The St. Mary banner. (Franklin, Parish of St. Mary, La.) 1889-1931, 1902-10-25
II RS. MI ANA SCHMITT stood
~ at theskitchen door of Mer-
/ riam's big house and look cd

IN ~ at theskitchen door of Mel
NV riam's big house and look 9
q at the changing west. Ever
nomcnt the lisitSwas growing faintc
pd@duller, and Still Peter Burns di
not, not come in to the supper that had bee
sM2lthg for him over two hours. Thi
- strange of Peter, and it woul
ve been not only strange. but susp
MyDus of anybody else, after havin
ZEN "'lectioneering' all afternoon
th the old Judge, Mrs. Merriam's hus
IND.
Mrs. Schmidt did not like the Judge
" worst men, in her eyes. are thos,
no always seem so nice and pleasaii
everybody, and between times sc
Junk and abuse their wives. II sucl
Ven We're only mean all the time peo
would not blame their wives 70,
Everything that goes wrong. as the vii
4ge did Mrs. Merriam. when she hai
We old Judge bound over to keep tn,
eace. Since that time the Judge hat,
zen obliged to live at the village hotel
nd Mrs. Merriam was left in the big
Neuse. Now. when the Judge wanted
see Mrs. Merriam, he drove up to the
te ana whistled for her. Then Mrs
erriam put on her best dress and
knt driving with him, for the Judge
Is really very pleasant when lie was
a good temper" as Mrs. Merriam
sell would have put it. Every even-
uS0eHnade Peter drive down to the
hetels 70 see that the Judge got to bee
witaopt his boots. The Judge paid
t1 of his bills that he could out OF
m Sracdce. ana Mrs. Marian paid
her own out Of the place and the "sum.
mer guests" Sometimes she paid al
odt one Of the Judges.
Minna could not see but what It was
much better SO, though whenever she
went to the village she had to hea,
something about women who wear the
pants" and like remarks, which passed
Tor wit thereabouts. But Minna, who
mad had a sharp, and happily short,
married experience of her own. loftily
ignored these supposed jokes. for her
GaEmRn tongue was too slow to risk an.
swers. The delectable Peter himself.
who made possible the harmony of the
present. conditions, was Irish. He
drove the Judge home one day when
the Judges driving was bit uncer.
tain. even for 4 horse that could find
TIE way home alone. Peter had put up
the horse and looked after things that
evening, and he had been doing 30 ever
stnse: Now he was the one person who
was able to travel cheerfully the some.
times slippery path between the inn
and the house at all times.
And still he did not come in. Minna
oefhought herself that she ought to go |
oveRsto the stables. Tomorrow would |
% Sunday. and Peter often needed a
stlech put in somewhere. 1t was not in |
Min4a's quick fingers to see any one
unt1dy on Sunday if she could help it.
90 she went over to the stables-not |
mat she was curious or. even worse,
worried. Things did look queer. The !
foad-wagon was standing in the drive
way. the cushion left shiftlessly on the
seat, and Peters best coat lying across
T. After moment Minna's sharp ear
neard deep breathing. and there, at the
OencA inside the door. lay Peter, fast
lsieeps Now Minna could not believe
mat any man would so fast asleep
without his supper unless there was
wrong. But she was used to
long things, not standing and looking
= them. She took the cushion off the
leat. and along with the coat carried
Into the carriage shed. Something
aasd IN one Of Peters pockets struck
~ nand. and she knew 1t at once for
0ettie. 1t was almost empty and the
:0ntents were not to be mistaken.
men 1Ia she tried the other pocket. Be-
'old, another bottle! |,
Isat camel of a Judge" she NUT
efed.s He has five stomachs and he
loes mot rest until everybody is like
-" The zeal to save woke in her,
'nu sne did not ask herself whether /,
'ne mad that fine zeal for every waver-
q s9nl or only for Peters. She took /,
~ bottles and hurried to the kitchen I
mn them. l.
1. III. Merriam met her at the kitchen {
Where y Petsri" she asked. ]