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Show POIirS MESSAGE Parrot Acts as Go-Between and Unites Two Loving Souls. Dy HAROLD CARTER. "Frank." said Uncle Will, suppress-Inn suppress-Inn a gioan of puln as be shifted his gouty leg upon the sofa and sat up to greet his "nephew, "come here, you scoundrel. How old are you?" "Tweitfyfour, sir." answered bis nephew respectfully. Twenty four! And I was engaged three times before I wus twenty four. Confound you, sir. why the deuce won't you ask Dorothy to ntnrry you?" "Hecause I don't love her, n:y drar uncle," answered the young man. "Love! Love! What has that rot to do with it?" exclaimed the old rn.n Irascibly. "How can you help loving very girl at your age? Confound you. Prank, sometimes 1 think you ura as coldblooded as Ephralm over there." Kphralm, hearing bis name spoken, stirred In his cage. and. raising one, claw, held it tn suspense, cocked Ms bead, and looked at his marter. his beak half open, bis beady eyes sparkling. spark-ling. "nut Dorothy doesn't like me at all." said Frank Lr-sslng. "Ho a little reasonable, rea-sonable, uncle. I know 1 am Indebted to you for my support and education and my start In life, and all that, but how in thunder can you expect me to marry a girl I don't care anything about, and who, moreover, bates the very ground I walk on?"' "I'm not going to argue with you, air." shouted the old man. "Dut I'm not going to see the Eastdale property divided. It cost me thirty years of work to get that plexe of land to-gether, to-gether, and If you don't get married I'll I'll leave It to the Home for Decayed Parrots that I'm contemplating establishing. estab-lishing. 80 you'd better get your etupld heads together, for this atf.ck of gout Is likely to be my last and I'm going to make my will tomorrow unless un-less I'm better." "Ha! ha!" croaked the parrot. "Serves him right! Serves him right! Confound your Impudence!" "Frank, put a cover over that bird, that's a good fellow," said his uncle pettishly. And Kphralm, thus suppressed, sup-pressed, subsided Into silence. Prank Leasing w.-.s the orphaned child of a cousin of William Jennings, and the kind hearted old merchant had - made himself responsible for bis up- bringing. That he should marry bis daughter Dorothy bad been his earnest earn-est wish, and of late be bad begun to express it forcibly. Hut between the found you. sir. 1 v mid you mort than I should like you lo know." "How'a Dorothy, uncle?" asked bit nephew. Tho old man looked at htm with pa tbetlc eagerness. "Khe'a well," he grumbled. "Put Frank" h. bd him into the little room which had been fitted up as bill couHln'a boudclr "you'd better try your fortune again. Now liaten to mo and don't be a fool. Do you see Kphralm In that corner?" At the sound of hla name the parrot gave an uneasy squawk beneath the cloth which covered his houso. "Why. yes, uncle." "Well, ha loves her now." "What? Dorothy's been muklnx friends with Kphralm?" aked the young man Incredulously. "Why, un cle, sho never exactly seemed to crf j for him, did she?" He alluded dl,sl j matleally to his cousin's aversion fcr tho bird, which had often distressed the old gentleman. "She loves him now," answered hU uncle solemnly. "Yes, she can't bout to have him out of the room nowadays And do you know what that means. Frank? It means thut she's In tho old maids' hurdlo handicap, urless Oh, pshaw, Prank, try it again!" When ho was left alone Frnnk lifted the cover from tho cage and regarded the parrot intently. It stood watching him, Its head on one side, its claw poised. Its beak half open. And then from Its throat proceeded a mott remarkable re-markable sentence, and one which Frank Leasing had never beard it say before. "O Polly'lt croaked, "can't you tell Frank" "Yrs. Go on," said the young man encouragingly. Hut the parrot only blinked and repeated the words ovei and over again. "Go on. confound you." shouted ths young ninu. "Till Frank what" "0, Tolly, can't you tell Frank O Tolly, can't you tell Frank O Tolly, can't you tell Frank," the parrot croaked. Frank Leaning turned away In disgust dis-gust and flung the cover over the cage "O Folly, can't you tell Frank that 1 do really love him?" the parrot squaw ked In shrill protest. Frank Leaning turned as a light foot fall sounded In the hall. Ho strode toward the door. Dorothy came in, stopped, looked at hi in. and suddenly found herself In his arms. "Dorothy, can you can't you?" Frank began, then stopped, for there ras no need to say anything more lit fact five whole minutes had passed it fore a heavy, gouty footstep near them suddenly recalled them to the conscience of externals. Tbey sprang apart, looking at th old gentleman guiltily and then Dorothy Doro-thy perceived Ephraim't cage. "Why, uncle, whatever made you put Kphralm In my room?" she asked. "Only a whim, my dear." responded the old gentleman, " thought perhaps ho might give Frank a message from me. There, never mind! I'll take him back again. But I wish you'd learn to like Ephralm a little better. Dorothy." "Why, I Just lovo Ephralm now," she answorcd roguishly. (Copyright. 1912. by W. O. Chapman.) 1 Mi. 1 SMBSBSBSMSBSBSHHMMM.MMaillM' -Tsll Frank Whatr fount people a feeling of constraint had arisen which waa rapidly broadening broaden-ing Into active dislike. Perhaps Dorothy Doro-thy objected to being made the sub-lect sub-lect of such confidential negotiations. At any rate, when Frank, who felt that be might possibly learn to lore bis pretty cousin, proposed to her under the promptings of bis uncle, sbe returned re-turned a very decided "no." "How dare you think that a woman would marry you when you asked ber lo Just because you were told to?" she demanded, standing before blm with angry eyes and flaming cheeks. "You might as well be Ephralm. He too say what hla master tells blm to aay." From that day they avoided each alher and Uncle Will, whose gout bad again subsided, began reluctantly to abandon bis cherished ambition. From that time forward be spent more and more of his leisure alone with tbe birds, tu which be seemed to pour forth all bis affection. Perhaps it was due to the contrariness contrari-ness of human nature, but the fact remains re-mains that no sooner bad Dorothy glv-n glv-n and Frank received tbe answer to his proposal than their interest in Mch other assumed a new ar.d unexpected unex-pected Importance. Frank Letsing. Juring the course of a business trip ut of town, felt tbe loss of bis cousin profoundly. In spite of their constant liekertngs he found himself thinking of aer during all his spare moments and rery often in boors which be should have devoted to hla uncle's Interests It waa with happy anticipations, therefore, there-fore, tbst he rang the doorbell of hla ancle's bouse on bis return, after an absence of a couple of weeks. -Hello, rrank, come In!" cried bis acle. sbskltj tltn by the band. "Coo- |