The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1915-02-23
POLLY PERKINS
BY cooPE.

Copyright. 1914, by the Mcclure Newspa-
per ~Syndicate.)
No one would have ~stigmatized
Polly Perkins as being insane. Ec-
centric, mentally unbalanced, she GER
tainiy was and another couple of
years might possible see her COM
fortably ensconsed in a home for in
curables. For the present she was
happily II whimsicaliy domiciled In
q tiny cottage on Long island. Miss
Polly's mental state was the cause
Of rude jests from village children
and one OF amused interest to older
minds. Weekend guests were sure
to be taken past the abode of Polly
Perkins Just as they we're invariably
RECALLED by the story Of the haunted
house on the old farm road.
She's dippy on the subject Of
pink" said Jimmy Rogers as he
strolled past Miss Perkins cottage
with Bob Hawthorne after . swim
In the Sound.
:" wouldn't have believed IT,"
laughed Hawthorne as he eyed with
amused glance the pink-painted cot
tage. the pink flower gardens. pink
gate posts and outbuildings. II sup
pose she has pink bows on all the
live stock" he commented.
"She surely has," chuckled Jimmy.
every living chicken In the barnyard
has o pink bow on his neck"
II was not until a few days later
that Hawthorne. lolling in Jimmy
Rogers hammock, looked up to see
q lone chicken clucking away and
pecking c~ontentedly for vermin in
Rogers wellkept lawn. The chicken
had . nor or less bedraggled pink
bow on Its neck that sadly interfered
at times with the capturing of DAM
ties from the soft sod
And because Bob Hawthorne was q
tribe bored with his own society and
more or les curious regarding the
eccentric Miss Perkins. he decided to
make q martyr Of himself and take
the straying bird home.
He had little difficulty In catching
the chicken. Evidently Miss Perkins
hens YER more in the nature Of pets
than table delicacies.
After . few moments Of reconnoL
terfng he discovered that a wing OF
Miss Perkins property practically ad-
Joined that Of Jimmy Rogers. ne
climbed the latters fence and found
himself facing the back Of 9 pink
chicken coop. A sharp turn around
the fence brought him inio the awk-
ward position Of having tripped Y e
. pink-clad figure. She was lying fiat
upon her back In the tall grasses.
you've no right TO be snoring In
that wet grass he said.
Il was not snoring, and the grass 10
as dry az q boue," the girl said with
asperity. She had arisen to q sitting
posture and was endeavoring to coax
back the frightened chicken. Il don't
know why-all men think that every
place Of grass In the universe Is con-
tinually wet"
She had got the chicken back by
continued coaxing. the while she was
oooA DpsAA6 oS& ASAAn&GS ~ A4nW-
fhorne.
Are you Miss Polly Perkinsf" he
asked. when her wide-open eyes again
roamed toward his face.
"Yes. ] am she said. rs there
anything else you would like to know.
Rude Person?" she inquired. You
she continued, II am not
the Miss Polly Perkins you think l
am. am her niece" With that she
turned swiftly on her heels and left
Bob Hawthorne standing beside the
pink chicken coop.
you know" she confided to him
nights later when they left the
club house after q most delightful
tango evening. II have a dreadful
to make" Since Bob's
eyes we're anything but fear inspir-
ing. Polly continued: Il saw you
sneaking down to Aunt Polly's chick
en- coop and deliberately put that bird
the fence 20 that you might
See It."
Are you engaged?" asked Bob
.No-Rude Person." laughed Polly,
Then prepare for the worst soon.s
Bob. possessing himself of the
slim fingers that he had watched
iealously caressing the pink-bowed
chicken.
@For the best" contradicted Polly