The Oakley herald. [volume] (Oakley, Idaho) 1908-1961, 1918-01-18

The young man broke in,3evidently
embarrassed.
cob, ! say. 4now, mother. you can't /.
ask the young lady to do that. ri let
you know about the birds-Ill drop
in once o week or 80 to see how they
are I'm more familiar with them.
anyway. it would be much better d
Well peghops-" agreed the old
lady. She nodded to Clarftb you're
very kind she said. rAnd please
don't forget that cuttle-fsh bone.
fresh every shree days. Very we'll
Good-moruing
"Wasn't that a nice giri?s said Mrs
Tucker to her son, rs they walked
down the street. I'm sure she1l be
good TO Dick and Nellie"
'"Ifhope tAey'p pc COED TO beg mur7
INJURED the young man. X should
think any bird could sing IN mat
shop."
Mrs fuckers anxieties concerning
her pets must have multiplied as the
summer went on. for Nlr James Tuck
er Jr.. found it necessary to drop in
4 and look at the birds very frequently
/ indeed. Clarita used 20 Snile when
she saw him coming. Mr. Jaines IT,,
was a young lawyer, and his Office
not YET being bveiVhHl VITA fne0tS lhe
found time to visit the bird store in
the middle of the morning or the after
noon. or sometimes both. Birds were
never better looked-after than were
4 the Tucker canarieS. Il
"How's Dicsg he wotld' ask. -coh-
ing in. to find Clarita polishing cages
or filing tiny ictas With birasstGl. Z
"yerv well,' Clarita would answer,
most demuraS, "Ffe's bcen Ninsng
his lcad off this morning.
Nothing strange in that" he would
say Il should. too. If ! stayed here.
Isn't there something Lean do to help,
Miss Evans? I've nm hour or so to
spare. ltt vac polish that brass; l'm
I used TO shining up gear On my auto.
I wish y0u could take Il little spin in
K tonight. lafter the birds are all
asleep. Would yOu--f'
Then there came n day when Dick
was not SO we'll He dropped and
piped in his cage, With never song.
+Garita fused over him, and doctored
him FOR various bird ailments. But
i il. was of no ayail-Dick refused to be
merry. .a. Is~s,a
"Df course he's a very old bird .
Clarita said anxiously to James. who
was very attentive to the invalid.
It's probably old age. l don't think
there's much we can do. What a
Shame that your mother shouldn't see
him again y
"I' might telegraph" he suggested
"but she's FIVE hundred miles away
| doubt whether she'd come. She viii
he sorry, though. She's really fond Of
that poor old bird"
"Of course she isr Clarita sale
with iemphasis. ."When you do Xix,
blrdsS you love them You don't un
derstand, James Tucker you needn'
laugHl" :
"Well.sI love something else beside
birds.r he defended. ",rhat is l low
/: somebody else. It's an right to wan
to spend your life with birds, but I,
rather spend mine with"
Something in his tone made Clarit;
4 turn away quickly. A customer came
in just then, and she was busy for al
hour or more. sorhis~ sentence, was no
finished.i However, Clarita knew wha
: lis ending would have been, and sh'
pQndered it that night as She sat alone
at her window, looking out at thu
stars. She. pondered it. and Il littl'
soft sigh escaped her. She was yer!
happy.
Bird Dick died the next day. James
came in, to find Clarita putting hi
soft little body into a moss-lined box
"PooH old Dick !" said James Tuck
er. "AIptherll care a lot. We ough
TO make it up to her somehow.
might buy her another bird, but II,
bird could tale Dicks place in her af
fections ]. think the very best wa.
would be to make her so happy abou
! something else that she would BE dis
y tracted. I know what I'd Ike to DO.
: "WhGt?' asked Clarita-althoug
Y she thought she knew.
t "rake her a new daughter" sal
: james Tucker. "What 90 you 50,
i. Claritn? Couldn't we be married nol
), and break the news about Dick tt
r gether? Ii would make her so happ
= She couldn't grieve for him at al
q Mothers always wanted a dauehtel
5. Clarita, and YOU know that love 80
Z more than anything in the wide worl,
Couldn't we be married now. Clarita ?
a well murmured Ciarita, as hi
: arm began to steal around her, T"
p don't know hut what we could"
Mt The slouchy Man.