The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1912-06-14
Girls and
Rabbits


(CoSyt3eha, ,exx, b. Associated Literary prses)
MI. Clarence Donald had come
down to The .Birches to do . little
winter rabbit hunting. He was TWEEN
ty.three years old, and was thinking
about the law; medicine, insurance,
banking and girls.
It was his brother who was master
at The Birches, and It was his cousin
Clara who welcomed him with q sort
Of Indian warwhoop. danced . Jig.
and then exclaimed:
Never since Columbus discovered
America!"
"What!"
"Have there been 20 many rabbits.
Down Ut tho edge Of the woods yes
terday I counted over q million"
"You don't say!"
"And there were millions more /
didn't see. We shall shoot and ship
enough to the city to buy Q new au
TO-"
THAT will be 20 nice!"
4. "And you are to meet Mollie Parker.
She lives just half q mile away. She
Is the sweetest, incest girl you ever
saw. She doesn't believe in killing
rabbits, because they are so innocent.
but oh, my she is fierce on chicken
thieves! When she talks about them
her eyes fairly glare. She's had
chickens stolen three times, and she
says If she could catch the thief in
the act she'd show. him no mercy.
She's got q shotgun all ready for
him."
There was rabbit hunting, and
there was an Introduction to Miss
Mollie Parker. Both events were
quite satisfactory to young Donald:
All, the rabbits escaped, and he al
once fell in love with the girl.
At the end Of a fortnight Miss
Clara began to giggle. She giggled
all one day and wouldn't explain
why.
Next day she chuckled. She
wasn't going to explain that, either.
but Clarence took her out to q snow.
drift five feet deep and threatened
her death by ~suffocation, and she
agreed to be good.
"Well, you know, I want to play a
Joke on Mollie," she said.
well, why don't you?" was asked.
81 want your help. It's q chicken
joke"
els it something to make the hens
laugh!"
1T surely is. You and I will steal
four or five of her chickens and bring
them home here. Why, when she's
mad she's the loveliest thing ever"
$50 that's what you've been chuc-
king and giggling over! Well. I won't
60 into ft!"
Why, Clarence Donald! You won't
pretend to steal chickens to please
mel" -
Il didn't say I wouldn't go. I was
Just making . few inquiries, you
know. You don't think Mollie will be
mad at me II We take the chickens?"
mad? Why, she'll just love you
for It! She'll see at once that you
are not Scotch and can take q Joke.
Why. 1t will surely bring about q
marriage between you!"
If you think that way7"
~Of course I do"
Yes. Miss Mollie Parker had chick:
ens. A mile away lived q hard-work-
ing, honest colored man, who had
been helping himself to potpie at In
tervals and escaping suspicion. Miss
Mollie also had q shotgun, and knew
how to use 1t. She strung a wire from
her chamber window to the hennery
and attached a bell. Then, with the
shotgun within reach, and waiting to
take the law into It's own hands, she
Jumped into bed.
Up at The Birches at midnights
solemn hour-s-ss-sh!
A door is cautiously opened-two
doors. Two mun1ed figures steal
down stairs. One of them giggles.
Out Of the front door and down the
road! No moon! An ideal night.
Two mufled figures climb a fence.
They wade through snow up to their
knees. They peek-they peer-they
crouch!
The hennery is reached at last. tn
guardian sleeps. The hens within
are unconscious Of peril. They think
the hired man has come to give them
an extra feed for being good. Ono
muf1ed figure carefully opens the
door. Two hundred feet away q bell
rings and q girl hops out Of bed.
seizes the shotgun and raises the sash.
The. alarm reaches the hennery.
There IL a gasp and an "Oh, N.Y." and
one Of the figures hees. The other
seems to be confused. and It is while
he Is humping against q pear tree
and getting up again that he hears
the report OF gun and feels forty bird.
shot enter his anatomy. He utters Q
lcng-drawn yell, and there Is blood on
the snow.
Two households are aroused. In ono
q girl exclaims:
'Father-mother-I've shot that
chicken theft"
IN the other II Is: