Show y Iza HOW THE PIGEON SAVED POLLY Let Lets s go over on the Island and pic pic- nie nic me in the he old lighthouse cried Polly Beverly when she finished her breakfast breakfast break break- fast one bright October morning All right piped up May and Ada at the same time And Mrs Beverly smiled her consent at the three children chil chIl- dren Out in the water about a quarter of ofa ofa ofa a mile from the farmhouse was a small island on which there was nothing but sand rocks and an ancient stone building which had been used in colonial colonial colo cob nial days das for a lighthouse When the water was low the little girls would have no trouble in wading out So the mother gave her consent at once and prepared a nice basket of lunch VV Whim When hen the girls were about to set out Polly put her pigeon Ray in a small cage and said she he would take it along for a trip Ray was not an ordinary l PIgeon igeon but of the kind called carriers which means that if they are taken from home and let free they will at once fly home So the girls started out May who was the eldest taking the basket Polly swinging the cage Ada skipping along with a bucket and spade I will call can you before the tide begins to torise torise torise I rise to remind you to start home hoine sal said Mrs 1 Beverly as she kissed each rosy cheek As the girls were barefooted they easily waded through the surf and in ten minutes were climbing the rocks Then they ran about the old lighthouse lighthouse lighthouse light light- house finding broken boxes and other interesting things playing house an and pirate till the morning wore on toward noon IVIon May was hungry and so they opened the basket and commenced their lunch Suddenly the sky darkened in th the west Polly Poliy also noticed that the water water water wa wa- wa- wa ter was growing deeper The tide is rising and mother did S not call us she cried her face white with fear She did not know the reason reason rea rca son sort why her loving mother mother- had neglected neglected neg neg- this but the fact was that after the children h had d gone a few moments Mr Beverly asked his wife to take a short drive which she did UnfortunatelY Unfortunately when a about bout two miles mUes from home on the return trip the buggy broke down and both were forced to toI get out The father set out at breakneck break break- I neck speed yet jet he knew he could not reach the farm before the storm broke All three of the girls dropped their I lunch at the sight of the rising water And as a flash of lightning tore across the darkening sky little Ada began to sob sobOh Oh Polly sobbed the child they called caned Pauline Polly We o will be drowned We Ve cannot get home now now May was Just as much frightened as asAda asAda asAda Ada but determined to be brave Yet she hp saw that the deepening water was t tI I 5 S- S V S now Impossible to wade and that within with with- in half halt an hour the storm would strike the Island S I I don dont don't t know what las has las happened that mother mother did did not call us said Polly at last But I know what to d do do- do write a message tie it to Rays Ray's foot toot and let him free He will be home in two t minutes and they will see him i fl fluttering at the coop door Taking a lot of the paper which had been wrapped about their cake Polly wrote in big letters We Ve are o over oer er on the island send Island send for us at once Then she tied it to Ray Rays Ray's s leg and opened the S SOut cage Out through the darkening air the tho pigeon sped like a shot out of a gunA gun A white flash over the rising waters and then he disappeared In the porch of the farmhouse The cook saw him fluttering and pecking at the door door- of his coop Why bless my soul cried Dinah If U there isn't a bit of paper on on the birds bird's s leg She untied the paper and handed it to Joe the farmhand The moment he read it he dashed to the shore S Dont be be- frightened he called to the three girls huddled up in a corner of ot the lighthouse r I I will get the boat and bring you jou OU back In a moment The waves ran so roughly it was wasa a dangerous trip but the man managed to get them s safely felY through J Just as as they stepped on shore the storm broke and a fierce storm it was Yet the I girls did not care for for- fora a few minutes more and ana they were in the house In their mothers mother s arms Mrs Bev Beverly erly had Just got to the gate as Joe brought the children up the lane from f om the sho shore e Copyright 1916 1116 b by the McClure j Newspaper Syndicate New York City I S |