The Celina Democrat. (Celina, O. [Ohio]) 1895-1921, 1918-08-02

" IA D6I1OOIbA4 O1h1Nk IA
woods air, sliced ham, dry biscuits and
Cheese-ihat the girl explained.
"Well, you see. am making study
of mon0gamy among blrds-thnt Is, ]
want 70 get little data that will h.
Of some value In establishing the fact
that thrushes either are or are not
mOnOgamOus-tha Is, that they do or
don't mate for life. Last year !
worked hard all summer. studied
the birds from the tree tops and from
under the hedges. No one knows how
long ! sat silently so as not 10 disturb
them, and trapped some Of them long
enough TO fasten little bracelets on
their ankles. ! knew that II the same
year and mated with the same mates,
then I would have some small fact 10
contribute 10 this great study. And
now two Of the birds with my brace
lets have ONE back and / think they
are the mates of last year. Once they
get settled for nesting / can get closer
to them and find out. You know,
James Devridge, the greatest Of all
bird students and one of the greatest
scientists Of the day, has made a spe-
clal study Of this. read everything
he writes, and / heard him lecture
once. He said that he didn't have
anywhere near enough data on the
subject of mOnOgamy and that anyone
who would seriously go about 1t to
collect it might feel that she was max
ing a real contribution to science. SO
I made up my mind TO do it. That Is
much better than frittering ones time
away dancing or loafing at a summer
resort I've got quite lot Of data,
and some day I'm going to take 1t to
Mr.. Devridge and tell him it is my
contribution TO science"
"Then-you understand what the old
fellow is getting at in those books of
his?"
"Oh, yes, indeed. He's just finished
a new book on bird monOgamy. / I'm
so impatient to read It. 1t must be
wonderful"
Here is n bargain" said Philip,
draining the coffee pot for a last cup
of coffee to offer to his companion
'I'll let you read that wonderful book
if you'll tell me what it is about" And
that led very easily to telling the girl
the predicament he was in.
II was in midsummer that James
Devegidge came up to the mountain
camp TO visit his nephew.
AT least you have stayed here" he
said. 81 don't know what you have |
been doing, but l thought you would |
have given up long before this" Philip |
lost no time in showing his uncle what |
he had been doing. There were hun !
dreds of photographs that no eyes save |
those of Philip and Alice Gerry had ,
ever fallen upon before. The mega
tives had been developed and the pic
lures had been printed In the shack. |
OF this detail of the process Philip was |
a past master. What amazed the |
uncle was that the pictures were so
entirely what he wanted.
"They are the most wonderful pic
lures l have ever seen" said the old |
man, tears coming into his usually
hard old eyes. at Is as if had sud
denly found you, my nephew. II has
always been my grief that no one Of
my own has been interested in the
work l do. But you must he interest
ed or you could not have done these
pictures. They are as good in their
way as anything ever did,
A little later Alice Gerry. dressed In
her usual tree-cimbing attire. slipped
into the shack and came straight over
to the old mans side.
"Tve always iOnged to meet you"
she said with a tin1idity that indicated
her admiration better than any elab-
)rate compliments she might have ex-
pressed would have done, "I've been
getting together a few notes to give
Iou on my own observations. have
llways wondered if you would accept
hem"
There was Just little disappoint-
nent in the old mans face as he took
he girls hands into his. "Then the
pictures were not my nephew's work
md you, like the others who under
tand my work, will 20 away from me
md leave me alone. had hoped ny
lephew took the pictures"
HE did take them," the girl assured
lin. "He took every one and took
most of them alone. 1 just showed him
It first and then he became as en-
husiastic as I"
"And, anyway" interrupted the
Iephew, who perhaps had never mp
,reciated his eccentric old uncle as
much before as he should have, "Alice
S going to be your niece. We were
ust waiting to ask your blessing"
And in truly patriarchal fashion the
old man stood and raised
is hands in benedictlon.