Payette enterprise. (Payette, Canyon Co., Idaho) 1909-1935, 1914-02-05
A TALKING
BIRD
BY MARJORIE CLoUGH

fun as we used TO have when we were
from, say. sixteen to twenty"
II don't believe they do-at least. not
the innocent fun. They have dinners
land theater parties and go to clubs
and dance the turkey trot, and all that.
but they don't know what unceremoni-
ous fun that doesn't cost anything Is"
when was between boy and man"
/ Staples went on, "at our old home In
the days when every family contained
/ from six to a dozen children. we boys
and girls grew up together, and every
I boy was as careful of all the girls as
he was of his own sister Turkey
trot, Not much. No such dancing
was ever heard of then. But we play
ed all sorts of innocent jokes on one
another. remember one of 'em was
| the cream cake racket. the cake being
/ full of cotton. One of the boys once
swallowed one of them, cotton and all.
rather than acknowledge that he'd
been sold.
'erhat was Billy Williams. He made
up his mind that he'd get even with
the girl who made the cake, Cora
Blake, now Mrs. Olmstead. But Cora
knew that he was laying for her, and
she was so blamed watchful he could
not catch her. 1t was about that time
that George OImstead and Cora were
getting kind of thick, and, though no
engagement had been announced, yet
by the frequent disappearance Of the
two at our social gatherings and other
evidences of spooning it was pretty
generally understood that there was to
be match.
One summer afternoon dozen or
more of us boys and girls were out on
our lawn playing croquet. Tennis had
barely come into vogue, and they call
ed 1t lawn tennis, not having the
courts they have now. Cora Blake
and Billy Williams and George Ohm
stead were all of the party. and we
were having no end Of a good time.
Presently a man came into the grounds
carrying a basket AS soon as he
reached us he took a parrot out OF the
basket and asked us If we would like
to see him perform, assuring us that
he had the most remarkable talking
bird in the world.
"All right" said Billy Williams.
Go ahead with your show"
The man stood off short distance
with the parrot perched on the fore
finger of his left hand.
"Zis Is vera fine ladies and gentle
men, dom you think so?" said the man
to the bird.
"Bullyr was the parrots laconic ~
ply.
what you think Of that young lady
over thereT
"Bullyp
"And that gentleman over therer
pointing to Billy Williams, whose hair
was what we call auburn.
"The sorrel top2"
Eyes"
"BullyT
We all laughed at Billy, who looked
a bit disconnected. IF your bird can't
say anything but bully" he said to
the Snowman, you'd better take him
away. You'll get nothing for such a
performance here"
Gus you waita. The parrot talk
udder t'ings."
"Corap' said the parrot in a mans
voice. "Dear Coraw sharpening its
beak on one of its toes.
Every one laughingly looked DIT Cora
md George Olmstead, who was stand
ng beside her. She colored. while
George tried to smile, but the result
was sickly grin.
Come! Stop these personalities or
get out of here" said Billy Williams
sharply. 81 don't want any more Of
t for my part"
Give me a kissr' said the bird, fol
owing up the words with lot Of gut
ural squaw king. The words having
,een spoken in a mans voice, Of
curse they were assumed to refer to
George Olmstead, who was under fire.
"Shut that off," said Williams an
yrily.
"The bird talka what he like" the
,wner protested. "How cana I stop
,im?"
Then the parrot gave dialogue be-
Wteu NOuDS anu q Bill. |
"Take away your arm" "Mayn't !
ave Just one kiss?" MOP Gust
me little teeny weeny bit Of oner'
10 away; you're mussing my hair"
OF course George and Cora were sup
'osed to be the pair having this little
iscussion Cora stood 1t till the hair
missing part came. when she turned
nd bolted for the house.
"That'll do" said Williams to the
bowman you may CO." And he
Tipped bill into the fellows hand.
Billy was accused Of having hired
he man to come with his performing
nrrot. but he wouldn't admit 1t. No
pc could understand how bird could
Q taught to talk like that till one of
be party suggested that 1t was the
bowman who talked and that he must
g ventriloqulst This George final
: admitted to me- He had coached
he man himself. telling him to refer
, his own red hair In order to divert
1spicion from himself.
That brought ont an announcement