Worcester Democrat and the ledger-enterprise. (Pocomoke City, Md.) 1921-1953, 1935-12-20
CHAPTER I


a hermit thrush.
Suddenly Forbes swung his hat ant
said, "Sho-o-o-o"
Naturally the bird "shooed" will
alacrity. Forbes made some notes.
"Oh!" cried a feminine voice. "Oi
all the mean things to dol"
Forbes was as startled as the thrush
he had frightened away.
A girl had come to the other side
of the fence and was staring angrily
at him = an unusually pretty girl.
CT beg your pardon" Forbes
stammered.
"What good does begging my par
do now, l would like to know"
There was hint of tears in her
pretty eyes-tears of anger.
"It is quite the thing to do, isn't
it," Forbes asked. He had always
been diffident in the company of girls
and now he wished he were well away
from there.
eff you are trying to be funny, you
have sad sense of humor," the girl
declared, cycling him much as school
teacher would eye naughty scholar.
81 repeat, that it was a mean thing
to do"
"Mean? How so? I did not in
jure the merulidae in the least"
Forbes tried to speak sharply, as
though he refused to be scolded. The
girl seemed suddenly amazed.
"You know the family, them" she
asked.
81 never met you BEFORE" Forbes
said coldly. Certainly I don't know
your family"
There is no need for you to be
fresh-insolent. You know very well
that I referred to the thrush family.
You called it by it's family name"
Forbes was surprised at this and
eyed the pretty girl sharply.
$50 you know the name? You see,
I often think of birds by their family
names. meant no offense and I
wasn't trying to be fresh. I haven't
sufficient interest in-er-ladies of
any age to attempt freshness"
"Then why were you so mean as
to shoe the bird away just as 1 was
trying to get picture?"
Leland Forbes stepped up to the
fence, then, and looked over. Here
was another surprise for him-a cam
era set up on tripod and half hid
den with the branch of bush. Down
the road car was parked.
81 have been trying and trying
the girl said as he stared at the cam
era, "to get good picture of her.
init thrush and you go and spoil it,
"Why-why-do you think 1 knew
that you were here, much less, trying
to get picture?"
Forbes was becoming embarrassed.
at looked like the trick of some
smart aleck. You were probably
watching me through the fence"
Listen, young lady," Forbes said,
sternly, ~ scared that bird deliberate
ly. I wanted to watch his leg and
wing action when he took off. 1 did
not know you were there, repeat. 1
wouldn't have frightened the bird for
worlds if I knew you were interested
in the fad of photographing our birds.
am sorry"
The girl eyed him suspiciously for
a moment. She liked his appearance,
his Irish brunette type, dark wavy
hair and blue eyes. She liked the
little touches of silver in his hair at
the sides.
ut isn't a fad, unless earning my
bread and butter Is a fad. I photo
graph birds and make colored plates
drawings"
"Then you had right to be angry,
under mistaken idea that was teas
ing you. What do you do with your
photographs and colored drawings?"
"Sell them. Maxim and Company
buy them, but you wouldn't know
thenl-they are publishers. Just now
I am getting illustrations for another
of Leland Forbes books on bird life
but suppose that doesn't mean any.
thing to you, either. However, I &C.
cept your apology and offer one my.
self, for scolding you."
Leland Forbes climbed the raj
fence and stood before her, hat il
hand.
Forgive me, Miss Morse" he said
The girl backed away and eyet
him in amazement.
"Oh, you probably got my name
from the Boyd Hotel register"
He shook his head and smiled.