The St. Mary banner. (Franklin, Parish of St. Mary, La.) 1889-1931, 1902-06-14
Mar6ery DanVerS:: Fireman. ,
By CARROLL WATSON RANKIN -"

s1~>>>>> 40 &
Beyond a doubt tn. Property la,
been a marvellous t>afgain. The lana
alone was worth more than the price
asked for the nouse and lot together
with carpets. and fixtures thrown in.
The for Mer owner had had creates
]. businesA interests in another part OF
The <orld, and having found himself
IN able to live in two places at once
III kad wisely concluded to convert the
q superfluous house into cash. Mr.. Dan
!. yssrs had bought it for ridiculously
small sum, and felt that he ought to be
congratulated.
But although good Mr.. Danvers was
jubilant over the purchase, Mrs. Dan
vers, on her first inspection of the
! new house, sat down upon the thrown.
y IN carpet and burst into tears.
The moment she beheld the parlor
wall paper she forgot all else and gave
herself up to grief.
It was really enough to make one
oblivious of other things. Mrs. Dan
woman, who loved pink-and-wnite
rooms. The late occupant of the house
had been a big red-andyellow man,
who liked redand-yellow rooms, and
his taste in wall paper was certainly
deploraole. There was only one thing
In the house worse than the paper, and
4 that was the carpet.
'What, don't you like the paper!"
exclaimed astonishei Mr.. Danvers,
: Who was not artistic. why, that S
splendid paper! 1t must have cost So
- roll, Patterns a trifle large, per.
haps; but just think how it'll wear!
i 4 will last a lifetime!"
sf, But, strange to say, this consoling
Information only made Mrs. Danvers
weep tho more.
there's great stuff in that carpet.
too," said Mr.. Danvers, eyeing it ap'
orUvingly. It'll wear like iron, in spite
II the children running over it. Those
Big magenta roses stand out we'll,
1ent they"
il Mrs. Danvers shuddered. The car
pet was calamity.
Reasonable as the price had been
k had taken all Mr.. Danvers could
spare to make the purchase, SO there
Was no money to be foolishly wasted
"a replacing the perfectly good paper
md carpet. Poor Mrs. Danvers, cover.
laE as much of the ugliness as she
!. Seuld with her pictures and furniture,
wisely made the best Of 1t, but all her
tay. dreams for the next ten years Gen.
tered about the repapering Of the dis
figured parlor.
Her daughter .Margery understood
! ma sympathized with her mother, and
together they would deplore the iura-
bility Of the obnoxious paper and car
VT,
ut would be such pretty ROOM"
Mrs. Danvers would mourn, IF only
j es1mathing would happen to that out
l lragsous carpet and that horrible pa
psrt"
A.. Wouldn't 1t be glorious" Margery
Nbrii say, If our chimney should get
vtfuck by lightning as the Browns
didf The paper was torn OF the din.
mt room wall, and SCOT from the chin
ny ruined the rugs. The Browns seem
g have all the good luck"
n The Browns selfshly retained their
monopoly of the lightning. and the
hated paper continued to bear a
charmed life. No warning voice was
sver raised when the little Danvcrses
approached the parlor wall with sticky
Singers; and although Mrs. Danvers
end Margery fairly courted disaster.
none ever came.
g At last, when Margery was II. both
psper and carpet showed unmistakable
Signs Of wear.
do anything you like about 1t. It's
your house." said Mr.. Danvers, gener-
ously. when Mrs. Danvers pointed out
the defects. ":Yes. get anything you
IKE: all paper looks aliketo me. Hard
wood floors? Ye-es, l don't mind. Still
4 am a little disappointed in that
cSrpet. thought 1t would last for
ever" -
so did T." said Mrs. Danvers; but
Y she felt any disappointment it was
well concealed.
Then came delightful weeks. The
house was all torn up and turned over
% the carpenters and paper-hangers.
mrs. Danvers and Margery spent all
'tneir days and part of their nights
esudying samples Of wall paper. Mr..
Oanvers spent all his in trying to
Scuge the pals Of paste and varnish
nat iurked In every corner.
At last. however, 1t was all finishe !
60 the complete satisfaction of Mrs
Danvers and Margery, who ceased to
eovet the Browns share Of devastating !
nsntning. Indeed. the renovated par /
!or became the object of Mrs. Danvers'
senderest sciicltuie. and the little Ian
Yesses began to see Imaginary Keen