The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1918-06-25
THE DAILY
SHORT STORY
A Study MOnOgamy.
By JANE OSBORN
Copyright. 1918. BY the Mcclure

obFated old uncle, James Devridge.
tod him in his blunt. quaint way that
Philip WAS = lazy, loafing. worth
u Fhilip-was a lazy, loafing, worth
lcI8 specimen Of humanity, and utterly
unworthy OF being named James DeV'
lifgo's sole heir. as had been that dis
tinguished mans original intentions.
On the charge Of never having done
anything IN life that he had not been
ma1e % DO. Philip mentioned the fact,
not q al boastfuliy but only in SELF
defence, that he had brought down
various prizes for his amateur pho
togTaDhy.
eyes, but what value has Il been
pictures OF pretty girls and horses or
tomething Of that sort" muttered the
GA scientist. III you could get photo.
rFaphs Of birds that would do 70 Illus
irate this book I've been working over
they might count for something
"GiVe me a chance" challenged the
nc1heW. what sort Of pictures do you
WANT
READ the manuscript end find out 70
was the uncle's ansvCr THE books
among the birds Of cc-tc-n North
America. II is not a popular work at
Cd. I doubt II you can make head or
tan Of Il. II requires a scientific point
% view, and that you don't possess
"I1l try It," sGid the nephew, and
the day after work at college was over
Ne started of 70 a little cabin IN the
northern mountain country Of Now
Enrlaud, where his uncle had in years
part done considerable observation OF
bird life. there TO get the photographs
the uncle had assured him he couldn't
rct. Phillip was perfectly confident OF
his lenses and his camera and his
photography. The thing that troubled
him vas knowing what sort Of pic
lures to take For the Grst three days
81 his stcy n the woods country he
read the duplicate manuscript his uu-
cio had givcn him. Frankly he was E)t
very much encouraged.
Then he yearned for a lotup ~ his
solitude. and with characteristic blunt
ness asked the Old c0untryman who
drove the stage that passed his door
lEiCo q day whether there were any
nioe girls n the r7,Rhb)rhood. "There
y only ono g0od.lloko.,' said the old
nan, who seemed to have made care
iui observations. "and she's quCc.
You wouldn't like her and wouldn't
have anything 70 do with you. ether
She lives alone IN the summer in
rhaci: IN the woods re-t 10 yours.
shes awful queer. Blu, she do be g3od
lcokinr."
Elbows sac queer?" auiereI pnflliD.
Powerful queec-that'5 how quce".
8hd-eOmctimo5 sets = whole day az 2
time under bus IN the gully. and one
day scen her setting way up in the
tlp top OF a tree Wcll she was there
when went down IN the morning and
Gtlil there when I come home IN the
Afternoon. Don't know how she got
there. but there she was And she
goea around with opera glasses, last
a. il she thousht there was a show
going on. and she Whistles all CHR
r0p9 TO herself. nnd-wcll. there's no
do1bt but she's queer" concluded the
DID man with a significant tapping Of
ne side OF his own head. "a II TO indi.
cate where the weakness lay.
Philip needed no further proof. He
believed the old man had exaggerated
the matter, but he had NJ dogbt OF the
young wOman's dementia. one day
~ wa3 still reading his unclc's manu-
scfipt, hoping to find clue az to what
bis photographs should be he saw
the strange young lady. sitting not In
ne top OF one OF her own trees, but
ID the top vt one Of tho trees very near
q his own shack. He looked at her
irom the safety Of his shack and then
assuming 4 perfectly confident air and
cheerful whistle. ventured out and
began 70 walk noisily about the tree.
"Oh, please tread softly" said the
firango young lady. 81 think they are
settling hers in this tree. II you dis.
iuTb them they may 90 off again.
Please 80 away. won't YOU" Philip
withdrew and did not return till later
ln the day, when the young lady de.
scended very quietly.
think they are located" she told
him. They are in the next tree-two
brushes. ! watched them in my own
trees and then they came over here.
can watch them beautifully from
this other tree that was sitting in.
7 hope you don't mind"
why, please, were you watching
iust those thrushes?" he asked her.
and she told him that il he would let
her stay and eat lunch with him in his
shack instead Of having to tramp back
the half mile to her own he would
take time to tell him II was in his
little cabin dining-room over a rustic
sort 81 luncheon that Philip prepared
f1r ihem-eofiec smoky OF aroma. but
dellc.ous 70 the appetite, sharpened by
woods afr, sliced ham, dry biscuit and
theese-that the gill explained.
Vel. you see, am making a study
oi monOgamV among birds-that is. l
want % get q little data that will be
70 some value in establishing the fact
that thTuShes either are or are not
monogamOus-thGt Is, that they do or
DON'T mate for life. Last year worked
hard al summer I studied the birds
|rom the tree tops and from under the
hedges. No one knows how long sat
I'Icnily % aS 70 not disturb them and
trapped some Of them long enough TO
'asIen little bracelets on their ankles.
ueW that II the same birds came
back q these trees this year and
naIe with the same mates, then
would have some small fact 20 contrib.
l'e i0'thls great study. And now two
d ne birds with my bracelets have
come Daek and think they are the
ua.e9 % last year. Once they set
Iel'lel foF nesting can get closer to