Part 17 (1/2)

”Poor Miss Helen grieved and grieved over her, and offered great rewards, but to no avail. In about a year she went to Florida, and one day, going by a bird fancier's that she knew, the man invited her to come in, saying that he had a lot of new parrots to show her.

”O I wonder: if Polly is there!' she said, and told him about her.

”'No, I haven't any that know as much as that,' said he; 'but there is one who looks as if she understood things, but she won't, or can't, talk.'

”So Miss Helen went in, and there, sure enough, was her poor Polly huddled up sulkily in a cage.

”'Polly,' called Helen, and Polly started and came to the front of the cage.

”'Helen, Helen,' she called, going perfectly wild; '1013 H---- Street.

I'll be good! Yep! Yep! Yep!' and then she began to intone the service.

”The bird fancier was astonished enough.

”'I bought her and some six others from two sailors,' he said, 'but I never dreamed she could talk!'

”Miss Helen paid him a big price and went off with Polly on her finger chattering like one mad.”

”O I'd love to see her,” cried Beth.

”Well go over there some day. Here we are at home.”

”I'm glad,” said Ethelwyn. ”It's nice to go away, but it's nicer to come back.”

_CHAPTER XVIII_ _How They Bought a Baby_

Spend your money Speed you, honey, Quick as you can fly Up the street, Toys and sweet Money burns to buy.

And all this time they had saved their birthday money!

It was accidental, for they had in the mult.i.tude of other events and presents, forgotten they had it until one morning, in emptying their banks for ”peanut” nickles, with a dexterity born of long practice, they discovered the two gold coins, for they each had been given one, of course, and they rushed off at once to show them.

”Haven't we saved this money, though?” they said, full of pride, and then they straightway sat down to make plans for spending it.

”Let's each buy a puppy for a parting gift to Bobby and Nan,” suggested Ethelwyn, as she and Beth were soon going away to visit the Home.

”Yes, sir, let's,” said Beth. ”They dearly love Bose, and Mr. Smithers, our vegetable man, has six and will sell us two, I know.”

Mr. Smithers said he would be charmed--or words to that effect--to sell them two Newfoundland puppies at five dollars each, and they struck a bargain at once.

It was easier to do because mother had gone to town on business and was to be away all day.

Mr. Smithers promised to bring them in that afternoon, and they went off to wait until then with what patience they could muster.

They met Joe on their way to the barn, and noticed that his usual ruddy countenance was grave and pale.

”My sister is sick,” he explained, ”and she's getting no better.”