Montgomery County sentinel., 1928-02-17
"Birds of a
Feather"
NNNNN~ NNNN
BY JANE OSBORN
(Copyright.l

cheerful about the atmosphere OF
O'Grady's store that stood on one Of
the corners where the state highway
crossed the old Main street of the
village called North Hill.
There were always plenty of peO-
pie at O'Grady's, people waiting for
the bus, young men who bought Gig
arettes as an eXuSe to hang around
an hour or more, older men OCCASION
ally talking politics, girls sitting at
the tables giggling over their Ice
cream. If you had been resident of
North Hill and had had son you
would have taken II for granted prob
ably that he would occasionally Join
the loiterers at O'Grady's. But If you
had had a daughter you would have
passed on to her the unwrltten law
that girls didn't hang about O'Grady's.
Thus the boys who spent much time
at O'Grady's were looked upon as
idlers and loafers.
It was at OGrady's that Lois
Granger first saw Malcolm Kent. She
had gone to buy bird seed and NAL
colin was with the loafers leaning
against the tobacco counter. Lois
cast a glance In that direction just to
see who was there and naturally
enough noticed Kent. He was a
stranger and looked so different from
the usual O'Grady frequenter. She
assumed that he was waiting for
bus.
But when day or so later she
went to O'Grady's and noticed again
the tall, rather well-dressed young
man lettering there beside the Gig
arctic counter apparently feeling very
much at home, she concluded that he
had got the O'Grady habit.
"Who is the good-looklng stranger
that's been hanging around O'Grady's
lately" Lois uncle asked that eve
ming at supper.
Lois turned to look Indifferent,
while her older brother Informed the
family that the loafer was named
Malcolm Kent and that he was
cousin or something of the Robinsons
who had big farm out beyond the
creek. Tom further announced that
he had met the young man, liked him
and, If there was no family objection,
would bring him around to supper.
"He can't be much account" OBJ
served Lois mother, "lf he's always
hanging around O'Grady's."
"Still just because he goes there
isn't any sign he's like the other
O'Grady loafers," Lois said.
"Blrds of feather flock together"
pronounced her mother.
you're right" said the uncle.
"Every time I've been in there he
was having the time Of his life"
Still It was agreed to permit Tom
to bring the young man to supper.
And that was where Lois met him.
Malcolm called again two nights
later and when he was told that Tom
was not at home he asked whether
he might see Miss Lois. Yes, he had
actually come to see her. He had an
idea that Tom wouldn't be home.
Then one day they went walking, and
one Saturday when Lois had no
school work they went to the
movies"
Almost every night at supper when
Malcolm wasn't present Lois family
spent some time in discussing Mr..
Kent. He had said something about
having had some sort Of a Job on a
newspaper. But certainly he couldn't
be doing any news gathering out
here at North Hill. And always Lois
mother would observe that birds Of
feather flocked together It was a
matter Of common talk that he spent
more than half his waking hours Mt
O'Grady's.
Then one Saturday afternoon Nal.
colmn and Lois went walking down
country lanes in the mellow autumn
sunshine, and Malcolm asked Lois to
be-bls wife.
II think I'd like to-" said Lois.
"But I don't know how my family
will feel about It. They know you
aren't working, and you spend so
much time at O'Grady's"
"Just because | hang around
O'Grady's doesn't mean that am
like the other O'Grady habitues, does
it?" asked Malcolm.
"Only mother says that birds Of
feather flock together"
"WeIl, 1t happens that the reason
why this bird 1ocks around O'Grady's
Is because he is Of an entirely differ.
ent feather"
Lois told him, In n rather hurt
tone, that she hadn't the least idea
what he was talking about. at seems
to me that IL you really care enough
about me to want to marry me, you
wouldn't hang out there all the time
that you'd be making plans to do
something some time"
SO Malcolm explained, but he made
Lois promise not to tell the others
until he left. He had written move!
"a darned good novel, too, Malcolm
frankly admitted. "But, you see, I've
always been something OF book
worm, never spent enough time talk
ing with the kind Of birds that stick
around O'Grady's. And there are
chapters in that book Of mine that
need the kind Of talk you get at
O'Grady's. Came out TO see the Rob
insons one day and happened In at
O'Grady's-found It was just the sort
Of thing needed-the publishers
have accepted the boOk-that H., when
put In a bit more first-hand work on
those chapters. And now I've got It
thanks to 0'Grady's. But, Of course,
I'VE got my regular job on my pnper.
Book reviewing, you know-Pye been
carrying on as usual while I've been
away"