Miss.) 1900-current, 1907-11-20

standing in the doorway with his head
meelly bent forward, he blinked his
eyes in all humility
why, john" 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, >gasping
for breath and turning slightly pale.
What on earth ails you, Iohn?"
! Nothing" said John.
Then what is III that bag?"
"a hen," said John.
"A hen?"
Eyes," said John. JJ.t AZ
"A dead one?"
NO" said John.
"A live one?"
YES" said John, and he gazed at
Mary at last in such pleading, visit
full way that she thrned her head to
hide her look of pride.
Now, they had rattle at the Of
fice," said John, growing holder at
Mary's silence, 'and l 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 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 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 go now?" asked John,
rising from the table. "The poor thing
will have to have coop; shall go
now, Mary?"
She nodded gracious assent and
John tripped down the cellar steps
like bride who is late to her we'd
ding and when Mary went down
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 been finished and set outside, a
nest and perch placed in 1t and the
game fowl balanced on the perch.
Nov, IT she is only good layer"
But 1t 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:
mo, 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 might,
"she needs few oyster shells well
cracked up
They provides her with that dol
cacy.
Perhaps" said John the fourth
night, she needs run"
They tied a string to her leg and let
her run.
The fifth might 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.
II don't know" said Mary, busting
around: "I've been SO busy to-day I've
hardly had time to turn around. Come
to think about 1t, though, she was
cackllng like anything this after
noon"
John rushed out and almost stimuli
taneouslyrushed in again, triumphant
" carrying the egg.
"Well, well ~ cried Mary.
"Isn't It a large onei" cried John.
"Of all thingsl" cried Mary.
"And how heavy it Isl" cried John
weighing it in his palm. Il never felt
auch heavy
It slipped fell broke and, o, but
It was an ancient eggl
Il wouldn't want to eat IT," said
Mary, turning fiery red.
20. they're not Tor eating!" cried
John: they're for settlngl"
"Eany enough" said Mary.
eyes" said John simply, she's .
game fowl"