Show f ENTER THE ROOSTER ROOSTER ji Lazily pulling himself along a atall atall atall tall lank man possibly forty- forty five tame came came out the back door ofa of a little adobe house and moved up p the yard to a big apple tree at atthe atthe atthe the end His face hair and clothes lothes were vere so dust-colored dust that he would have hardly seemed alive except for the nervous twi twitch of his eyes As he leaned against this big spreading tree half hidden from view himself he surveyed his weed-grown weed yard with its sprinkling of cans and ash heaps and then looked enviously enviously enviously at that of his next-door next neighbor a a deep yard with lawn lawnin in ih front a vegetable garden at atthe atthe atthe the back and a large chicken coop coop at the end so near him hinl that with a few steps he could almost to touch ch the yellow chickens The little brick cottage with its tidy white curtains at the windows made hi him hinl rii think of the comforts he miss missed d in his adobe d be ho house se He Was tras was just wishing he ne could rest ill Q f l his lazy limbs on the shady back steps when the door opened a aid aida and anda d da a short woman in a blue calico dress came out carrying some pans of grain from which she began began began be be- gan feeding the chickens An indefinable indefinable in in- definable look on ori h her r face s set t her down as unmarried It was with witham am amusement that the man watched watch d her throw the grain out of the roosters rooster's way vay though he always managed somehow to eat the most of it At last she exclaimed exclaimed exclaimed ex ex- claimed You great big pig of a rooster You are the most selfish selfish selfish self self- ish thing 1 I ever saw v. That's right Grab up everything and knock the rest out of the way vay Just like any man I As she rose from emptying the pan and stood there with her brown hands resting on on on her sturdy hips her tanned face looked very bitter When she turned to go go gout out ut of the coo coop the theman theman man advanced tb to the fence felice and gave a slight cough which imme- imme brought her to a halt He Heg 2 g gazed zed steadily beyond her at the big yellow rooster exclaiming l Poor fellow I Even your mistress mistress mistress mis mis- tress does not appreciate you All Allday Allday Allday day you scratch up worms for forthe forthe the hens and then she begrudges you a little extra gr grain in How cruel I i f Miss Anna pushed back her herold k k J I old blue sunbonnet uncertainly 11 k t. t and surveyed d h. h him wIt with h h her er bl black blackeyes ac k eyes but made no answer He raised his dust-colored dust hat and said with exaggerated politeness politeness politeness' polite- polite ness ness' 1 f rf I I beg your pardon I am your t il new neighbor and was just admiring admiring ad- ad 1 miring your chickens Yes said Miss Anna a little iJ i J nettled all except the rooster who is too selfish to exist exist and and then much lower lower like like the rest of his sex But the man heard itI itI itI it I suppose you have had so much experience with our sex Mrs Miss snapped Miss Anna Oh I exclaimed he beginning to smile J Miss Anna flushed a red brick-red even through her tanned skin I have had enough to make me keep away from them she retorted retorted retorted re re- and was down the path and in the house before he could say anything He remained slouching against the picket fence with a speculative ive look in his blue eyes His gaze wandered again across the I orderly yard to the comfortable comfortable- looking house Finally his lips closed over over his yellow teeth in an anair anair anair air of determination After all Miss Annas Anna's greyish black hair and large brown rown hands were not so bad Lighting a cigar cig-ar he was wa soon d in his p puffing away deep ep tion An inquisitive chicken soon disturbed him All right chickie chick- chick ie he said you can try it if you want to and stooping he held his cigar out towards the hen It squawked loudly at the smoke and 1 the rooster near by ruffling up his feathers flew at him angrily The Theman Theman man dropped the cigar and in a tremble retreated to his house j The next morning he came out again as Miss Anna was feeding her chickens and deliberately leaned his big frame against the fence She turned her back to i him and drew her sunbonnet over a her face He hitched himself in into into into in- in to a more comfortable position seeing that she refused to know he was there he began I I agree with you that men are selfish selfish self self- IS ish h crea creatures tures iJ Miss Anna made no sign You women are too good to us i iSee See the way those hens give way J to the rooster every time he comes near This was too much Miss Anna turned on him And why J do they give way Just because they know th that t if they dont don't give up their food right away to the rooster he will pick at them till they do Again she left him dis dis- f consolate But he was vas no man to be easily discouraged He let a day go by and then came out again at feeding feeding feeding feed feed- r ing time when her anger had 4 considerably abated though her k pride forbade her to show it As she glanced in his direction he smiled in his most fascinating manner and said good morn- morn t. t t i-t ing Miss Anna gave a short nod and looked in a more friendly manner at the rooster although it had just picked a choice bit of meat right out of a hens hen's m mouth uth My name is Hogg said the man I guessed as much MiSs Migs t Anna replied but she could not help smiling a little My 1 mother used to feed her chickens chicken meat and egg shells r. r tie i from the table until they grew r more fond of scraps than of grain rain announced the man nan anxious anxious i ious to st start rt a conversation n. n Well I dont don't believe in In feeding feeding feed feed- 3 ing chickens scraps very often 11 Miss Anna replied rather rt N Neither either do I agreed Mr 1 V Hogg in his most hearty manner a II J 1 Miss l Anna looked up quickly 1 E to see if he were in earnest and then grudgingly admitted They Y cc certainly do thrive on scraps scraps and warming up a little I believe believe believe be be- lieve they would keep fat if they hey Vii were vere fed on nothing else There is no doubt of ot it re replied replied re- re re-d re the if Miss Anna plied man Inan as had m made de a most wonderful and original remark But I dont don't propose to do it Miss Anna picked up her pans with a great clatter and marched f foff off But the ice w was s broken and by perseverance the man worked his way into her Miss Anna no longer now wore her blue calico dress and sun sunbonnet sunbonnet bonnet at feeding time but a summer shirtwaist and skirt and her hair was loosely so as to hide the grey streaks Her face looked almost happy and whenever Mr Hogg became sentimental sentimental sentimental sen sen- she blushed as foolishly as a girl That he was so unattractive unattractive seemed to make no dif dif- ference W One morning O Olater about a month later Mr Hogg I met her as usual at the fence Fine weather veather Miss Anna But awfully a hot she smiled back You looked cool enough on your front porch last night You might come over some evening and try it she ventured It would take more than that thatto to make Blake me comfortable I had hada a terrible dream last night he sighed Dont eat so much supper next time Miss Anna advised The man Inan gave her a grieved look and then continued I d dreamed you were married Terrible dream did you say asked Miss Anna quickly r Terrible for me he hastened to reply I could not sleep for forthe forthe forthe the rest of the night Dyspepsia again But perhaps you would sleep better if you should come over and enjoy the cool air on my front porch r re replied replied re- re plied Miss Anna So that very night he came and that very nig night she consented to tobe tobe tobe be Mrs Hogg And Mrs Hogg I she would have become except for the rooster It was soon afterwards that Miss Anna persuaded him to go into the chicken coop with i h her He hesitated a little at the gate and after looking rather doubt doubt- at his cigar threw it away keeping behind Miss J Anna h he advanced advanced advanced ad ad- very carefully But his precautions were in vain Before Before Before Be Be- fore he had gone five steps the great yellow rooster spotted him Immediately he flew at the man pecking him unmercifully with his feathers ruffled certainly a formidable able object Too frightened fright fright- F ened to think Mr l Hogg rushed to Miss Anna screaming in his terror terror ter ter- Take him off Take him 0 off ff I.- I. She seized it and held him in her arms intense amazement ex- ex on her face Then as she realized the full meaning of this mans man's actions and saw him in his true character crouching on one side trembling with fear her scorn was too great for her to express Well she exclaimed with her black eyes looking through and beyond him I would rather have the most selfish man on onearth onearth onearth earth for a husband than a cow cow- ard And from what Ive I've seen of men Id I'd rather have no no husband a at tall all She set the rooster down but lie was now quiet Then remembering remembering remembering bering the actions of a a heroine heroin she had once once ce seen in a play Miss Anna assumed a pose of proud contempt pointed to the gate and in a tone that would brook no appeal said You may go The man more dust colored than ever from the fray looked at Miss iss Anna then at the y yard rd and the house which were so nearly his gave a furtive kick af of the quiet rooster and left M. 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