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Show Jenny Wren Discovers Identity Of New Visitor to Old Orchard By THORNTON BURGESS 1THEN our little Jenny Wren an- nounced that she was going to find out who the stranger in the Old Orchard was no one doubted for a minute that she would do it. Jenny is a great gossip and very fond of prying into the affairs of other people. peo-ple. And she isn't at all bashful about it. Now she wasted no time, but flew straight over the old apple tree in the far corner, which the stranger seemed to be busily inspecting. in-specting. "Good morning," said Jenny Wren in the pert way which is all her M'l'"iil ,,... J r. "Good morning," said Jenny Wren in the pert way which is all her own. own. 'You seem to be a stranger in the Old Orchard." "More of a stranger now than I will be by and by. I've decided to stay," replieij the new-comer rudely. rude-ly. "Do you mean that you are going to make your home here," asked Jenny. "I said that I am going to stay. If I stay it is likely that I will make my home here, isn't it?" retorted re-torted the stranger. He spoke in a loud, unpleasant voice and it made Jenny feel very uncomfortable. "Oh, of course. Why, certainly. Of course," replied Jenny hurriedly. hurried-ly. "You see your coming among I us has been so sudden and unexpected unexpect-ed that we " "You're the fussy little person who has that snug, little home over in the middle of the Orchard, aren't you?" interrupted the other. I like the looks of that house first rate. If the doorway wasn't so small I think it would suit me fine." Jenny Wren gasped. The idea that anyone, let alone a perfect stranger, should talk as if he would take her house whether she was willing will-ing to give it up or not. "You you " she began to sputter. sput-ter. "Oh, don't bother," the stranger once more interrupted. "You needn't worry. The doorway is altogether al-together too small and so I won't trouble you to move out. "Besides there are two or three other houses that will do quite as well. I haven't decided yet which one I will take. I want to look around a little more and then will make up my mind." For a minute or two Jenny Wren was quite speechless. When at last she found her voice she said meekly, meek-ly, "I suppose you mean one of those empty houses. There are several good ones that Drummer the woodpecker wood-pecker has made and which no one is using now." "Who said anything about empty houses?" demanded the stranger in his loud,, unpleasant voice. "When I decide which one I want it won't make any difference to me whether or not it is empty. When I see a thing I want I take it That is the only way to get on in this world." It seemed to Jenny Wren that she couldn't believe her own ears. Never before had anyone talked like that in the Old Orchard. She just didn't know what to say and when Jenny Wren doesn't know what to say she is very much upset indeed. At last she remembered what she had come for. "My name is Jenny Wren," said she. "I suppose if you are going to live in the Old Orchard we ought to be acquainted. Do you mind telling me who you are and where you come from?" "I don't know that it is any of your business, but I'm not ashamed of my name. It's Bully, that's what it is," retorted the stranger as rudely rude-ly as before. "My name's Bully and I've come out from the city for a change of air. I belong to the Sparrow Spar-row family and my ancestors (he meant his great-great-ever-so-great-grandparents) came over from a place called England. Now if you've found out all you want to know suppose sup-pose you leave me alone. I'm busy." IS T. W. Burgess. WNU Service. |