The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1915-04-16
The Mockiing
Bird Girl
By F. A. Mitchell

WISH 10 washington l was Suing on u
bench in one Of the parks. The leaves
were half blown. and among them
birds were twittering. One little song
ster in a tree above my head was now
and again giving two melodious notes.
the first higher than the second. Then
suddenly just behind me these notes
We're repeated by a human voice. fol-
lowed by a girls laugh. cannot say
which was the more musical, the imi-
tation of the birds piping or the laugh.
| turned and saw three girls. all with
their backs toward me, moving away.
Cupid has many arrows in his culver,
but there is one, called fancy. that he
uses more than all the others. At any
rate he had let drive at me with such
an arrow and pierced my heart. l had
been caught by the triling incident
that l have mentioned and was en-
amored of the girl who had Knocked a
bird and laughed. fancied her the
embodiment of feminine mischief; her
smile between dimples was doubtless
expressive Of that melodious laugh.
and her eyes laughed as well as her
lips and her voice.
Had l been q trif1e less fanciful and
more practical l would have arisen
and hurried after the girls to get a
view Of the one who had bewitched
me. But by the time l became aroused
to the situation it was too late. l went
after them, but the park was full of
people. and they were lost in the
crowd.
n few evenings later l was attending
a reception at the White House. l
was standing near the opening to the
conservatory with a married lady to
whom l was indebted for invitations.
Suddenly from within the conservatory
heard the musical laugh that had
charmed me. But unfortunately high
growing plants were between me and
the person who laughed, and ! could
not see her.
l would have given all l possessed
If I could have left my companion and
hurried around what screened the girl
I longed to see. But no. Convention
atty held me. To leave a woman
standing alone at a function would be
objectionable. And what excuse could
I make for such an act? Gould I say:
madame. pardon me. There is a
hooking bird girl behind those palms
with whom l am enthralled. l must
leave you to go to her?' Such a course
would be to commit social suicide. for
I have observed that of all the women
in society the most sensitive to the at
tention shown them are those who
have husbands. remained at my
post, but heaven knows what It cost
me to do so. Later l would have tried
to find her. but how could l do 30 new
er having seen her face?
The next time I heard my hooking
bird laugh l was Mt the capitol. up In a
gallery under the dome. Directly be-
low me walked q man. a woman and
a girl. l could see the tops of their
heads and shoulders. hut nothing more.
Then up came the iaugh. 1t was the
same had heard twice before.
would know it among Il thousand.
l was tempted to jump down fifty
or a hundred feet and land before my
charmer. Instead. l turned and ran
down the stairs 80 fast that l fell and
when l tried to rise found it impossl-
BILE to do SO. 1 had broken my leg.
l cursed my fate for many reasons.
but the principal n was that l must
give up hope of eve finding my charm
er-that is. II she was n stranger In
Washington. II not. would remain
there as long as I lived in order to find
her.
l did not get the use Of my leg again
till July. and then it was too hot to re-
main in one Of the hottest cities In
America. l would have done so. but
I didn't believe the girl l was looking
for would be there. With q heavy
heart l went northward.
In October returned to prosecute
my search. l accepted all the invita-
lions I received. hoping to meet my
hooking bird girl. was doomed to
disappointment. Everywhere l went
I listened and never heard a girl laugh
that l did not feel a pang because It
was not the one I longed to hear. l
was introduced to many girls. but none
of them could ill the gap in my heart.
One evening l was assigned TO take
q certain young lady out to dinner.
She was very pretty. Her eye was
liquid. her smile 6anked by dimples.
l passed a delightful period chatting
with her, for there was between US that
wireless something which tells two
persons that they like each other. l
parted with her under the impression
that she might make me forget my
laugh girl.
met this young lady again and ask
| ed permission to call. 1t was granted.
and during the first evening l spent at
her home made a discovery. She
began to play the piano. and this set a
canary bird in another room to singing.
Il once heard a GIRL" I remarked.
''imitate a bird to perfection"
81 can do that" she said and straight
way reproduced some of the canary'x
notes. Whether 1t was the expression
on my face or what It was ! know not.
hut she laughed.
I sprang toward her and took both
| nor han6a In mano ~