Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1921-07-13
THE DAILY NOVELETTE,
NicodeB,us the Bad


"I wish," said Lolita coolly "thnt
you, yon would kindly return my white
rooster"
An indignant face. very red. topped
with battered straw hat, came up
on the other side Of the high hedge,
''What white rooster?'' he inquired.
Lotta waved sunburned hand
toward the next door chicken house.
"Ah--true enough, the beast doesn't
belong here at all--how did It get in
side?"
II don't know" said Lotta patiently.
"when he does come back, l shall lock
him up"
"That's fine" returned Dick Paine,
cheerfully grinning at her; Hes
fearful pest. you know"
Hes a dear" retorted Lotta, who
had petted Nicodemus, the white cock
erel, from the very day its heartess
mother had repudiated it.
''Too dear to me - gritted Mr.. Paine.
He's scratched up all our flower beds
after we sold our own chickens SO
"a to have some flowers" He had
lifted the protesting Nicodemus from
the empty chicken house and handed
the bird across the hedge to Lotta. who
rewarded him with a sweet, malicious
smile
"You are growing very Grabbed and
nagging, Dicky. You are going to be
most disagrceable old man
Dicky glowcred at his late iiancce.
Possibly ! may not live TO be an old
man" he said stiffly.
Lotta smiled. II will come and plant
posies on your grassy mound, Mr.
Paine
"That will be a privilege reserved for
my widow" he tossed over his shoulder
yh, lac
His widow
Lolita had not thought of that pos
s.bilty. To leave n widow DiCky must
first maryland for him to marry and
bring q wife home to the darling house
next door where they had planned to
live--t was an intolerable thought
Nicodemus, the miserable white
cockerel, had been the cause of all the
trouble He. the wandcrfoot of the
chicken tribe. would never stay inside
the chicken runs. His wings had both
been clipped, but whenever he chose he
smiled triumphantly over the ten foot
wire fence and lodged under the hedge
into Dicky's yard. He always went
there as soon as Dicky had planted any
very choice flowers or seeds or bulbs.
Lotta thought OF all these things and
gave the white cockerel vicious little
shake. How under the sun did the
cockere manage to fly so high? He
must have had an eagle for an ancestor.
she thought dolcfully, or else nc had
motor inside of him like an H!rplane.
She opened the door OF the chicken run,
found an empty coop aud locked NlCo-
demus i'll duranCe vile.
There" she sighed. You have
made trouble enough in the last four
weeks.
You mad at Nicodemus:" asked her
little brother Tom.
He is so wild, Tommy" ev0ded
Lottn.
Give him to me-" begged Tom
he would be as much of a pest as
ever-but you can have him. dear, only
don't let him fly over into Mr.. Paine $
garden. That's n dear
MIR. Paine? You mean Dcky?"
Tom was round eyed.
"Of course" said Lotta shortly as
she went into the house, and Tom saw
that she had been crying. It's that
old Nicodemus bird" said the little
boy. Hes made lot Of trouble and
he oughter be sackcrficed-l those
people cook told me about l think
I'll talk to cook some more about it. -
Cook, who had watched the love idyl
of Lotta Ames and Dick Paine. only to
see IL shattered oy quarrel which
began over Nicodemus, the bad white
cockerel, listened gravcly to Tommy :
story. I'm help you out Master
Tommy" she said, "only you must do
exactly as | say. Tomorrow your
birthday, you know.
And I'm to have n party"
And you're to ask Mr. Paine at the
very last minute. 50 he cant refuse"
"l'll cry if be refuscs--he likes me. 4"
said Tommy. He wouldn't disappont
a little boy he liked -
And he didn't but Tommy had really
to shed tears on his seventh birthday