The Opelousas courier., 1903-08-29
So .JOAN.' -
Acomphete STORY BY Margaret Westrup.

A great old sweet smelling garden
and n little maid among the flower
and bees and butterflies. All alone She
was, for mother did not come out int
the garden much these days. JoaI
stopped before a tall pink hollyhocl
and spoke.
II don't think this Is such a nice
summer as most" she said. Il used tt
say fink once-oh, years and years
ago when I was ker-wite a little baby
but l say 'therink' now, Gauss In
most grown up, you see."
Then she walked on again down the
little twisted gravel path, with hel
hands clasped behind her, and hel
brows grave with thought. For SC
Man Daddy used to walk when he was
having a big "therink."
"But it's whole days-most years.
since Man Daddy went away" she
said, stopping beside a gray green bush
of lavender, land he said goodby Sc
hasty, he squeezed me SO hard that he
hurt, and his eyes were angry, and I
hadn't been naughty, at all. Are you
sorry, sweet lavendero"
She buried her face in the fragrance,
then trotted on down the little path
till she came to a tall foXglove. She
tilted back her yellow head and gazed
up at the white and red bells with
wide gravity, her hands still elapsed
behind her back.
Zone day." she said, "a lady came
to see mother. It vast was a long
big time ago, afore you were borned;
pretty ladies what bow, and she tried
to kiss me when she was going, but /
didn't like her, you see, and I wouldn't
kiss her, and l ran in to mother, and
mother was ill on the-I forget-the
bed without covers in the drawing
room, you know, and the lady was
smiling ever so, and her dress was as
long as a new little baby's, and that
was the day Man Daddy went away"
She bowed gravely to the polite fox
and trotted Oh.
Before a group of tall white lilies
she stopped again. She came closer,
and, stretching up her arms, pulled one
down and laid her soft cheek
the snowy petals.
For a moment the baby lip quivered.
Man Daddy Logged you the bestest of
iii. Queen of the Garden'-that's
what he called you, you know"
Then a cry went up in the warm,
sweet air. 81 want Man Daddy-oh, !
want him so bad!"
The little hands were unclasped only
be locked together tighter still.
For I'm most grown UP, you see,"
Baby Joan to the tall white
lily, land gTown-ups don't cry, YOU
She left the lilies, and walked on in
leep thought. At the end of the path
1er wee red sunshade was tied with
string to q nail in the wall. Such a
ong while it had taken to fix that sun
shade "propelly," but Joan eyed it
now.
"Are you ker-wite happy?" she said,
,eeping round at the clambering white
md pink c%onvolvulus behind the lit
le parasol. Poor muslin ladies, didn't
he wind blow you dreful?"
Then she watched a little blue but
erfy as she futtered about from flow
IF to flower, and finally sailed over the
vail.
'If I was a buttlefy," she said to
he convolvulus, Il would soon find
Lan Daddy" She sighed, so that her
mall muslin pinafore bosom gave a
,ig heave. But them" with another
bought, I'D have to leave mother"
She sighed again. Mother says,
Don't worry, JOAN when / ask when
ian Daddy's coming home, and then
he kisses me ever so, to make up"
She trotted on again, with hands be-
lind her back.
A woman looking from a window
urned away in anguish from the small
eminine imitation OF Man Daddy.
Suddenly the chubby legs twinkled
a wild haste up the garden, across
he velvet lawn, cut Of the open gate
nto the road.
Il ear go most as fast as a buttle.
said Joan, land I'll find Man Dad
y at the nice place where Fido was
ook when he was lost, where there
such a heaps and heaps OF dogs.
know Man Daddy'u be there" with a
leeful chuckle that brought the dim
les laughing to her cheeks. Mother
ever thought of that. l b'lieve it was
he lilies what put the therink in my
Along the hot, dusty road, meeting
o one In this peaceful dinner hour,
he trotted, her sunbonnet dragging
ehind and her yellow hair rivalling
be glowing cornfields on either side.
In her desire to emulate the butter
y she got over the ground at a sur
pace. She put all her heart
nd soul into her %endeavor, as she al
,ays did into everything she under
box. Life to Joan was a deep and an
arrest thing. She hardly knew that
er short legs were aching, or that
or curls were sticking to her damp
tile brow. BY the time the village
inner hour was over the village was
1T far behind by Joan's determined
'gs. She began to meet people, and
few asked her where she was going.
oan's beaming. moist smile and her
nswer, Man Daddy-jus' there with
grimy foreflnger pointing apparent
to the end of the road or lane, sat
Aed them. But presently Joan
'opped to talk to q great suniower
its golden head at her over