Charlevoix county herald., 1912-06-01

"Its 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 GOMEZ By the high Jumpers
of Jericho, but / won't stand 1t!
But Hugh dear
And he 6ddled 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 1t was
rivalry. 1t was violin VS.. parrot-par-
rot VS.. violin. Oh, the sadness OF 1t
for the neighbors.
From morning till night, day after
day! If the best Polly could do was
to yell out that she wanted 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 trl-
umph or perish, but two hours after
lamplight would find her nodding and
rlayed out. while the violin was still
wide awake at IL 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.. Isllngton
would call out:
"I'll bring her to her knees, moth
er-to her knees!"
For a long month the battle ragged
When a doctor who knows his busf
ness catches a patient with 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 ar
extra visit-fee $2-to warn him no
to try to climb thorn tree without
pulling on stove-pipe trousers.
But the day came when Miss Ma!
was permitted to walk out. Also Mr.
Islington There was a grove quar-
ter of a mile away. Miss May natu
rally headed for the grove. Mr.. islins
ton naturally headed for the SAINT
place.
Miss May naturally carried Poll,
along to reward her for her heroic ef
forts to preserve the family honor
and Mr.. Islington carried his violil
along that he might once more hea
the sweet strains of 'Old Black Joe
in the sunshine. The girl reached tn
grove first and was softly meditatin
when a step aroused her. That youn
man! That violin! They stood be
fore her, and as she shuddered tn
parrot screamed.
"You-you-you!" gasped tn
"wrenchess."
The girl with the parrot" exclain
ed the "twister" as he looked dow
upon her.
Could aught save the day? Coul
anything avert the impending traI
edy? Had it been two old men c
two old women-good-bye But
was a good-looking girl and not q
all bad-looking young fellow, and the
had had a square fight and were b
ashamed of their petulance, and afte
gasp or two bit of smile cam
TO their faces. Then the smiles broa'
ened. Then grins succeeded. The
Polly stood on her head and ther
,f were two hearty laughs and NJ
e Islington said:
n You are Miss Forbes, I believ
Ie and I congratulate you on getting o,
e again.
"And you are Mr. Islington, I b.
d lieve, and | also congratulate you"
le Il hope my violin was not disagree
1t able to you"
n. And / trust that Polly's chattt
'e did not make you nervous"
le He sat down beside her and he tol
ID her about that high jump. and ST
p told him about the barrel, and it's G
y record at the county clerks office tn;
III she even said that OF all musical i
Id struments she preferred the fiddl
C. and that he replied that no night
a gale was In II compared with a pa
rot. And they went home TO te
OF their mothers a lot OF good thinl
G. about each other.