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Show AARY GRAHAA BOER. ELVES AND ORIOLES "I am very fond of your feuthers," said Mr. Orchard Oriole. "Ah, thank you, dear mate," said Mrs. Orchard Oriole. "I dress so simply sim-ply though." "Well, I like It," said Mr. Orchard Oriole. "There is nothing about your costume that seems too simple for me. "In fact when I saw how lovely you looked this spring I could uot resist asking you to be my mate. "You Just suited me. You were all than an oriole could ask for. And I don't believe you can say that 1 was anything but very devoted, eh?" ! Mrs. Orchard Oriole chirped softly. "You were very devoted, yes indeed," in-deed," she said. "Mr. Orchard Orioles are always noted for being tremendously tremen-dously devoted during the mating sen-son, sen-son, though I've bean) they could be quite cross If anyone annoyed them." "That's so," agreed Mr. Orchard Oriole. "But, my dear, to return to the subject of your frock, or feathers, I think you dress quite perfectly. "Never will I forget how my heart went a-flutter when 1 saw you, and how I burst into song when first I beheld you In the orchard, wilh a lovely love-ly dress of olive green which looked so much like the early spring leaves. "And It is as becoming to you as ever." "Ah, you're a dear Mr. Oriole," said Mrs. Orchard Oriole. "And we have a happy home, haven't we?" she asked. "I think it's so nice to have such a long nest as we have. It's almost like a deep bag, and freshly dried grass Is such good material for a nest. "Much better than straw and sticks. Our orchard home Is very beautiful." "It Is," agreed Mr. Orchard Oriole. "Mother," said little Oliver Oriole, "won't you tell me what I was like when I was a little baby?" "Ah, yes," said Mother Oriole, "you were one of Ave little bluish-white, r "I Think You Dress Quite Perfectly." spotted eggs, scrawled all over with black marks. "Now your coat Is very unlike your father's. In fact no one who didn't know would take you for his son. "Next year you will wear a suit like my dress and you will he given a handsome necktie like your father's. "And the year following that you will be allowed to wear a beautiful chestnut and black suit such as your daddy wears, and that will be the same way with your brothers who are off hunting for worms at tills moment." mo-ment." "I have an invitation to give you," Mr. Orchard Oriole said to his male. "I've been saving It as a surprise." "Oh, tell me," said Mrs. Orchard Oriole. . "The Elves," said Mr. Orchard Oriole, Ori-ole, "have invited us to sing for tlieix big concert. "The Baltimore Orioles are asked as guests." "Oh, indeed," said Mrs. Orchard Oriole, "isn't that quite too thrilling for words?" "Yes," said Mr. Orchard Oriole, "for the Eles said that while our cousins, the Baltimore Orioles, wore more brilliant bril-liant plumage we had far richer voices. "Wonderful," said Mrs. Orchard Oriole. Ori-ole. "How much we have to be thankful thank-ful for. Beautiful voices are better than beautiful frocks and feathers in my" opinion." "And in the opinion of the Elves, too," said Mr. Orchard Oriole proudly. "Also in my opinion," said little Oliver Oriole, chirping brightly. |