The Yale expositor., 1908-06-19
When the Parrot Spoke
Copyright. by shortstory Pub. Coz
By Clifford HotDard


candle-racks-upon which she used to
play for him the sweet melodies OF
the long ago as they sat alone In the
dim light and quietude of loves hap
piness.
1.-TWO nifty I'm offered for this par
rot and the cage" shouted the auc-
tioneer in noisy fuency, breaking
in upon the doctors wandering
thoughts. do hear three dollars?"
Two fifty, two fifty! Do hear three?
Three dollars / am offered; three dol
lars is bid! going at three dollars!"
he sang on. interpreting an unde-
signed nod on the part Of the doctor
as bid at the higher figure. Going
going at three dollars! Three dol
lars! Going, going-gone!-to Doctor
Hartman"
The doctor started in surprise and
was about to protest, as the cage with
the parrot was brought forward and
placed with the other things he had
bought. Checking himself, however.
in order to avoid possible controversy,
he accepted the situation without
comment. He had not meant to buy
the bird, nor did he want it. 1t had for
| him no association with Ann Motley;
for, in truth, according to the state
ment of the auctioneer, 1t was a COM
paratively recent acquisition. Never
theless, 1t was now his; and thinking
to dispose of it in time to some one
who might care for it, he had II taken
to his home with the other purchases.
In the solitude of his library, breath
ing now an atmosphere OF another
presence and of other days, he opened
her desk. With trembling hands and
with a disquieting sense of profana.
ton. every drawer, every recess was
carefully, tendsrly, explored; but his
search was fruitless. There was moth
ing-nothing for him; no message, no
word, no token, not even his own let
ters, to comfort him with the belief
that she had retained some lingering
regard for his memory. Was 1t then true,
as his embittered soul had feared,
that she had gone without loving him,
without remembering, without forgiv-
ing him?
He closed the desk and sank upon
his knees. A convulsive sob shook
his bent frame; and, throwing himself
forward, he buried his face in his arms
upon the little rocking-chair that had
once been hers.
About him we're the deepening shad-
ows of twilight and the hush of even
tide. The old furniture of Ann Mot
ley, with it's generations of hallowed
memories, lent a mellow sancuty to
the stiffness of the room; and in the
enshrouding calmness, with the face
of sweet Ann Motley looking down up
on him from the desk beside him, his
heart poured forth its anguish in ST.
lent, sobbing tears.
Then suddenly voice. low and
quavering afar off, broke softly upon
the Swallowed silence:
Grant, o Lord, that he may yet
come back to me and know that !
love and forgive him"
For a moment after the voice had
ceased the doctor remained motion
less. The slight fiutter OF wings and
the tapping of a beak upon the bars
of a cage alone disturbed the ensuing
quiet Then, raising his head. the doc
tor clasped his hands before him In
sudden fervency, and as his eyes were
lifted up to heaven, filed with the
light of a strange awakening, smile
of illumining peace shone upon his
countenance; and as spirit commun-
ing with spirit his face grew beauti-
full in the softening radiance Of revela-
ton, and upon his parted lips there
trembled soul-uttered prayer
an answering message Of love and
thanksgiving.