Show THE CHICKEN FARMERS 1 IS L ij by ANNE PAGE when unexpectedly paul cendou hid had a play accepted and had to rush oft 0 ft to chicago where here ri rehearsals were to begin tit at unco he left dean I 1 in 11 charge of his feathered family faintly cou con mostly of fine laying hens bena dean dealt and hendon chums since hool days had bad taken the country bungalow in the spring wrid and had con B the selling belling of cue clue of Ilen dons plays au as a remote possibility so they had not hesitated to make the arrange bilut whereby 11 II teflon at home all day writing the play should keep house while jimmy commuted and earned carried rial real money for the upkeep of the alia shack ic those liens hens will have to be sold eold jimmy diddel dici ded as aa he list eat at the open window and pondered the situation over a midnight cigar hendon will be ione a month at least and a month of this would land we la in Matte awan next morning a newly painted sign appeared over the doorway of the it announced in neat home borne made letters that fifty three hens bens and the necessary equipment were for male bale on easy terms hy by sunday he be had almost decided to close the shack baack and return to town A perfect summer bummer day a brae brac ing swim in the sound the soothing lium hum of bees in the honeysuckle were potent enough to induce him to try it for another month that evening a soft knock on the door woke him from a nap in his bla chair we have called to inquire about th chickens said a cheerful voice just outside the open door if hens are not too difficult we wo we think perhaps wed like ilke to buy them said another voice even more cheerful in tone jimmy looked at the unheralded aided visitors and decided that they were really worth while and both girls looked askance at jimmy he did not look as if he were ft era an authority on poultry raising and yet they supposed he must be difficult he repeated why that is a ridiculous word to apply to anything so absurdly easy I 1 understand it to Is as simple as shooting fish but I 1 really know little about it mr II endon who lived with aith me until some deluded manager in chicago bought ills his play knows all about it they are fine labera I 1 know that much lie he looked appealingly at the young NN women omen and because of the sympathetic expression he recognized in the ces cea of one of them he told them his bachelor troubles when ho had finished his pathetic account polly warner and fanny turner exchanged suggestive glances ran said bald the former softly dont you think we could manage to prepare mr air deans dean s eggs and coffee for him and leave them at his bis door each morning we will be up early you know feeding the chickens turner nodded im sure NN a could I 1 d have to pinch myself to believe it A was as real if I 1 found my breakfast at the door jimmy said bald I 1 you see aee fannie continued sh baly ly awe we were going to ask aek you it we could continue to use your hennery until we found a suitable ablo place of our own but wo are stopping over there indicating di a house near by for the time being and we dont want to lose be 0 this opportunity to buy miss warner and I 1 want ant to try our hand at chick oil en raising and it sou 3 oil would in lot let us I 1 she stopped and turned her wistful eyes full upon jimmy I 1 the arrangement you suggest would be fine use the run as long as yo you u like and the whole garden jimmy said tendons a hens hena received the most moat scientific of treatment from that day on cut but the care they received was no less perfect than was that accord ed to jimmy dean ile he found himself rising a halt half hour earlier than was lite his custom owing to the fact that the soft laughter of garis was waa to be heard beneath ila his windows once or telco lie ho ventured to make lite hie appearance as the girls were viere leaving and managed to have a short chat with ith them thein polly warners warner s quick laughter and merry glances haunted him through tile das ITO he was fall ing in loo loie with her one morning after an absence of six weeks suddenly appeared and found jimmy polly and fannie in the hen run it was fannie who ulio saw him first it A was as I 1 aunts w who ho uttered a loud cry of surprise and made a rush for the arms he extended jimmy gasped polly smiled complacently well ill jimmy did not finish for want of breath oh it to la all right en gabed explained polly ali ah es I 1 had gathered as aa much polly glanced swiftly at jimmy paul knew that you would be helpless after he left she went on rapidly I 1 lie ile said eald he always took a motherly intel est eat in ou and well really he foresaw and arranged this whole thing not quite all of it I 1 think said jimmy knowingly come polly lets take a little walk valk were not wanted here and I 1 want aut to tell you the part paul dian didn t plan jimmy nas aa mistaken paul hendon with Us his fecI facility lity for stories and situations had actually planned very ending copyright 1915 1013 by the mcclure SIc Clur W |