Beautiful Joe [30]
That evening, Mrs. Montague's coachman
brought a note to the house addressed to Mr. Carl Morris. He read it aloud to
the family.
MY DEAR CARL: I am charmed with my little bird, and he has whispered to me one
of the secrets of your room. You want fifteen dollars very much to buy something
for it. I am sure you won't be offended with an old friend for supplying you the
means to get this something.
ADA MONTAGUE.
"Just the thing for my stationary tank for the goldfish," exclaimed Carl. "I've
wanted it for a long time; it isn't good to keep them in globes, but how in the
world did she find out? I've never told any one."
Mrs. Morris smiled, and said; "Barry must have told her;" as she took the money
from Carl to put away for him.
Mrs. Montague got to be very fond of her new pet. She took care of him herself,
and I have heard her tell Mrs. Morris most wonderful stories about him stories
so wonderful that I should say they were not true if I did not how intelligent
dumb creatures get to be under kind treatment.
She only kept him in his cage at night, and when she began looking for him at
bedtime to put him there, he always hid himself. She would search a short time,
and then sit down, and he always came out of his hiding-place, chirping in a
saucy way to make her look at him.
She said that he seemed to take delight in teasing her. Once when he was in the
drawing-room with her, she was called away to speak to some one at the
telephone. When she came back, she found that one of the servants had come into
the room and left the door open leading to a veranda. The trees outside were
full of yellow birds, and she was in despair, thinking that Barry had flown out
with them. She looked out, but could not see him. Then, lest he had not left the
room, she got a chair and carried it about, standing on it to examine the walls,
and see if Barry was hidden among the pictures and bric-a-brac. But no Barry was
there. She at last sank down, exhausted, on a sofa. She heard a wicked, little
peep, and looking up, saw Barry sitting on one of the rounds of the chair that
she had been carrying about to look for him. He had been there all the time. She
was so glad to see him, that she never thought of scolding him.
He was never allowed to fly about the dining room during meals, and the table
maid drove him out before she set the table. It always annoyed him, and he
perched on the staircase, watching the door through the railings. If it was left
open for an instant, he flew in. One evening, before tea, he did this. There was
a chocolate cake on the sideboard, and he liked the look of it so much that he
began to peck at it. Mrs. Montague happened to come in, and drove him back to
the hall.
While she was having tea that evening, with her husband and little boy, Barry
flew into the room again. Mrs. Montague told Charlie to send him out, but her
husband said, "Wait, he is looking for something."
He was on the sideboard, peering into every dish, and trying to look under the
covers. "He is after the chocolate cake," exclaimed Mrs. Montague. "Here,
Charlie; put this on the staircase for him."
She cut off a little scrap, and when Charlie took it to the hall, Barry flew
after him, and ate it up.
As for poor, little, lame Dick, Carl never sold him, and he became a family pet.
His cage hung in the parlor, and from morning till night his cheerful voice was
heard, chirping and singing as if he had not a trouble in the world. They took
great care of him. He was never allowed to be too hot or too cold. Everybody
gave him a cheerful word in passing his cage, and if his singing was too loud,
they gave him a little mirror to look at himself in. He loved this mirror, and
often stood before it for an hour at a time.
CHAPTER XII MALTA THE CAT
THE first time I had a good look at the Morris cat, I thought she was the
queerest-looking animal I had ever seen. She was dark gray just the color of a
mouse. Her eyes were a yellowish green, and for
brought a note to the house addressed to Mr. Carl Morris. He read it aloud to
the family.
MY DEAR CARL: I am charmed with my little bird, and he has whispered to me one
of the secrets of your room. You want fifteen dollars very much to buy something
for it. I am sure you won't be offended with an old friend for supplying you the
means to get this something.
ADA MONTAGUE.
"Just the thing for my stationary tank for the goldfish," exclaimed Carl. "I've
wanted it for a long time; it isn't good to keep them in globes, but how in the
world did she find out? I've never told any one."
Mrs. Morris smiled, and said; "Barry must have told her;" as she took the money
from Carl to put away for him.
Mrs. Montague got to be very fond of her new pet. She took care of him herself,
and I have heard her tell Mrs. Morris most wonderful stories about him stories
so wonderful that I should say they were not true if I did not how intelligent
dumb creatures get to be under kind treatment.
She only kept him in his cage at night, and when she began looking for him at
bedtime to put him there, he always hid himself. She would search a short time,
and then sit down, and he always came out of his hiding-place, chirping in a
saucy way to make her look at him.
She said that he seemed to take delight in teasing her. Once when he was in the
drawing-room with her, she was called away to speak to some one at the
telephone. When she came back, she found that one of the servants had come into
the room and left the door open leading to a veranda. The trees outside were
full of yellow birds, and she was in despair, thinking that Barry had flown out
with them. She looked out, but could not see him. Then, lest he had not left the
room, she got a chair and carried it about, standing on it to examine the walls,
and see if Barry was hidden among the pictures and bric-a-brac. But no Barry was
there. She at last sank down, exhausted, on a sofa. She heard a wicked, little
peep, and looking up, saw Barry sitting on one of the rounds of the chair that
she had been carrying about to look for him. He had been there all the time. She
was so glad to see him, that she never thought of scolding him.
He was never allowed to fly about the dining room during meals, and the table
maid drove him out before she set the table. It always annoyed him, and he
perched on the staircase, watching the door through the railings. If it was left
open for an instant, he flew in. One evening, before tea, he did this. There was
a chocolate cake on the sideboard, and he liked the look of it so much that he
began to peck at it. Mrs. Montague happened to come in, and drove him back to
the hall.
While she was having tea that evening, with her husband and little boy, Barry
flew into the room again. Mrs. Montague told Charlie to send him out, but her
husband said, "Wait, he is looking for something."
He was on the sideboard, peering into every dish, and trying to look under the
covers. "He is after the chocolate cake," exclaimed Mrs. Montague. "Here,
Charlie; put this on the staircase for him."
She cut off a little scrap, and when Charlie took it to the hall, Barry flew
after him, and ate it up.
As for poor, little, lame Dick, Carl never sold him, and he became a family pet.
His cage hung in the parlor, and from morning till night his cheerful voice was
heard, chirping and singing as if he had not a trouble in the world. They took
great care of him. He was never allowed to be too hot or too cold. Everybody
gave him a cheerful word in passing his cage, and if his singing was too loud,
they gave him a little mirror to look at himself in. He loved this mirror, and
often stood before it for an hour at a time.
CHAPTER XII MALTA THE CAT
THE first time I had a good look at the Morris cat, I thought she was the
queerest-looking animal I had ever seen. She was dark gray just the color of a
mouse. Her eyes were a yellowish green, and for