The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-09-18
EVENING STORY
seBetty and the Bird Man."

@Betty and the Bird Man."
By DOROTHY DOUGLAS.
Betty's eyes were a wonderful blue
and her hair a dusky brown. her lips
were like poppy buds and her teeth
were-but the lonely airnlan who new
daily over Betty's garden did not know
ali this. Neither did he know or . zen
suspect that Betty was as lonely as he.
Betty's garden was walled in by a
great brick wall. Eut there was much
to do in the garden and the ueutenapt
of the American Flying Corps. VINO
had come over to England to fly with
his allies found and watched the pink
clad figure as he few daily over the
Essex homes.
Lieutenant French had sailed on the
three months before, and each day OF
the three months had brought a more
sickening sense of loneliness. His nome
in Long Island was Just modest
country cottage, but there was 2 gar
that the young lieutenant thought the
finest in the world.
He had been flying very low. almost
brushing the tree tops of Eppipg Tor
est. when suddenly at the very edge of
the forest he looked down into a gar
dem that made his heart beat with
inconsistencies. There was a pink-clad
girl working among the flowers.
That was all he had seen the first
beautiful Essex garden. Lieutenant
French few daily over the spot and
watched Betty garden or paint or do
bits of carpentering that made him
quite desperate to help her.
On days when the wind or rain pre-
vented the great wings of his Bristol
from taking him aloft and the big bird
was a prisoner in the hangar. the n.y.
| ing man chafed inwardly. When the
moon was bright and the Huns were
making attempts to cross the coast rs
| wanted only to fly above Betty's gar
den and, in a sense, feel that he was
protecting her and her dear home
| from harm.
The fruit blossoms were out ana
| billowed out like foamy clouds in =
1 sky below him when Lieutenant
| French had about come to the con-
| clusion that he would have to a CROP
| per or drop down into that walled gar
| den by accident If he were to live in
Essex. He did not know English girls
well, and wondered as to how this one
| in the pink frock would accept a note
were he to drop it into her garden.
But while the fruit blossoms were
| swaying beneath him and the sun
shining gloriously the, American birS
for the girl in the pink dress was evil
| IDENTIFY married and it would be per-
fectly conventional to make friends
now that she was properly guarded.
She had come out that morning and
| very tenderly, cautiously she had
pushed q great wheel chair out over
| the flag stones and down the garden
path until 1t rested beneath the fruit
trees. And in the chair was an Off
Ger. wounded hero of hers whom she
1 was wonderfully busy about until she
left him comfortably enjoying the sun
! lit garden and his pipe.
! After that she went back to the cot
tage and returned with chairs and
tables and was soon busily engaged in
4 painting them all a bright red.
Lieutenant French could stand 1t no
longer. He had painted garden chairs
Il a homes in fact, he had left paint on
4 almost everything there in the Long
7 Island: home SO that nothing would
! look shabby. ~ .s.S~
1 "fsay. sis. that Bristol pilot Is either
trying to sniff our apple blossoms or
lift a rev Dricks from our chimney.
Isn't he a 'beaut' of bird!" Dick
Raymond exclaimed enthusiastically,
and watched the huge wings drop still
lower. ~.
Betty and her brother could both see
the bird man himself now, and while
they waved their hands at him in ad-
miration and greeting he dropped a
small package, which landed almost at
Betty's feet.
The aeroplane went up and up,
buzzing loudly.
Betty. picked up the m;ssive and
gave little ry-of delight.
She unfurled a small American flag
and waved it aloft. Her brother grin
ned approximately.
"American!" they exclaimed in uni
son.
Betty opened the letter and read
. aloud. May come in this afternoon
cot 1yx%@
, ZONE and horribly lonesome Hoist
the Stars and Stripes if 1 may come,
please"
Poor duffer.'' said Dicky, 1T hope
you won't turn him down, SIS"
But sis was very far from turning
shed few tears for the lonely Ameri-
can. For answer she just climbed up
on her stepladder and Haunted the
small flag at the top of young cedar
, tree.
swoopfng down again Lieutenant
french waved joyously, then flew
away toward the aerodrome.
, In the afternoon he gave himself
the most unusual pleasure of taking
some exquisitely fresh jonquils to a
lady. He quite reveled in the thrifty
emotion that besieged him as he car
l ried them toward the garden over
which he had so often flown.
He was greeted as an old friend and
taken directly into the small home
1 circle.
IL Yankees, What 1uck," Re exclain-
ed the moment they had shaken
hands. This is too good to he true
J and he found himself more than ever
at home.
E Il have only been over about four
months" tsaid Getty after they had
: wheeled Dicky into a comfortable nook
$ beneath the fruit blossoms and were
5 talking as fast as only the Yankee
{ tongue can move. my brother was
Y SO badly wounded that he was allowed
I to cable to me- said he couldn't pull
l. thru to fight some more if I wasn't
1 here" She laughed softly toward hel
4 brother
what ship did you come on?" ask
! ed the bird man, realizing already thai