Free press., 1908-01-04

HleShIy DenI forward, he DllnkeQ MS
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, John?"
Nothing" said John
Then what is in that bag?"
"A hen" said John.
"A hen?"
Yes said John.
"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 turned her head to
hide her look Of pride.
Now, they had a rattle at the Of
fice,' said John. growing bolder at
Mary's silence, and 1 won it,
He placed his hat on chair.
1T is a game fowl he eagerly add
ed
He drew iackknife from his pock-
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.
We'll" said Mary, speaking with
1,,Ir l.
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 a coop for
it?' asked Mary after dinner.
Yes; shall 1 go now?" asked John,
rising from the table. The poor thing
will have to have coop; shall I go
now, Mary?"
She nodded a gracious assent and
John tripped down the cellar steps
like a 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 wss 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, a
nest and a perch placed in it and the
game fowl balanced On the perch.
Now, if she is only a 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 a few oyster shells we'll
| cracked up.
They provided her with that deli
cacy.
Perhaps" said John the fourth
4AiSoi-t- oiIS iSCQS Il ull.
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
Z don't suppose the chicken laid an
egg, sighed John as he hung up his
hat that night
I 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 it, though, she was
cackling like anything this after
noon"
John rushed out and almost stimuli
taneously rushed in again, triumphant
~ carrying the egg.
We'll, well!' cried Mary.
Isn't it a large one," cried John.
'Of all thfngs.'' cried Mary
"And how heavy it is" cried John,
weighing it in his palm. I never felt
such heavy"
1t -fell-broke- and. 0, but
it was an ancient egg!
4 wouldn't want to eat it," said
Mary. turning fiery red.
80. they're not for eatingl' cried
John; they're for selfing."
''Gamy enough. snid Mary.
yes" said John simply. she's a
game fowl