Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-02-13

land"
The other servants drew away toward the
open window; but their mistress had lived long
years in India. She knew their spoken tongue,
and she knew too the brown mans nature
aye" she said; for she had caught the NUT
tered words, then SO must Milan M1ttu have
done. Look you, he hated the canary; but he
could not get to him before, for | kept them
apart. But YOU. Ram Dass, he fooled, and the
canary is deadi'
1t needed much persuasion to allay the ser
wants terror; but when exhaustive search con-
firmed Mrs Atchson they stole away, laughing
softly at Ram Dass, who had been fooled by
parrot. Ram Dass shot glance at the gray
mocker that BODIED i'll for his future well being
where the native had the ordering of it.,
But already dire retributlon impended for
Milan M1ttu. This last assault had thoroughly
aroused Mrs. Atchison. She feared that the
gray parrot in an Ill mood might turn upon
Elise for man-folkwise, she comprehended
little of the psychology of the feathered ones:
Had such enlightenment been hers, she would
have recalled that in the other wrathful attack
upon the childs new pet the dimpled hand that
held the canary had suffered no scratch.
But beak and claw came effectively now to
Milan Mittu's defense when they sought to chain
him to his perch with the nickel legring and
slender chain. Mrs. Atchison at last COM
PEELED to call upon the Colonel for assistance
and that man bore long days thereafter Jagged
scar on his thumb, and spoke with openness and
feeling upon the ways of parrots
BITTERNESS welled in Man Mittu in his ig
- nomny. For the first time in his life he
longer free to come and go as he listed.
Hitherto he had tarried with the man-folk of
his own voltion, because of gratitude and good
comradeship and then because of love. Now
his whole soul yearned for the man of compre
tension. He would have understood but
these other man-folk were too stupid Well,
if thew did not want him he would go away; but
he could not understand why, not wanting him,
tho cbair, He he1p RI
them.
The idea fingered in his mind: philosophi-
callv, persistently he set about achieving his
freedom. His bladelike beak nipped and
twisted at the steel linked chain: but, slender
as it was. it was finely tempered and resisted
the steady, sawllke filing
Ram Dass, coming to lay the evening table
service chuckled maliciously as he shifted the
gray parrot to the dusk of the veranda outside
the long windows: but Milan Mttu was abb
sorbed with weghtler matters and showed no
resentment of the natives petty spite
Patiently, with the perseverance in which his
snge-hearted affection for wee Elise had found
root, Milan Mittu struggled with the chain, till
at last he came upon fine strand of soldering
where one link slipped within another. A razor
like nipping the unyield1ng pressure of the
curved beak, and the chain parted in the center.
The gray parrot was free once again; but ham
pered with the unaccustOmed weight of the leg
ring and the odd length of chain.
Absorbed in his efforts, Milan Mlttu had not
needed the flight of time. The splendor of the
sunset hour had been swallowed by the dragon
OF night: only the Pickering gold of the candle
light streaming out through the long open win
,iows lifted the gloom of the veranda. Inside,
the Colonel and his wife sat at dinner; but wee
Elise alone had noted the unwonted absence of
Man Mittu. She, with chdhood's ready alb
sorption in the immediate present, had already
forgotten the dead canary: but she had not
forgotten that Milan Mittu was ever ready for
play with ALWAYS score of new antics.
She crept away from the table out into the
path of mellow light that ribboned the shadows.
and then. diverted by the flutterings of two
giant moths, she settled comfortably down
the low windowsill to watch them.
Evil and bitterness, even hate. strove for
- mastery in Milan Mittu but his heart and
his head were filled with the wisdom of the
silent places where he had dwelt long years.
wears more than the span the man-folk live,
and he knew that love was not lightly to be
cast aside.
As he crouched there, meditating and watch
ing for an instant before he took flight from
this home where he no longer welcome a
prescience of danger thrilled acutely through
him. Forest born and bred, he sensed the jun
gle peril in his vicinage. Willy from long
habit he cautiously peered about him, holding
his gray body motionless. lest the steel chain,
rafting against the perch, betray his knowledge.
Silhouetted against the candlelight from
within he saw gold-green coils poised only
fayu feet from he 1a,Iuhipu I.hy