The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1920-03-10

Bird ,TIa,ik.,

sI ca RAY ri KER. "A

sSGZNsHIRRUP cftirrup. p remarked
canary ID the living room.
Chirrup, chirrnp. respond.
81 the canary in the dining room.
ChirTup, chirrup, obserbed the
canary In the kitchen. 81
chtrrup. chi rup, chirrup. chirrup,"
ecnoea q chorus of canaries from the
tnree bed rooms, the bathroom and
There was g yellow bird for every
teom IN Mis- Elberta ,Bronson's big
oidS house. They had possession.
unite canary crazy, Phoebe
levitt her niece, was wont to remark.
ous can't turn around without run.
ning Into cage. Still ! rather like
Aunt liberia raised the birds be.
cause she loved them. Frequently
mere were additions to her family Of
eongsters but she never parted with
one of them. i.i s51
Phoebe was sitting at the kitchen
Mlnaoy king into the green forest
NnichS frtnged the house at one side,
an)s the back She was waiting for the
Weter 20 heat so she could wash the
oinrler dishes. The telephone had
ceited her aunt to town, a halfsnile
distant on business matters, and
fnoebe whoaspent the summers with
ner relnttye had offered to put the
house 70 rights.
Az she sat there she fell into rev
erie. and y little smile played about
per fptI red lips, and something like a
pluan showed through the tan OF her
lace, a shaft Of sunlight, finding its
way through the wind dow, blended with
ner hair which was Of "a soft yellow
The blush was occasioned by her.
touehts, which had to do with Philip
Weldon whom she expected to marry.
fnlitp had sked her and she had half
consented. She had mot fully prom.
17ed, because well, she was not quite
sure that she loved him, and besides
1r had been somewhat sudden. She
naQ not suspected that Philips affec.
ton Vent quite that deep.
There was no good reason why
Pnoebe should not marry Philip. He
came Of the wealthiest family in
parksburg OF course, that was not
saying such great deal, for Sparks.
burg was small place, but the Wei
Qons were the best family, socially and
financially eaking, in the commu.
nifty Besides Philip had real culture;
ne was college man and was only:
s2endtng the summer at his home.
AZ Rohebe watched from the win.
cow She saw something that brought
4er Out Of her abstraction. The some
ming was o young man, unusually big
Of bptld CARRIED in rather rough gar.
meuts, who was sauntering along the
nearby path camera dangling from q
strap round his shoulder
"Jed Gummins; =, she said, and 1ustI
then he looked toward the house.
raised his hat fher and walked on.
MS pace Quick ening slightly. Phoebe
uodded, but that was all. )
je4 wassthes only imam besides Philip
WHO had ever played "a very important
part In herfltfe. She had become &C.
Qnatnted with him the previous sum.
mer and they had spent many hours
together roaming the woods. 4. pastima
they both enjoyed greatly.
Jen also WAS q college man, but his
alma mater was an agricultural school
instead University, like Philips.
HIS parents lived on big farm and
vere fnirly well to do.
The only objection Phoebe had had
70 Je6 Yves his uncouth ways. She
more than half.suspected that they
were put that she delighted in old
clothes and rough speech. ON sew.
eral ocastons, in fact, he had sur.
prised her with flow Of perfect Ian.
Su7ge, but this always was when he
was discusstng nature, which seemed
TO be strong hobby with him.
When the present summer had be.
gun Philip had been the first Of the
two TO come home from school, and he
tool1 9 fancy to Phoebe at the start.
a month later Jeff appeared, and then
ccurredS the event that caused the
Fture Of relations between him and
oebe. The event was fistic en-
counter between JET and Philip. In
which the latter was badly worsted.
Phoebe sdetested displays OF brute VIC.
Ieuce, and when she learned that the
light had been In some way connected
With her she promptly notified JEFF.
that his attentions were no longer de.
Phoebessat In thought for moment
after 5eff disappeared into the woods,
but the singing Of the tea kettle told
her the water; was sufficiently warm
Tor the dishes, and she went to work.
She hadsonly got nicely started, how.
ever. when there came knock at the
Hitehen dooT, and when she opened Il
PhsJip Weldon, smiling and inmacu.
! late, carrying rifle, stood there.
Going into the understanding. (" he
announced. want to come along?'
She pointed to the stack OF dishes
Can't she told him. what are Won
going To hnnt?
ooh anything; probably nothing. ii
Just carry this little weapon for com.
panicnship. fsee You on the way back,
maybe.s1,,s b.
ne left and Phoebe ratified the dish.
es, somewhat piqued. Jeff had aided
III washing dishes more than once:
but them Jeft was uncouth-and he
was Q fighter, a ruffian. Philips cul.
tlire had no place In dish water.
As Phoebe finished the dishes her
aunt came back, suffering something
about Outrageous fees charged by law.
yefs. She forgot about business wor-
ries, however. and began a tour OF IN.
spection of her pets.
You poor dears," she told the can.
aries. You've been shut up IN those
stnfiy little cages all day. You're