The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1912-08-30

Gracious, mother, but what's hap
penng nowl"
only the young man next door
playing on the fiddle, dear"
only playing on the fiddle! Only!
Only! And must be wrenched again
wrench upon wrench Mother
waken up Polly"
Polly was given 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 what is
that!" gasped young Islington as he
ceased to draw the bow to turn pale.
Its nothing, dear-nothing tall, -
soothed the mother. Il think the
folks next door have a parrot-just a
parrot"
Think! Think! Why, of course
they have, and am housed up here
with this twist and may be for a
month to come! By the high jumpers
of Jericho, but I won't stand it,"
"But, Hugh dear"
And he fiddled and fiddled and fid-
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 it was
rivalry. 1t 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. 1t 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
played out, while the violin was still
wide awake at II p. m.
Mother, that wretch shall never
conquer me-neHer!" Miss May would
exclaim half a dozen times a day;
and like an echo young Mr.. Islington
would call out:
''Pll bring her to her knees, moth
er-to her knees!"
For long month the battle ragged
When a doctor who knows his bust
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 thorn tree without
pulling on stove-pipe trousers.
But the day came when Miss May
was permitted to walk out. Also Mr..
Islington! There was grove a quar-
ter of 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.. Islington 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 a step aroused her. That young
man! That violin! They stood be-
fore her, and as she shuddered the
parrot screamed.
"You-you-you!" gasped the
"wrenchess."
"The girl with the parrot" exclaim-
ed the 'twister' as he looked down
upon her.
Could aught save the day? Could
anything avert the impending trag-
edy? Had it been two old men or
two old women-good-bye! But it
was good-looking girl and a not at
all bad-looking young fellow, and they
had had a square fight and were a bit
ashamed Of their petulance, and after
a gasp or two bit of smile came
to their faces. Then the smiles broad
ened. Then grins succeeded. Then
Polly stood on her head and there
were two hearty laughs and Mr..
Islington said:
"You are Miss Forbes, believe,
and I congratulate you on getting out
again."
"And you are Mr. Islington, be-
lieve, and I also congratulate you"
IT hope my violin was not disagree
able to you"
"And I trust that Polly's chatter
did not make you nervous"
He sat down beside her and he told
her about that high jump, and she