The midland journal., 1917-11-02

Sen luCO DeucVlnSs IL 10 a, SAnAP
quick pain, soon over, and may learn
to forget
One morning the lady with whom
Mr.. Deane had room came over to
the Morton home and sought an in
terview with Mr.. Morton. II am called
away to the city by very sick sister"
she explained, "and have no one to
leave in charge of the house. Mr..
Deane left his parrot in my charge.
Would you kindly give it care here
until he returns?"
surely" concurred Mr.. Morton effu-
sively. Bring it right over, Mrs,e
Bayne, and we will relieve your mind
of that anxiety. Editha loves pets,
and the parrot shall have her atten-
tion.'
"Polly' proved to be bustling,
keen-eyed bird, at once coaxed into
good nature by the thoughtful minis
tratiNns of Editha, whose dullness Of
heart was solaced by the clever ways
of the trained bird. AS to Mr.. Nor
ton, when the ready-witted parrot at
morning prayer uttered fervent and
resounding "Amen," the flattered cleric
was quite enchanted with the apparent
tribute to his soundly rolling, sonorous
rhetoric. ~
Polly grew restless, however, the
second day Of her reception. She
scolded, sulked and refused to eat.
"We must not let Mr.. Deane come
back to find his pet i'll or dead" sug-
gested Mr.. Morton, and forthwith went
to the keeper of bird store in the
town.
'She wants to Set" pronounced this
oracle. Get her quail's egg and she
will settle down like some motherly
old hen"
Sure enough, provided with nest
soft and cozily fashioned by Editha's
hand, and supplied with an egg, Polly
seemed translated into a delirium Of
satisfied contentment. She settled
down to the Matching process with an
emphatic announcement: 'That's the
| idea !'' only. every hour, this evidently
| being her first experience as hatcher,
instinct solely guiding her, Polly would
get off the nest to critically inspect
the egg, as if impatient to hurry re.
suits and view the prospective baby
parrot.
Two afternoons Mr.. Morton was
4 seated in the parlor listening to the
report of the Ladies' Aid society of the
church, when an appalling jargon star
tied all hands. 1t proceeded from
the library, where Polly's cage
was kept. 1t was Polly who was speak,
ing, the air blue with the most shock
ing profanity. One lady screamed at
this desecration of the placid serenity
of the ministerial home hearth. An.
other quite tainted. The others Joined
their host in rush to the library.
There was Polly, in wild rage,
dancing to fragments the egg she
had pushed out of her nest, the egg
that did not materialize fast enough
to suit her idea of incubation. All
the stored-up "cuss words" in her vo.
cabulary Polly was stringing out, with
the vim and wickedness of demoral-
ized sailor.
"Editha," spoke his reverence Sc
verely late that day, II have sent that
infamous parrot to the bird store, and
| I have written to Mr.. Deane that we
do not care to encourage his further
acquaintance"
."Why, brother" began Editha, mar.
yelling, but her tones choked with joy,
| and then the reverend gentleman ex-
planned. 1t seemed that his lady Wis.
itors had fallen to chit-chat and gossip
when they learned that the parrot be-
longed to Mr.. Deane.
They discussed that individual pro
and con, and Mr.. Morton was enlight-
ened.
So assured was he that Polly's tutor
had been Editha's suitor, and further
convinced that he was simply after
his sisters fortune, that he Cancelled
all promises he had made.
And, as said, Editha's heart was full
of joy at the announcement, for she
had that morning received note from
Albion Rolfe asking permission to call
upon her for the. last time. as he was
about to leave for the far West.
He did not leave, as matter of fact
Edith would not let him, and Albion
did not wish to go. A. presupposed sad
farewell was anticipated by fervid
declaration of love, and, with Polly
out of the way, and her owner in the
same category, Editha felt warranted
in selecting for her husband the man