Show THE FICTION ION BERTHA CORNER By Richard Richar Hill Wilkinson I ROY OY was correcting his English IV N year mid-year book reviews and the whistling annoyed him It came camerom from rom the alley beneath the window at the end of the ther r- r I hall It had begun Minute early that morning morn morn- 3 Fiction ling ing a b bright r 1 h t c cheery h e e ry whistle measured hi high high- g h- h pitched Presently he could stand it no longer He was not a violent man but as he descended the back stairs there was a grimness about his mouth Roy emerged Into the alley and headed for a high board fence from behind which came the measured whistle He went through a door inthe in inthe inthe the fence and stopped short A voice said Hi HI kid Suspended from a peg in the fence was a cage and in the cage was a parrot As Roy stared at it the parrot parrot parrot par par- rot emitted a shrill piercing whistle Roy was in the act of opening the cage door when someone shrieked He turned to see a girl with red hair and blazing brown eyes rushing at him Dont you dare touch that cage Who o are you What are you doing here You were going to harm Bertha Roy blinked Yes he said calmly I was going to wring Berthas Bertha's scrawny neck Berthas Bertha's whistling annoyed me It was driving me crazy All AU morning long I have been trying to correct correct correct cor cor- my English book reviews If It the book reviews arent aren't In by tomorrow Im I'm apt to lose my job fob The girls girl's eyes brimmed with tears ti tr t- t r i 1 Il rl r h fit Im sorry Roy said Unless Unless Un n- n less you remove Bertha from her present location I shall In Insist insist Insist in- in on bashing In her stupid head Im sorry said Roy Unless s you remove Bertha from her present present present pres pres- ent location I shall insist on bashing bash bashing ashing ash ash- ing in her stupid head The r redhead gasped And I Ill I'll 11 bet you would do it tool too Its It's only y on bright days that I place Bertha Berth a outside Otherwise she has to sta stain stay Y In where its it's dark If you dont don't believe believe believe be be- lieve me come and see Roy realized that she was appealing appeal appeal- ing to his better nature if it any H He permitted himself to be led into th the e house The room where abode the girl and Bertha was truly a gloomy gloom Y place I concede the point Roy ad ad- He stared at the girl close close- e ly I should think on warm days you'd want to get out into the air yourself I do I spend nearly all my time looking for a job Today I stayed home so Bertha could have a sun sun- ning Tomorrow she wont won't bother you at all Tomorrow said Roy I wont won't be here to mind He scratched his chin Look here he said What kind of work are you looking for I used to be a librarian said the girlA girlA girlA girl A librarian exclaimed Roy Would you like a job correcting English IV book reviews The redheads redhead's eyes grew round Do Do you why mean-why Id I'd adore such a job By the way he said I haven't asked your name Its Roberta Cameron And 11 it you want these papers tonight I think you'd better let me get to work on them IT TT was In October that Bertha had f first aroused Roys Roy's ire T Two weeks before Christmas he he asked Roberta an an taP important question She shook her h head end I I couldn't marry mar you You dont don't like Bertha But Ive I've really grown fond Bertha of 01 Roy cried Why if it weren't for Bert Bertha Bertha- Berthard ha Id I'd never neve have met you The day after this Berth Bertha Berth caught a col cold d. d It was bright and nd warm In n the morning and Rob Rob- R erta left the bird outside while she went to town At turned no noon it cold and began to rain Attracted by a series of h hoarse shrieks Roy rushed Into the alley seized the cage an and d turned returned re- re Indoors rs Ber Berhand Bertha Berth died the he hers next day I 1 suppose said Rob Roberta shouldn't have uJ put her out Roy stared A thousand galloped thoughts thought throUgh his mind B had the he But h good sense not to them Instead he mention picked hart bertas berta's up Ro a s hand and Roberta smiled 1 |