The Celina Democrat. (Celina, O. [Ohio]) 1895-1921, 1912-05-24


"only the young man next door
playing on the fiddle, dear"
"only playing on the fiddlei Only!
Only And / must be wrenched again
wrench upon wrench! Mother,
waken up Pollyl"
Polly was given a poke and she
opened her eyes and ears and scream.
ed out. She had rival at last The
idea that something had come into the
neighborhood to compete with her
voice maddened her and she set out
TO do justice TO the occasion.
Great snakes, mother but w$t is
that!" gasped young lslineSon as he
ceased TO draw the bow to turn pale.
IT'S nothing. dear-nothing tall"
soothed the mother. Il think the
folks next door have a parrot-just
parrot"
Think! Think Why, Of course
they have, and ! am housed up here
with this twist and may be for
month TO come! By the high jumpers
OF Jericho, but / won't stand I'll"
But, Hugh dear"
And he fiddled and fddled and I'D
died, and the parrot yelled and yelled
and yelled, and the minister writing
his next Sundays sermon in the house
across the street mopped his brow
and walked the floor and didn't say
anything-not aloud.
From the first wall Of the violin and
the first yell Of the parrot II was
rivalry. It was violin VS.. parrot-par'
rot VS.. violin. oh, the sadness Of it
for the neighbors!
From morning till night, day after
day! II the best Polly could do was
to yell out that she wanted a cracker,
the best the fiddler could do was to
play "Old Black Joe" over and over
again. The advantage rather rested
with the violin. It didn't have to
sleep o. nights, while Polly did. She
did her very best to realize that honor
was at stake, and that she must tri-
umph or perish, but two hours after
lamplight would find her nodding and
played out, while the violin was still
wide awake at II p. m.
Mother, that wretch shall never
conquer me-never!" Miss May would
exclaim half a dozen times a day;
and like an echo young Mr.. Islington
would call out:
'Tll bring her TO her knees, moth
er-to her knees"
For a long month the battle ragged.
When a doctor who knows his busi-
ness catches a patient with a wrench
or a twist he is not going to surren-
der his inestimable privilege a day
short of four weeks. Even at the
end of that time he is going to pay an
extra visit-fee $2-to warn him not
to try to climb a thorn tree without
pulling on stove-pipe trousers.
But the day came when Miss May
was permitted to walk out. Also Mr..
There was a grove quar-
ter of a mile away. Miss May natu-
rally headed for the grove. Mr.. Isling-
ton naturally headed for the same
place.
Miss May naturally carried Polly
along to reward her for her heroic eff
forts to preserve the family honor,
and Mr.. IsIington carried his violin
along that he might once more hear
the sweet strains of "Old Black Joe"
in the sunshine. The girl reached the
grove first and was softly meditating
when step aroused her. That young
man! That violin! They stood be-
Tore her, and as she shuddered the
parrot screaL-ed.
"You-you-you!" gasped the
'wrenchess."
THE girl with the parrot!" eXclaim-
ed the "twister."
Could aught save the day? Could |
anything avert the impending trag
edy? Had 1t been two old men or
.wo old women-good-bye! But It
was a good-looking girl and a not at
Ill bad-looking young fellow, and they
lad had a square fight and were bit
ashamed Of their petulance, and after
\ gasp or two a bit Of a smile CAME
o their faces. Then the smiles broad
,ned. Then grihs succeeded. Then
Polly stood on her head and there
we're two hearty laughs and Mr..
slington said:
You are Miss Forbes, I believe,
Ind congratulate you on getting out
gain"
And you are Mr.. Islington, be-
ieVe, and also congratulate you"
'T hope my violin was not disagree
.ble to you"
"And I trust that PolIy's chatter
lid not make you nervous"
He sat down beside her and he told
Ter about that high jump, and she
old him about the barrel, and it's on
ecord at the. county clerks office that
he even said that Of all musical in
truments she preferred the fiddle,
nd that he replied that no nightin-
.ale was in It compared with par
OF. And they went home to tell