The herald. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1905-1953, 1922-08-31
Aunt Myrtle's
Legacy
Bv CLARA DELAFIELD

he could never stand the atmosphere
Of her apartment, with its Victorian
hOrsehair, its STIFFNESS, and the par
rot that shrieked invective at hin
whenever he appeared.
Yet, as the only heir to Aunt Myr
ties fortune, Higgins had tolerated
these things. He had fed the parrot
sugar, and had smiled when II nlpped
him In return, as the beast had 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 to appear with the will. HiS-
gins nerves were tense.
There came the expected ring at the
door and old Mrs. Field went to ad-
NIT Mr.. Prentiss. At the same mo-
ment came a shrek from the parrot.
"Silly fool! Silly fool, Arthur Hig-
gins !" 1t called. Think you'll 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 devil
watched him from Its perch, one eye
shut, It's head on one side, judging,
cOndemning him.
"Silly fool :" 1t shrieked.
Higgins seized 1t from the perch,
wrung Its neck, snapped the chain that
held 1t, and tossed II into a corner Of
the room.
He returned Just In time for Mrs.
Field and the lawyer.
The will was read. Mrs. Field got
a thousand dollars. Arthur Higgins
got =.
ITO my nephew, Arthur Higgins, in
consideration Of his attentions to his
old aunt during lifetime, my house
on Park street and a capital sum of
forty thousand dollars, to be invested
IN government bonds, the interest
thereof to be paid to him so long as
my darling Flou-fou, my parrot, re-
mains alive and well. Upon the death
of the said Flou-fou, the said capital
sum to be divided between the Home
for Feathered orphans and the paro-
chial schools.
Even as he listened to the CHASTITY
Jest Higgins felt sure his aunt had
imagined parochial had something to
do with parrots.
And Flou-flou lay dead In Aunt Myr-
ties bedrooml
Then this house Is minef" asked
Higgins.
1T is, Mr.. Higgins and
"How soon can I take possession Of
iii?
Immediately" replied Mr.. Prentiss
''The house Is yours"
"Then," said Higgins desperately,
Il want to be left quite alone for the
rest of the day, in order to familiarize
myself with It, Mrs. Field, you can
take a days holiday"
He soothed the mystifed and lit
tie indignant housekeeper, who at
length put on her hat and departed
for her married sisters, leaving Hig-
gins instructions to be sure and not |
forget to put out some sunfiower seeds |
for Flou-fou.
AS soon as the house was empty !
Higgins rushed downtown to an ami |
NAL dealers shop he knew. There,
among other feathered denfzens, was
an almost exact replica of the devil
which he had killed. He knew Flou-
fou by sight, and this one was feather
for feather the same bird.
The only drawback was that 1t ap-
peared to be Of singularly gentle dis
position. However, there was no help
for 1t. Higgins completed the pur-
chase and, taking his acquisition In a
small, wooden cage, he hurried home
with It.
Rushing into Aunt Myrtle's bedroom,
he had soon affixed the new Flou-flou
to his perch. He was about to look
FOR the dead bird when there came a
tapping at the door Of the living room.
Hurrying out with muttered objurpa.
tons, Higgins saw Mrs. Fields.
The good woman was breathless. "
Just hurried back to say, Mr.. Higgins
that Flou-flou has to have her rest
every afternoon" she said. "Tbe
shades have to be drawn; and when
me wakes up she'll want little water
md"
'Bz-z-z-zzw from Aunt Myrtle's bed.
Dom; and then q sound as II all the
devils in hell had gone on
he rampage.
IT'S Flou-foul A cats got inw
Mrs. Field, and, despite Hie.
'ins efforts to hold her, she darted
'ast him and was In Aunt Myrtle's
'edroom in a flash.
"Bz-z-zzl Ee-e-e-eel Yow-ow-ov.
wi" came from the room, and. min.
lied with the sound of screeching and
ne whir Of flying feathers and the
attling Of the chain, came Mrs. Fields
iercing shrieks.
Like man who goes to meet his I
ate. Higgins walked into the room.
he uproar suddenly ceased, and the
My sounds now heard were the con.
ulsive sobs Of the housekeeper.
Upon the perch, the chain about its
q, sat the new parrot that Higgins
ad bought, preening the bald places
here feathers had once been. The
arpet was strewn with debris of the
ght.
And underneath, killed for the sec.
nh Tina Low a. |