Produced by David Garcia, Josephine Paolucci and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net. (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Kentuckiana Digital Library) THE GOLDEN BIRD BY MARIA THOMPSON DAVIESS Author of "The Melting of Molly," "Phyllis," "Sue Jane," "The Tinder Box," etc. ILLUSTRATED BY EDWARD L. CHASE NEW YORK THE CENTURY CO. 1918 Copyright, 1918, by THE CENTURY CO. Copyright, 1918, by BUTTERICK PUBLISHING COMPANY _Published, September, 1918_ [Transcriber's note: Minor typos corrected.] [Illustration: "Oh, how beautiful!" exclaimed Polly, all restraint leaving her young face and body as she fell on her knees before the sultan] TO IDA CLYDE CLARKE WHOSE COURAGE INSPIRES ME LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS "Oh, how beautiful!" exclaimed Polly, all restraint leaving her young face and body as she fell on her knees before the sultan A poor old sheep was lying flat with pathetic inertia while Adam stood over her with something in his arms I put his babykins in a big feed-basket and the lamb twins came and welcomed him And Bud was beautiful in the "custom-made" fifteen-dollar gray cheviot with his violet eyes and yellow shock, in spite of his red ears THE GOLDEN BIRD CHAPTER I The primary need of a woman's nature is always supposed to be love, but very suddenly I discovered that in my case it was money, a lot of it and quick. That is, I thought I needed a lot and in a very great hurry; but if I had known what I know now, I might have been contented feeding upon the bread of some kind of charity, for instance, like being married to Matthew Berry the very next day after I discovered my poverty. But at that period of my life I was a very ignorant girl, and in the most noble spirit of a desperate adventure I embarked upon the quest of the Golden Bird, which in one short year has landed me--I am now the richest woman in the world. "But, Ann Craddock, you know nothing at all about a chicken in any more natural state than in a croquette," stormed Matthew at me as he savagely speared one of those inoffensive articles of banquet diet with a sharp silver fork while he squared himself with equal determination between me and any possible partner for the delicious one-step that the band in the ball-room was beginning to send out in inviting waves of sound to round the dancers in from loitering over their midnight food.