Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1914-12-24
Evening Story
OLD BIRDS.
Nv Martha McCulloch-Williams.

."That child is the beat OF everything,
Miss Patsy soliloquized, Ticking ner
fat pony with peach tree SWITCH ana
settling herself afresh in saddle. Inc
idea of telln' Nicholas-Joe she wouldl
not say neither yes nor no to MIN uhtil
had come and talked things over WIN
her She's bound to know I'm tickied
clear TO my tiptoes at the thought OF
her in the family Who wouldn't pc!
blood and breeding and all sorts OF
pretty ways, not to name beng hef
pap's only child and him the richest
man in the district--nor all that CHINA
and silver she got from her grandmam-
nv I say--and I'd say If 1t was some
body else Jest the same--Nicholas-Joe
might hunt the world over, and not
find nobody to match Mildred Heath.
Nv this time she was at the Heath
horse block. Mildred stood upon IL
IN eager welcome, her pretty arms out
stretched to 90 round Miss patsy
neck. her eyes dancing. her red lips
smiling their most coaxlng smile. IN
a trice she had Miss Patsy established
in the big rocker, footstool at hef
feet. fan in her hand, a plate CT cake
and pitcher of lemonade on the stano
beside her.
When Squire Heath looked in on
them in passing through the nan she
shook a dainty fist at him, bidding MN
70 along. Miss Patsy felt the least plt
aggrieved at that-she had counted on
q bit Of talk with him as the only La1.
me, better than herself in the ranks OF
her acquaintance. He loved land the
same as she did-and used it even pet
tar. Therefore. he commanded not only
her respect, but her warm frendllness.
Still, she reflected there would be oth
er afternoons-indeed, if things Went
as they should, there would soon be an
approach to united family. Mildred
wasn't one to neglect her dear daddy
Nicholas Joe wouldn't let her, even
II she had the mind.
"Now, / want to get the straight OF
all this" Miss Patsy said, trying TO
speak severely after her third slice or
cake. It was mighty fine cake-as good
as she herself could make, although
Mildred had modestly demurred when
she had said SO.
The girl was motherless and appeal
ing. She pushed cushion to MISS
Patsy's feet, sunk down on 1t and lad
her head upon a cushiony knee. For
q minute she was silent, as though
gathering courage then in faint voice
piped: :,
world"
"You darlin'!" Nicholas-Joe's aunt
cried, hugging the bowed figure so
you're goin' to marry him after all
and make me happy enough to shout.
~ want to- Mildred piped, still III
that faint voice, "but-but lit VIII
have. to be as you say
"Then it will surely be- Miss Patsy !
interrupted, beaming. why, money,
I couldn't ask the good Lord for nothln
better than jest to sit back and watch
Won two together-happier'n birds.
1--WE would be-O, so happy, MIL
dreI breathed "Only, you see, it is
this way: Nicholas-Joe is everything
nice man can be-only he's cow
ard"
..What." Miss Patsy sat up stiffly,
lifting Mildreds head so that she |!
could look in her face. Coward:
why thar amt drop of towards
blood in him-not in any Lindsay tnat
ever / heard Of Never one but was !
ready to fight at the drap of hat
if only thar was anything worth tight
in for. Look at the revolutionary
sword, at the commission from 1912, at
the gun from Mexico-and the empty
gray coastal we got back OF five that
went out in 81"
II know know i didn't
mean it that way" Mildred said,
rising and putting her arms about
Miss Patsy's neck. But told
the Observation-Disclosures just can't tell
YOU the truth-he knows 1T would hurt
YOU SO to hear he don't want to stay
here on the farm-but to go ana praeo
tice law In town. You know how ne
loves it, and what mark he made at
school,
"My SOUL" Miss Patsy calculated.
"But what has that got to do with
me? Do you want me to tell him nat ne
shan't go?"
"No-rather that he may-go with
your blessing. But I know he won't 40
tiff YOU are to be left lonesome MOI
any more than I'd go and leave daddy
--now-don't you begin to see what you
must do?"
Indeed / DON'T Miss Patsy said,
with. however a suspicious heightening
Of color.
Mildred laid a soft cheek to hers,
whispering: II can't bear the thought
of leaving him--with nobody but
Rube to look after him-1 think some
times they are more bother than help
"And you're right" Miss Patsy broke
In. my patience! 1 wondered often how
you stood the pack of 'em-so many.
they're in each others way-and each
waiting on the other to do the least
thing"
But daddy has to have somebody
YOU don't know how helpless he is,
Mildred purred. "He never puts away a
thing-and, if he does always forgets
where and has to hunt the house over.
And he likes nice things to eat--the
sort you always have-and-and-he
likes you ever so much. That's why he
is willing Nicholas-J oe-should have
me-told me only last night you'd rails
ed him better than any other boy in the
county,
"You hush!" Miss Patsy cried. her
cheeks by this time being scarlet. you