Baraboo weekly news. [volume] (Baraboo, Wis.) 1912-197?, 1923-12-06
Luella's Bird-Like
Singing
e - - - - ~ - - - - - - - - - q -
By ELLA SAUNDERS
20, 1922. Western Newspaper Union)

/ 60, 1872. western Newspaper Union
"Drat that ngirl, wish she could
learn to Go the homework without
singin' all dayr' exclaimed Mrs. Hi
ram Brown angrily.
In the kitchen Luella exercised the
immemoriai privilege of hired girls,
| ignorant Of the opposition that She
aroused in her mistress cranky breast.
| And no enc but crank could have OBJ
jected to Luella's singing.
Lucia was as pretty as a picture
She was eighteen, small, dainty, and
had q voice like birds. And what
she always sang was Home, Sweet
Home" at least nearly always.
Down the road came tramp. His
clothes were rags, his face unshaven,
his eyes bleared, his hands grimy. In
one pocket was bottle of wood alco-
hol. 1t was warm summer day, and
he was planning to drink himself into
! forgetfulness under a tree.
Its fine of Brother Tom to tell
me he'd give me one more chance if
| like to go an work on his farm he
ieered. Work, work-thats all they
want of you. l guess I'm through
working. 'Tain't as if anybody'd ever
done anything for me, either. When
| the old man kicked me out O. the place
that settled my hash. ! guess | don't
want that home Brother Tom was
talkin about. My homes the open,
till my strength gives out, and then
it's to the poOrhouse."
Luellas bird-like song struck on his
ear. He scowled.
"Confound them girls, always sing
I'M" he snarled Sounds like as
if she's happy. What's she got to
sing aboutY'
But as he came abreast of the house
he stopped to listen. He clenched his
fists and scowled But tears started
into his eyes.
"Gol-durn that wench!" he solilo-
cuized. "Upsettin' Teller like thatT'
He took two or three irresOlute
steps and looked up at the sky.
Guess it's goin' to rain, after all, -
he said. Might as well think over
that offer of Toms again, / s'pose."
He drew forth the whisky bottle. "Oh,
what's the user he asked, and tossing
| it into a hedge, he started in the OPP
poste direction.
A man and a girl came by in
car.
you see," the man was saying, sit
isn't as if she'd ever cared for me.
She chose to leave me, andtshe'Il never
come back, and why should our happi-
ness wait upon the worlds opiniOn?"
But" stammered the girl.
mo one will ever know you're not
a legal wife, Annie. And I'll be true
to you forever"
The girl considered this. She loved
him with all her heart, and yet
Luella went on singing. As Annie
heard, the tears flooded her eyes. She
laid her hand softly upon the mans.
"No, / can't dear" she answered.
"You see, tit wouldn't be really
home"
Down the road came a poor woman
and a man, looking like prosperous
workman. The man was urging some
thing, the woman hesitating.
You see all your troubles would
be at an end. Polly" he said. Wen
get married right away. you won't
need to go out to work no more, and
III look after your property. nice
little fat with your own furniture
i Only"
The woman raised appealing eyes
to his.
"Only, Polly, you'll have to get rio
of the kid I'm not going to bring
ur your first husbands child That's
not reasonable Maybe We'll have
some kids of our own. You'll soon for
get it."
FORGET it? Would she?
"You. see, it's not as if the chiId
would ever remember you, Polly. All
you've got to Go is to leave it on the
doorstep of the Founding home, and
it won't come 10 no harm. They've
got to take it in, and then we can get
married. Well" he added, seeing her
uncertainty, ..what d'you say to thati"
Listen. what's that?" said Polly,
stopping to hear Luelia's song.
Only q girl singing, | guess
Polly listened, then turned to him,
/ ner eyes Drumming with tears.
"No. i can't do it, Joe, much as |
lone you. cant let my own child
be brought up in a founding home
among strangers, without mothers
love. Coo i,nows there's little can
give it, bat l can give it thatr'
The man shrugged his shoulders.
Just as you say. Polly" he answered.
Mrs Hiram Brown upstairs heaved
sigh of relief. Thank heaven that
girls stopped singingp p she said. It's
sing. sing. sing from morning to night
What good ever comes of singing beats
me, I'm sure"
Marriage and All That.
MARRIAGE used to mean cleaVing to