er and
finally married her amid great rejoicings. The feastings lasted seven
days. She became his chief wife and is now known out there as the
Crown-Princess BumPAH--you accent the last syllable."

"And tell me, did he remain white?"

"Only for about three months," said the parrot. "After that his face
slowly returned to its natural color. It was just as well. He was so
conspicuous in his bathing-suit the way he was, with his face white and
the rest of him black."

"And how is Chee-Chee getting on?--Chee-Chee," added the Doctor in
explanation to me, "was a pet monkey I had years ago. I left him too in
Africa when I came away."

"Well," said Polynesia frowning,--"Chee-Chee is not entirely happy. I
saw a good deal of him the last few years. He got dreadfully homesick
for you and the house and the garden. It's funny, but I was just the
same way myself. You remember how crazy I was to get back to the dear
old land? And Africa IS a wonderful country--I don't care what anybody
says. Well, I thought I was going to have a perfectly grand time. But
somehow--I don't know--after a few weeks it seemed to get tiresome. I
just couldn't seem to settle down. Well, to make a long story short,
one night I made up my mind that I'd come back here and find you. So I
hunted up old Chee-Chee and told him about it. He said he didn't blame
me a bit--felt exactly the same way himself. Africa was so deadly quiet
after the life we had led with you. He missed the stories you used to
tell us out of your animal books--and the chats we used to have sitting
round the kitchen-fire on winter nights. The animals out there were very
nice to us and all that. But somehow the dear kind creatures seemed
a bit stupid. Chee-Chee said he had noticed it too. But I suppose it
wasn't they who had changed; it was we who were different. When I left,
poor old Chee-Chee broke down and cried. He said he felt as though
his only friend were leaving him--though, as you know, he has simply
millions of relatives there. He said it didn't seem fair that I should
have wings to fly over here any time I liked, and him with no way to
follow me. But mark my words, I wouldn't be a bit surprised if he found
a way to come--some day. He's a smart lad, is Chee-Chee."

At this point we arrived at my home. My father's shop was closed and the
shutters were up; but my mother was standing at the door looking down
the street.

"Good evening, Mrs. Stubbins," said the Doctor. "It is my fa