The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1915-01-05
POLLY PERKINS
BY CATHERINE cOOPE.


per Syndicate)
No one would have stigmatized
Polly Perkins as being insane. Ec-
centric, mentally unbalanced, she GER
tainly 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 if whimsically Gomiciled in
a 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 were invariably
RECALLED by the story of the haunted
house on the old farm road.
shes dippy on the subject of
pink said Jimmy Rogers as he
strolled past Miss Perkins cottage
with Bob Hawthorne after a swim
in the Sound
Il wouldn't have believed it,
amused glance the pink-panted cot
tage the pink flower gardens. pink
gate posts and outbuildings. Il 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 pink bow on his neck"
1t was not until a few days later
that Hawthorne. lollng in Jimmy
Rogers hammock, looked up to see
lone chicken clucking away and
pecking contentedly for vermin in
Rogers well-kept lawn. The chicken
had more or less bedraggled pink
bow on its neck that sadly interfered
at times with the capturing of dain-
ties from the soft sod.
And because Rob Hawthorne was a
tri1e bored with his own society and
eccentric Miss Perkins. he decided to
make a martyr of himself and take
the straying bird home.
He had little difficulty in catching
the chicken. Evidently Miss Perkins
hens were more in the nature of pets
than table delicacies.
After a few moments of reconnoi-
tering he discovered that wing Of
Miss Perkins property practically ad-
| joined that of Jimmy Rogers. He
, climbed the latter's fence and found
himself facing the back of pink
chicken coop. A sharp turn around
|. the fence brought him into the awk-
ward position Of having tripped over
a pink-clad figure. She was lying flat
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 Is
as dry as BONE" the girl said with
asperity. She had arisen to a sitting
posture and was endeavoring to coax
back the frightened chicken. II 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
addressing her remarks to Haw-
thorne.
Are you Miss Polly Perkins," he
asked when her wide-open eyes again
roamed toward his face.
"Yes, l am" she said. us there
anything else you would like to know,
Rude PERSON." she inquired. you
know" she continued. Il am not
the Miss Polly Perkins you think
| 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
two nights later when they left the
club house after most delightful
tango evening, Il have a dreadful
confession to make" Since Bobs
eyes were anything but fear inspir-
ing, Polly continued: 81 saw you
sneaking down to Aunt Polly's chick
en- coop and deliberately put that bird
over the fence so that you might
sec it,"
Are you engaged?" asked Bob
bluntly.
'No-Rude Person." laughed Polly.
Then prepare for the worst soon,
said Bob, possessing himself of the
slim fingers that he had watched
jealousy caressing the pink bowed
chicken.
For the pest" contradicted Polly
softly.