The daily banner. (Cambridge, Md.) 1897-2008, 1918-08-24

MRS. RED TOP.
FL MHrY GDAHAM BONNER

you showed how much brighter you
were than the others said Mr.. Red
Top after Il moment.
Mrs. Red Top had been Mrs. Speck-
led Hen, but Red Top, the rooster,
had told her he wished to make her
Mrs. Red Top. and as she had always
admired him, She was delighted to ac-
cept his kind invitation!
The other hens had been Jealous be-
cause Mrs. Speckled Hen had tried to
be so nice to Red Top and had wanted
to hear his sad story so she could COM
fort him.
She had called them cats, and they
had thought she had gone insane. They
knew they weren't eats at all. They
knew they We're hens! But they didn't
know that Mrs. Speckled Hen, as she
was then, had meant that they We're
jealous and like cats. She hadn't gone
crazy. nor did she think they were
cats. No. indeed. She was only US
ing an expression she had heard.
Red Top thought it splendid that
she was so much wiser than the 9th
had gone away feeling much ashamed
of themselves. while Red Top and the
new Mrs. Red Top stayed to have their
talk.
"Ah," began Red Top, my poor dear
grandfather vas terribly frightened
by these motor cars"
81 can understand his fear" said
Mrs. Red Top kindly.
You dear, good, sympathetic hen,"
said Red Top, smiling at her in his
rooster way.
Il interrupted" said Mrs. Red Top.
"Pray continue with your story. l
want so much to hear it, and to be
comfort to you if can"
".Ah, my dear Mrs. Red Top" said
Red Top, affectiOnately; 81 will con-
tinue at once.
81 don't believe my great-grandfa-
Their lived in the days of motor cars
that is, l don't think he did. I new
er met him, and so l never heard him
say, but l know one thing-hens and
ROSTERS lived long before motor cars"
THAT'S So" Mrs. Red Top agreed.
at seems pity" continued Red
Top, chat motors should take up so
much room. Yes, they take up the
greater part of the road, it seems to
me; and what annoyed my dear grand
father so was that their honk-honk
was receiving a great deal more at
tention than our Growing. In fact,
people didn't have to pay much at
tention to our growing except in the
early morning, but they always had to
pay attention to the hOnk-honking of
q motorcar and if they didn't sad
fate befell them.
Sand so it is really not mysterious
that it bothered my grandfather and
that 1 am not sure whether it both
cred my great-grandfather or not, but
I hardly think SO, for motors are
young, impertinent things, and roost-
ers are old-old and wise"
"Yes,' sighed Red Top, ''the art of
growing is very oldr'
"We can surely be comforters to
each other" said Mrs. Red Top, "fOr
I know all about horrid motor cars
most certainly I do" And at this
she wiped her eyes on leaf handker-
chief she carried.
"They're so foolish said Red Top,
''for they only stir up dust and cause
so much trouble. The great difficulty
which I have is that 1 never know
which side of the road TO go on. One
moment I think / will go one way
and the next moment I decide to go
the other way"
"Oftentimes," said Mrs. Red Top, Il
very narrowly escape danger, but
then Tn not going to let those people
who run motorcars think they can
make NE go just as they please. If
q hen wants to change her mind, she
is entitled to. That is the great priv
ilege of a hen. And those stupid peo-
pie in motorcars don't understand
that"
"Ah," said Red Top, 'you've shown
them something though"
"What?" inquired Mrs. Red Top,
wondering if Red Top had really heard
the secret.
"You're showing them that you're
independent. You're not going to lay
eggs any time they want you to-no,
you're going to take your own sweet
time about it. Yes. if they will be so
modern with their old dust-stirring,
road-taking, honk-honking automobiles
you can show them you're so rich and
valuable and expensive these days
that you will only lay eggs when you
feel like it, So often eggs are scarce.
"Yes," he finished, ga hen is royal
creature these days