The Kalispell bee. [volume] (Kalispell, Mont.) 1900-192?, 1902-04-09
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deep, the house so hot you can't
breathe, thirty pair of feet waiting,
lots of tobac, Of cold pork, plenty Of
cider behind the door and no music!
We'll, it's dro1l that! Pshaw! I'll
stand on tub and whistler
Babette laughed. Look at Alphonse.
Watch how he shake his black head,
and his eyes dance so. All, poor man!
He would give his head for Marie, but
she sits with half dozen gallants be-
side her, and she fash her big brown
eyes over at Alphonse, and they drive
him. mad. Mon Dieu! You think she
care for him, with his purity eyes and
black hair? No, no. You see? You
hear her feet tap the floor. She long to
dance like US all, and Alphonse he long
for her."
$50" rejoined Antoine. IT do not
understand that Marie. Why is't all
get on their knees to her and she care
for no man"
"You think that? asked Babette.
"Ah, you are only man, with mans
eyes You think because she not care
for you she care for nobody. That's
like a man. He is so vain. When
woman care not for him, he is so hap
by when she care not for any one else.
We'll, I'm glad I'm not man."
Antoine bristled up. "Come, come,
Babette. You think care for Marie?
mo; only for you. You are the one
great woman in the world"
Babette laughed merrily, her little
white teeth flashing. She tapped him
on the arm.
ooh, you foolish-foolish! A man can
never see when it is a woman. He
thinks her great when she's very little.
He thinks he understands himself, and
he knows nothing. There is Marie.
What do you know? You think her all
coquette. You think I'm better. Mon
Dieu! If I were in the same way as
Marie, I'd be like her"
Antoine ran his fingers through his
hair, knotted his forehead and smiled
in droll way.
"By the holy, do not understand"
he said. "Who is there Marie loves?
You can see she play the game with
them all, but there is no one. She has
them - Jacques, Adrien, Jules, AL
phonse and the rest-comme ca! They
are on their shins, and she put her lit
tie foot on them all. What does she
care? All, Babette, what she care?
There's no one"
Babette suddenly became grave. and
her eyes watched Antoine with a Won
dering kind of sadness. She was
younger than he, yet she was wiser,
for every good woman is wiser than
any man. She wondered why he did
not know that when love first stirs in
woman's heart she begins to be wise,
when in a mans he begins to be fool
ish, for the one becomes unselfsh and
the other vain.
After moment she said, with Sc
rious little twist of the head: can
tome, | do not know who tits, but
there's some one Marie loves. Do you
think I'm woman and not know the
look of love in another? There is
some one somewhere, and it is all un
happy. l know that. Do you think II
it was all right she would play with
them like that-so cold. so heartless
No, but she must do something. A wo
man will go mad unless. Poor Marie
Perhaps the man does not love her
Perhaps he loved her and should not
Perhaps something prevents. Well, i
is all the same. She is as you see."
Antoine was a little nervous, facing
Babette's seriousness. He had not tn,
care of life, only the shanties in th
winter, the river in summer. the littl,
farming in the autumn and courtin!
Babette in happy, irresponsible fash
ion all the time. But take it seriousl,
-life-love? Watch how his feet tai
the floor impatiently. He is wild TO
the dance.
1t was New Years day, the time o
festivity beyond all others in n Frenc
Canadian home, and the young peopl
of the parish were gathered, ready t
dance until the morning. but to til
house of Marie's father old Vigord. til
fiddler, had not come. For the las
hour there had been nothing but ''V
CORD. Vigord! Why doesn't Vigor
come" Every one seemed trouble
save Marie. She did not worry. Pc
haps that was because she had bee
year at school in Quebec city an
therefore had got kind of name
was playing the self possessed lady, {
that if she could not enjoy herself
one way she could in another TheI
was something in her different frol
the other girls in the room. You fe
that you did not know her as 70
knew them. All that they thought {
were flashed in their brown eyes, c
their red. careless lips and in II
. hi
Marie's strong chin. dark coquettis
eyes and strong brow there hid som
thing which had little to do with Il
life moving at the moment. Perhap
as Babette had said. there was a ma
somewhere in the world whose 10y
or lack of love had given her wisdor
but she said herself that she was on
a triher. that she cared for nothir