Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-08-08

affections. And so they remained un.
married.
AS the years passed Martha grew
stout and calm. with passion for tat.
ting. She spent long hours with shut
tie in hand weaving intricate patterns
in snowy white thread. Sometimes
she hummed softly to herself and
sometimes she talked to her big yellow
| cat.
| Now, Bingo was a perfect bone of
contention between the sisters. Au-
| gusta hated cats. Bingo especially. for
sometimes in her remarks to Bngo
Martha said things that she would
not have dared to say directly to
| Augusta.
Augusta went in for culture. She
could repeat reams Of poetry in q
most lanSuishing voice, and it 10
marvellous what cutting things can be
| got out Of mere poem by one who
knows how to change word here and
there. That was Augustus weapon Of
defense. which she constantly hurled
at Martha. Augusta was thin and
stern and austere. with fondness for
wearing severe black.
Today the sisters were sitting to-
| gether in their cozy living room. A
bright fire burned in the crate.
| ~'A>Ai IAAeS was S1ItAiI6s do usual anu
Augusta, posed near the front window,
was read THE Dolls House" for
the tenth time. Bingo lay on a cush-
| ion before the fire. Silence reigned
| because the sisters were not speak
/ ing. Suddenly they were startled by a
loud knocking at the back door.
Augusta fastened to answer the
summons. When she opened the hack
door she was surprised to find an
| n Nv no .%A L4e 1t
stood a good sized crate. The man
touched his cap and held out an open
| book.
Sign here. ma'am," he said in a
busness-like way.
Augusta took the book and pencil
he offered and signed as directed.
| Whereupon the expressman slid the
crate through the open door and
turned and walked briskly away.
Augusta stood cycling the crate and
was just bending to get a closer look
when she was startled by high
| pitched voice saying in a smothered
voice:
'Oh, spare my tender blushes"'
| Augusta recoiled in CONSERVATION.
Let me out! Let me outr' de.
manded a quite different voice.
mans voice this time. You poor
| fish! Quit blinking
| Clinging to the bars Of the huge
| cage which the crate contained, scrab-
bling with wings and beak. was large
gray bird with a wicked beak and
watchful eyes. A parrot!
| Now, Augusta had always longed
for a parrot, and this was a superb
specimen of its kind. But upon the
| large card attached she read her sis
ter's name as well as hers. In fact,
Martha's came first.
! Martha! Martial" she cried.
And Martha came as fast as her
thick legs would permit. Together
they knocked the cleats off the crate
and removed the cleaning wire cage.
A table was brought and the cage
| placed upon it. And then, wondering
very much. the two women sat down
to look at their unexpected guest.
| The parrot danced and capered on
| the perch, he hung wrong side up, he
| spit out seeds, he laughed, screamed
and sang. When Martha attempted
| to speak he babe her shut up. straw.
berry," Martha's face was naturally
red. He called Augusta "Old goose!"
And he yelled Scat! Scat" until
| Bingo fled in a panic.
Who could have made us a pres
ent Of such beast?" Martha gasped.
II don't know" Augusta shook her
head.
Mrs. Bell came in to see Polly.
He's probably 20 years DID," she
said. The sisters stared aghast. And
worth several hundred dollars" They
looked at each other in anna cement.
Nothing so odd or exciting had ever
happened to the sisters. and they
found themselves highly diverted.
They hung about the cage for hours
while Polly went through her PAGES,
using first one voice and then the
other. whistling. singing. cavorting,
even swearing at them. They laughed
more than they had ever laughed.
They grew merry and forgetful Of i'll
feelings. The day Polly told Augusta
she was his "hunky-dorry" she fell
upon Martha's shoulder and laughed
until she cried.
One rainy afternoon the doorbell
rang. Visitors! Augusta, peeping out,
saw Mrs. Bell and a man. Martha,
fastening doorward. little knew whom
she was about to admit. AS matter
of fact, she didn't know Casper Hun.
ter until Mrs. Bell introduced him.
Though the sisters were thrown into
confusion, they found that they had
outlived the poignancy Of their early
romance. Casper was thin, bald. sal
low, showing that he had lived so
long in hot climates that his liver was
not altogether healthy. 1t was hard
to realize that he had ever been
young. blonde, fresh-colored and en-
chanting.
The parrot went wild at sight Of
him.
Hello, OIL top!'' he shrieked.
Casper thrust his finger into the
cage and the bird pretended to bite
him.
well. what did you girls think of
my gift?" Casper asked.
Your giftr exclaimed Augusta.
Casper laughed.
II brought the old fellow from South
America. I couldn't keep him any
longer, because I move around 50
much and 1 wouldn't sell him. I
wrote to my cousin here. asking her
to take him, and she refused. She
suggested I send him to you. She
said you, Augusta, had always wanted
parrot" 49,.
was very kind of you, Casper. I'm
sure Martha and I both appreciate
Polly. We find him very amusing"
''He knows lot of naughty words"
said Martha.
well, I never taught him a thing.
If he knows naughty words, he's
picked them up on his own hook.
You'll find you'll have to be very
careful what you say before him."
ooh. we are" said Augusta. putting
an arm about Martha.
"Sweethearts! Oh, my" snickered
Polly Sentin1entally.
Augusta colored.
Casper stayed a fortnight. He
couldn't be persuaded to stay longer.
because he was by nature very rest
less. The sisters were almost glad to
see the last of him.
ut was awfully kind Of him to give
us Polly" Martha said.
Yes. indeed, dear. I rather think
Polly is the best part Of the whole