The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1932-03-17
Birds of a Feather
BY JANE OSBORN
e x
&c by Mcclure Newspaper syndicate)
.CWNU SerVice)

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 waiting for the bus, young men
who bought cigarettes as an excuse to
hang around an hour or more, older
men occasionally 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 it for granted prob
ably that he would occasionally join
the loiterers at O'Gradys.
But If you had had a daughter you
would have passed on to her the un-
written law that girls didn't hang
about O'Grady's. They went there for
ice cream, or to buy paper or candy
or quart of milk. But having made
their purchase or eaten their ice cream
they left. Even boys who spent too
much time at O'Grady's were looked
upon as idlers and loafers.
It was at O'Grady's that Lois Gran
ger first saw Malcolm Kent. She had
gone to buy bird seed and Malcolm
was with the loafers leaning against
the tobacco counter. Lois cast q
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 a bus.
But when day or so later she went
to O'Grady's with her little sister to get
an ice cream cone and noticed again
the tall, rather well-dressed young
man lettering there beside the ciga-
rette counter apparently feeling very
much at home, she concluded that he
had got the O'Grady habit.
''Who Is the good-looking stranger
that's been hanging around O'Grady's
lately? Lois uncle asked that evening
at supper.
Lois tried to look Indifferent, while
her older brother informed the family
that the loafer was named Malcolm
Kent and that he was a cousin or
something of the Robinsons who had
a 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, "if 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.
"Birds of a feather flock together"
pronounced her mother.
you're right" said the uncle. "Ev-
cry 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 Ia
ter and when he was told that Tom
was not at home he asked whether
HE mlSuL Scc UAlSS LUIS L CO.. AC hoA
actually come to see her. He had an
idea that Tom wouldn't be home.
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 job on a
newspaper. But certainly he couldn't
be doing any news gathering out here
at North Hill. And always Lois moth
er would observe that birds of feath-
of common talk that he spent more
than half his waking hours at
O'Grady's.
Then, one Saturday afternoon, NAL
colin and Lois went walking down
country lanes in the mellow autumn
sunshine, and Malcolm asked Lois to
be his wife.
II think I'd like to, 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
other O'Grady habitues, does it?'
asked Malcolm with a mystifying
smile.
"Only mother says that birds Of q
feather flock together"
"Well, it happens that the reason
why this bird flocks around O'Grady's
is because he is Of an entirely differ
ent feather"
Lois told him, in rather hurt tone
that she hadn't the least idea what he
was talking about. at seems to me
that If 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 some.
thing some time"
So Malcolm explained, but he made
Lois promise not to tell the others
until he left. He had written novel
"a darned good novel, too, Malcolm
frankly admitted. "But, you see, I've
always been something Of book
worm, never spent enough time talk
fng 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 al
O'Grady's. Came out to see the Rob
insons one day and happened in al