" All Sccoiirs." 7 



An secours ! " said a small \oice at this deadlock. 

 " Au secours ! " 



The landlord wheeled round and met the cunning' eye of 

 the Widow's pet cockatoo. 



"Why don't you sell that dratted bird?" he inquired. 

 " Some folk," he added doubtfully. " might fancy it." 



But the Widow shook her head. 



I can't part with Joey," she quavered. " i'(K)r Tom 

 left him me. ' Take care of Joey," he said when he was a 

 dying", ' he'll bring you luck.' 



Bring' you to the workhouse more like!" snorted Mr. 

 Creen. " 1 don't "old with birds in a 'ouse. but what I wants 

 i^ my rent, see ?" 



^"es," said the Widow Brown dolefully. " next week! "' 

 But hert':ne was so ho])eless that the landlord might be excused 

 for doubting' it. 



Well, you'd better 'ave it, that's all. or you an" nie"ll 

 [)art, and that's my last word!" 

 And it really was. 



" Au secours! "" said Joey. " Au secours." 

 But the Widow only wept. 



•X- -x- -x- * 



There is no use striving' against Fate, and a few days later 

 found the Widow timidly entering' the bird shop of Catchem 

 ■.X: Selleni." 



Would they Imy her pet ? 



For the next ten minutes she wondered what bird shops 

 existed for. 



No. they didn't want no cockatoos — no sale for "em! 

 Destructive, screaming' bird, hers was — never mind if it did 

 talk- -never mind if it was beautiful — ladies had come there and 

 gone down on their bended knees to beg' them to have their 

 cockatoos as a gift, had even offered them good money to take 

 the birds, and they wouldn't. Tf it had been a dog, now, that 

 she had to offer, or a kitten, or a pair of love birds, they were 

 [irepared to give fabulous ])rices for these — but cockatoos, no! 



As she was leaving- the shop the proprietor called her 



