Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1923-07-13
What the Cat-Bird
Knew
BY CLARISSA MACKIE

hcuEu IrOIup asserted captain hdliludyI
as he refilled his pipe and pulled out
a battered matchbox. 81 always ask
folks from the city If they know Rob-
ert Lands, but no one ever had up to
the time you came to the village"
ut may not be the same person"
said Mrs. Bently, 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. Il have met a
Robert Lands; he is young newspa-
per man. and he lives in the same
boarding house that do in the city. l
have often talked with him, but he
never mentioned Shelbeach-in fact, he
knew was coming here, but he did
not APPEAR to be interested"
Hum Is he marriedT" asked the
captain.
"Oh, no."
Does he seem to like the girlsY
Mrs. Bently laughed. 81 cannot say
that he seems much Interested in them
he seems like rather a grim, silent
young man, absorbed In his work and
not particularly happy"
'Show muttered the captain. "That
sounds like he ought to be, but not
how he ulster be around here. He was
just wild about my niece Sally"
"The pretty, black-eyed girl who
lives with your
Eyes. 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 Lands.
They Quarreled about something, and
he went off; she's that proud she never
mentioned his name after that-only
she's wistful and never so gay and hap
py as before"
II am so sorry" murmured Mrs
Bently. SIS there anything 1 can do
to bring them together? 1t Is a dell
cate situation. But 1t seems dreadful
that they should miss their chance for
happiness"
my theory is that there Is some
misunderstanding" commented the
captain. There they were, happy as
clans at high water, writing each other
every day, having a post Office in a
hole In a hollow tree in the orchard
One day not so long ago 1 was coming
across the orchard at husband there
was Sally, leaning against the old tree
crying as If her heart would break"
DON'T" cried Mrs. Bently, taking
out her handkerchief
fGTNy, a,.ay, 4l,o .,oaa ~ catI tho oo,Afolr
gruffly. "Thank YOU'D ma'am, for lls-
tening- good afternooh." He trudgtd
up the beach with his fishing tackle
and string of fish and disappeared
through hole in broken fence.
1.-THE poor little thing" murmured
Mrs Bently, thinking Of Sally and her
sad love story Il believe I will go
home for weekend, and I will carry
with me some snapshot pictures; one
must be of that old orchard and the
post Office In the tree, and one must be
of Sally at her prettiest; 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 a
soft, sad little voice, and sometimes
her eyes wandered out to the old apple
tree where there was messy hollow
in the trunk-that was always empty
now. A tangle of bushes had grown
up around the old tree and amid the
sharp thOrns of brier a catbird had
built her loosely constructed nest
Brown twlgs, leaves, bits Of grass, a
scrap Of old newspaper, all helped to
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, mewing
cry 50 like 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 them
on her frutless visits TO the old tryst-
Ing place!
That afternoon there came terrific
wlndstorm, and all the fishing boats
hurried into port just before the storm
burst in its fury. Captain Halliday was
among the first to arrive, and he put up
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 a
hot, savory supper.
ut is raining, Uncle Peter; llsten,"
said Sally, pouring out his tea.
There was the steady beat Of rain
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 beach strewn with drlftwood
from Wreckers island. When the
waves rushed over Wreckers island one
knew 1t was the worst storm Of the sea-
son, for then the waves brought in a
great quantity of broken ships timber,
OF which there was always a plenty on
the island.
Captain Halliday went down to the
beach to gather some Of the driftwood
for the winter fires, and Sally wan
dered through her ruined flower garden
and then out to the orchard. There
we're cries OF distress from the cat
birds, who we're perched in the old ap-
Mo fpaa Sally found their frail naat