The northwestern bulletin., 1923-07-21
What the Cat-Bird
Knew,
By CLARlSSA MAcKlE

"went away and never has been
heard FROM" asserted Captain Halliday,
as he refilled his pipe and pulled out
q battered matchbox. II always ask
folks from the city II they know Rob
ert Lands, but no one ever had up to
the time you came to the village"
1T may not be the same person"
said Mrs. Bentiy, as she knitted busily.
They were sitting on the bottom Of an
upturned boat on the shore, and the
captain had been relating many stories
to the city boarder. II have met q
Robert Lands; he Is q young newspa-
per man, and he lives In the same
boarding house that do In the city. /
have often talked with him, but he
never mentioned Shelbeach--in fact. he
knew / was coming here. but he did
not apepar to be interested"
"Huml Is he marriedY asked the
captain.
"Oh, no."
"Does he seem to like the girlsT
Mrs. Bently laughed. Il cannot say
that he seems much interested In them |;
he seems like rather q grim, silent
young man, absorbed In his work and
not particularly happy"
"Shoi" muttered the captain. That
sounds like he ought to be, but not
how he uster be around here. He was
just wild about my niece Sally
"The pretty, black-eyed girl who
lives with your
Yes Five years ago she was only
eighteen, and prettier than she Is now
more color, and her eyes were happy.
She was engaged to Robert Landis.
They quarreled about something, and
he went of; she's that proud she never
mentioned his name after that-only
she's wistful and never 50 gay and hap
py AZ before"
II am so sorry." murmured Mrs.
Bently. els there anything can do
to bring them together7 It Ii deli
cate situation. But II seems dreadful
that they should miss their chance for
happiness"
MY theory II that there Is some
misunderstanding" commented the
captain There they were, happy rs
clans at high water. writing each other
every day, having 4 post ONCE In q
hole In q hollow tree in the orchard.
One day not 20 long ago I was coming
across the orchard at dusk--and there
was Sally, leaning against the old tree.
crying as II her heart would break
"Don'tr'' cried Mrx Bently, taking
out her handkerchief.
There's the vase !" said the captain,
gruffly. "Thank you, ma'am, for lis
tening-good afternoon" He trudged
up the beach with his fishing tackle
and string Of Ash and disappeared
through hole In q broken fence.
"The poor little thing" murmured
Mrs. Bently. thinking of Sally and her
sad love story. II believe / win 60
home for 4 weekend, and I will carry
with me some snapshot pictures; one
must be Of that old orchard and the
post ONCE In the tree, and one must be
Of Sally at her prettiest; I must catch
her secretly. and then some odd ones
of the beach and other parts Of the
village, but those two will be mingled
In and he cannot help but see them"
So Mrs. Bently spent one busy day
with her camera. and then she took
train for the city. Captain Halliday
missed her pleasant companionship on
the beach, and went fishing every day.
Sally sang about her housework. In q
soft, sad little voice, and sometimes
her eyes wandered out to the old apple
tree where there was q messy hollow
In the trunk-that was always empty
now. A tangls Of bushes had grown
up around the old tree and amid the
sharp thorns Of brier q catbird had
built her loosely constructed nest
Brown twigs, leaves. bits of grass, q
scrap Of old newspaper, all helped ia
build the home for the hungry brood
They had flown away, and the parent
birds still chung to the old nest, utter
ing their clever mimicry Of other song
sters or making that strange. mewina
cry so like q cat Sally liked the beau.
tiful gray creatures, for they had re
turned to the same old nest year after
year. How often she had seen then
on her fruitless visits to the old tryst
ing placel
That afternoon there came a terrific
windstorm. and all the fishing boat,
hurried Into port Just before the storm
burst In Its fury. Captain Halliday wa,
among the first to arrive. and he put ur
his boat and hurried home to help Sally
close the heavy shutters and make the
old house snug against the gale.
"we're In for bit Of wind. my dear,
said the captain, as he sat down to q
hot. savory supper.
TT IL raining, Uncle Peter; listen
said Sally, pouring out his tea.
There was the steady beat Of rair
on the roof. the chink Of water running
through the gutter pipes. the sound Of
thrashing trees.
They awoke next morning to sod
den world Of soaking land, fallen trees
and q beach strewn with driftwoot
from -Wreckers island. When thu
waves rushed over wreckers island on,
knew II was the worst storm Of the sea
son, for then the waves brought in {
great quantity Of broken ships timber
Of which there was always q plenty OF
the island.