The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1918-09-27
Betty and the
Bird Man
IN
By DOROTHY DOUGLAS
Copyright. 1915. by the Mcclure Newspa.
per SyndicAte.)

NCopyrl9nt. 1913. by the Mcclure Newspa-
per SyndicAte.)
Betty's eyes were a wonderful blue
and her hair a dusky brown, her lips
We're like poppy buds and her Teeth
were-but the lonely airman who flew
daily over Betty's garden did not know
all his. Neither did he know or ever
suspect that Betty was as lonely as
he.
Betty's. gardeL vas walled in by q
great brick wall. But there was much
TO do in the garden and the lieutenant
OF the American flying corps who 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
big Cunarder with many troops some
three months before, and each day Of
the three months had brought a more
s%ickening sense Of loneliness. His
home in Long Island was just a mod
est country cottage. but there was a
garden, a cat, his dog Binks and a
family that the young lieutenant
thought the finest in the world.
He had been flying very low, almost
brushing the tree tops of Epping for
est, when suddenly at the very edge OF
the forest he looked down into a gar
den that made his heart beat with
Inconsistencies. There was a Dink-clad
girl working among the flowers.
That was all he had seen the first
day. After that Il glimpse of the
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
vas a prisoner in the hangar, the fly
ing man chafed inwardly. When the
moon was bright and the Huns were
making attempts to cross the coast,
he wanted only to fly above Betty's
garden and. In a sense, feel that he
vas protecting her and her dear home
from harm.
The fruit blossoms were out and bill
lowed out like foamy clouds in a sky
below him when Lieutenant French
had about come to the conclusion that
he would have to come n cropper or
drop down into that walled. garden by
accident if he were to live on in Es-
sex. 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 1t into her gar
den.
But while the fruit blossoms were
swaying beneath him and the sun
shining %gloriously, the American bird
man found courage to drop his note,
for the girl in the pink dress was evi-
IDENTIFY married, and it would be per-
fectly conventional to make friends,
now that she was perfectly guarded.
She had come out that morning and
very tenderly. cautiously she had
pushed a great wheel chair out owe
the flag stones and down the garden
path until it rested beneath the fruit
trees. And in the chair was an Off
Ger. wounded hero Of hers, whom she
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
bles, and vas soon busily engaged in
painting them all a brilliant red.
Lieutenant French could stand 1t no
longer. He had painted garden chairs
at home; in fact. he had left paint on
almost everything there in the Long
Island home. SO that nothing would
look shabby.
II say, sis, that Bristol pilot Is either
trying to sniff our apple blossoms or
lift q few bricks from our chimney.
Isn't he a 'beaut' Of a bird !" Dick Ray
mond exclaimed enthusiastically, and
watched the huge wings drop still
lower.
Betty and her brother could both
see the birdman himself now, and
while they waved their hands at him
Ill b"uIliTAllOH dHu greeting lie Opp
a small package, which landed almost
at Betty's feet.
The airplane went up and up, buzz
ing loudly.
Betty picked up the missive and
gave a little cry of delight.
She unfurled a small American fms
and waved 1t aloft. Her brother
grinned appreciatively.
American |" they exclaimed In hni-
son.
Betty opened the letter mi read
aloud: "May I come this afternoon
and get acquainted? Am far from
home and horribly lonesome. Hoist
the Stars and Stripes IL / may come,
please"
"Poor duffer,'' said Dick; II hope
you won't turn him down. SIS"
But Sis was very far from turning
him down. She was, in fact, ready to
shed a few tears for this lonely Amer
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