The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1892-01-24
"O BEGIN WITH I NEVER SAW
N- him. At least I meyer law ANYTHING

ITO BEGIN WITH I NEVER SAW /
AI/o him. At least I never saw anything
SXS of him but some photographs. And
yet in all my gallery of children who have
made stories there is no little figure more
distinct to ms or more full of intense %juve-
nile character than that Of illustissimo
Signor Bebe. l called him this because he
was such an all powerful and distinguished
little person and because being an Italian,
il he had been grown up, instead of five
years old, his letters would have besn ad-
dressed according to polite custom, Illus
trissimo Signor, etc. His real name was
Luigi Roberto. but no one ever called him
SO. He was always addressed and spoken
of as Bebe, and 80 after hearing innumern-
BILE and delightful stories of him in which
he always figured az tho most magnificent
a~utoorat and invariably managed to have
his own way / foil in the habit of speaking
of him as 'Illustrissimo SiRnor Bebs.'
There is q little room in my house in
London which has fowery walls and hang
ings, rocker lounging chairs. and ~fanciful
light bits of furniture. One of these bits
of furniture is q fantastic little double
shelved table with a chair equally light
and fantastic, attached. 1 do not know
why the chair is part of the table, az it 10
placed sidewise and nobody could sit in il
and write on the table and in fact tho table
is not made to write on at all. 1t is too
light and small. 1t is made only to hold
books of trihing ornaments, and this table
is dedicated to Illustrissimo Signor Bebe.
In the first place there is a photograph
upon a small easel. 1t is the picture of .
most beautiful little boy of about four
years old. and he saems to be far from
pleased with the circumstances with which
he finds himself surrounded. In fact, he
looks distinctly ~pouting, but as charming
as Il Disguised and too-much photographed
baby can be-.
The truth was, l believe. that being an
infant professional beauty, he had been
photographed to the verge of distraction
and tho limit of endurance, and finally had
clutched his big sailor hat, elasped his arms
over the back of his chair and rested his
curl-laden head upon them. looking out
under his eyelashes, and poutinR at all the
world--his mamma, tho photographer
Whom he regarded as a troublesome IDIOT.
tho little bird who would not hv out OF the
Gamers when he waited for him, and his
mamma's friend and his own adorer and
hla9e, inc young lady WIT had used all
sorts of devices to make him sit up and
look Rood-tempered.
He did not feel good tempered; he was an
injured and bored person, and he did not
intend to look as if he was pleased when
he WAS really bored to death with tho i'm
becilitloso of those people. So no put his
head on his arm and dangled his legs. And
the photographer hurriedlv took the pret-
test picture Ilustrissimo Sipnor Bebe had
ever had. Nothing could have been prot
tler-the tumblinQ mass of long curls fall
ing over his shoulder II shading his
round check, his rebellious little face. His
plump, mutinous legs. which looked ns II
they were ready to kick. his protesting dark
eyes, and the indignant pose of the arms,
and the sailor hat, %scornfulIy held. made
not only u photograph but IL picture which
told it's own story.
should have quite adored il even IL l
a nad not heard nll these stories about Illus.