Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1922-12-21
Aunt Myrtle's
Legacy
BY CLARA DELAFIELD

nc tuNiu never SidilN me atmosphere
of her apartment. with its Victorian
horseliaii, rs stiffness. and the par
no, that shrieked inyectiye at him
whenever ne appeared.
Yet, as the only heir TO Aunt Myr-
tle's fortune, Higgins had tolerated
,hcse things He had fed the parrot
sugar, and had smiled when It nipped
him in return as the beast had II habit
of doing. Their hate was mutual.
Aunt Myrtle died and was buried.
Higgins sat in the drawing room with
the old housekeeper. waiting for the
lawyer 10 appear with the will. Ilig-
gins nerves were tense.
There came the expected ring at the
door, and old Mrs. Field went 10 adj
nit Mr.. Prcntlss. At the same mo-
ment came a shrek from the parrot
"Silly fool. silly fool, Arthur lilg-
gins :" it called. Think youll get the
old woman's money. don't your
with sudden insane fury Higgins
rushed into Aunt Myrtle's bedroom.
where the green and gray doYl
watched him from It's perch, one eye
shut its head on one side, judging,
condemning him.
"Snly fool ;" il shrieked.
Iligglns seized il from the perch,
wrung It's neck. snapped the chain that
held IL. and tossed it into corner of
the room
lie returned just in time for Mrs.
Field and the lawyer.
The will was read. Mrs. Field got
thousand dollars. Arthur Higgins
got
TO my nephew, Arthur Higgins, in
consideration OF his attentions To his
old aunt during a lifetime, my house
on Park street and capital sum of
forty thousand dollars. TO be invested
In government bonds the interest
thereof to De paid TO him so long a.
my darling Flou-hou, my parrot. re
mains alive and WELL Upon the death
of the said rl0u-hou. thc said capital
sam to bee divided between the Home
for Feahercd orphans and tine paro-
ehiu schools
Even as le listened TO the CHASTITY
iet HIGGINS felt sure his aunt had
im.g.npd par0chial had something 10
do with parrots.
And Flou-nou lay dead in Aunt Myr-
No's bedroom,
"rhen this house is mine?" asked
Higgins
ut IS. Mr. Higgins. and
GLOW soon can ! take possession OF
~"
"Immeliaiely," replied Mr.. Prentlss.
The house is yours"
"l'hcn." said Higgins desperately,
"I waga to he LETT quite alone for the
rest of tlc day, in order to familiarize
myself with it, Mgs Field, YOU can
take a days holiday"
ne sooihcd the mystifed and lit
no indignant housekecpcr, who AZ
length put ON her hat and departed
Tor Ter married sisters. leaving Hig-
GINS instructions TO be sure and not
forget 90 uut ont some sunaoWer seeds
FOR flou-lou.
As soon as the house was empty
Higgins rushed downtown to an ami
mai dealers shop hc knew There,
among other feathored denizens, was
an almost exact replica OF the devil
which he had killed. He knew Flou-
fou by silht. and this one was feather
FOR feather the same bird.
The only drawback was that it APP
nenrpd 10 he OF s.ngularly gentle dis
position. However. there was no help
ror it, higgins completed the pur-
ciase and. taking his acquisition in a
small. wooden cage, he hurried home
with it.
Rushing into Aunt NIyrtle's bedroom,
hp Had soon affixed the new Flou-flou
to his nsrch lie was about TO lool;
FOR the dead bird when there came n
topping AT the door Of the living room.
Hurrylng ont with muttered objurga-
lions. Higgins saw Mrs Fields.
The good woman was breathless. Il
inst hurried back TO say. Mr. Higgins.
.iat Elou-lou has to have her rest
o,ory afternoon" she said. The
shades have To- be drawn; and when
She wakes up she'll want little water
and"
"Bz-z-z-zz from Aunt 'Myrtle's bed
room: and then a sound as II an the
feathered devils in hell had gone on
the rampage.
It's Flou-nou 4 cats got i'm
screamed Mrs. Field. and. despite Ilig-
gins efforts 60 hold her, she darted
past him and was in Aunt Myrtle's
bedroom In fash.
"Ez-z-zz. Ee-e-e-ee. Yow-ow-ow-
owl" came from the room, and. min
glrd with the sound of screeching and
The whlr of flying feathers and the
rafting OF The chain, came Mrs Fields
piercing shrieks.
Like man who goes to meet his
fate. higgins walked into the room
The uproar suddenly ceased. and the
only sounds now heard were the con
vulsive sobs OF the housckecper.
Upon the perch, The chain about lis
leg. sat the new parrot that HIGGINS
had bought. preening the bald places
where feathers had once been. The
carpet was streWn with debris Of the
6rit.
And underneath, killed for the sec
ond time. lay Flou-nou, one glazing