St. Landry clarion. (Opelousas, La.) 1890-1921, 1900-05-05
! a QUEER GIRL !
7 By s. II. James. J
aC HALL I invite her ?"
By s. H. James.
ss>s~->e~>>~>ees
s,>s-s~sss~s>~-<

y
Reeves, from the depths Of her easy
chair by the fire.
i was thinking, mother" responds
Stella, whether I should invite Myr
Garland to spend week here. Yoi
know that Patty Harper, Nellie Camp
bell and Jennie Stagg are coming
ssWhy not invite Myra?" asked Mrs
Reeves, eyeing her daughter curiously
well, don't know said Stella
slowly. "she is ever SO nice girl, bu
& she's queer
How queer?"
"Very quiet, and not at all like Other
girls. Sometimes like her, and some
times do not, and that is the way
with all the girls. She is not good com
pany, I am afraid, and yet want tt
invite her for that very reason. sh,
never goes home except during tht
summer, and it is so dreary in the acad
emy during Christmas and Easter hol
idays. But I dare say she will not
come, anyhow"
eInvite her, Stella" said Mrs. Reeves
quietly. And Stella did.
1t was night when Myra came, the
train being late, and Mrs. Reeves did
not see her until they all sat at the
breakfast table next morning.
All the girls were there, and at first
Mrs. Reeves mentally decided that
Myra was only a homely girl with
brown hair and hazel eyes, and much
like other girls, but before the meal
was ended she found herself watching
the girl with increasing curiosity. She
was queer, in her reversed, almost mo-
rose, manner, in her habitual silence
and her grave, sweet smile.
ssShe is queer" said Mrs. Reeves to
herself, ''but I like her.
Before the day was out she liked
Myra more than ever. When the other
girls went out for walk, Myra stayed
indoors, fed the canary, busted the
bric-a-brac, and shook up the sofa and
chair pillows, and did several other
little tasks which Stella generally for
got.
Within three days Myra was firmly
established in the Reeves household.
She was SO handy and SO helpful and
SO good natured, everybody said, that
Stella and the girls actually held eau
Gus to discover why they had called
her queer, and failed to find a cause.
On the evening of the third day Ar
thur Reeves came home on leave from
the naval school, where he was cadet.
Arthur was only IS, but such big,
bury fellow, especially in his cape
oYercoat, that you would have taken
him for 25 at least--at a distance.
'sYou shall be our cavalier, Arthur"
said Stella, "and I promise you shall
have your hands FULL
All right" asserted Arthur, care
lessly. Bring on your girls; you can't
frighten a sailor"
Then began a roung fof gayety such
as fairly took away 1e girls breath.
They made trips toE the old mill and
the abandoned powder magazine, they
went hunting and skating, and Arthur
was the guiding spirit in all their
pranks.
Myra revived her reputation for
queerness in these expeditions.
"By the great hoop-bloclz!" cried
Arthur, with undisguised admiration,
to his mother, as he was eating late
breakfast, II call her jolly girl, and
no mistake
..The girls say she is queer" said Mrs.
Reeves.
"Queer!" he burst out. s:Well, yes,
perhaps she is, but / wish there were
more queer girls like her. Is she rich,
mother?"
II believe not, Arthur"
That's lucky!" 4
Lucky ?"
For her. She will have to work, and
she is sure to make her mark, and it
will be a big one. Mother, think"
Arthur" called Stella, outside, "if
you ever get through eating, we girls
would like to have you drive us to the
post Office"
On Tuesday Arthur's leave would ex-
pire, and SO it was arranged that on
Monday there should be picnic. 1t
was Arthur's idea.
"Why not?9" he asked. ''It's mere
nonsense to suppose that you can't
have picnic cnly in summer. What's |
the matter with taking the big sleigh. /
loading it up with picnic grub, includ-
ing rubber blankets, in case we want
to sit on the ground, and having first
class time generally z"
4 1t was unanimously voted that there
vas nothing the matter with it, and
IN Monday morning the picnic sleigh
ingled off.
Myra was there, even more quiet
han usual and her only response to
he general chatter was grave smile.
What an old grandmother she is!''
whispered Nellie Campbell to Jennie
;tagg; and Jennie nodded vigorous
ssent.
II believe she has some dreadful all
aent," whispered Patty Harper, in her
urn, s'and wouldn't be surprised to
ee her drop at any moment
"Poohi" said Stella, contemptuous-
T; st is only Myra's way" /
Meanwhile the. object of these re-
aarks satquietly on the box-seat with
Irthur, and said never word.
Il say" said Arthur, at length, swhy
ont you taIk?"
Because have nothing - say, re-
lied Myra, TRANQUILITY. "Besides. am
iinking-''
.'0f the picnic?n
Myra smiled.
Something more important than