St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1903-09-05

as de stars You ev' know. herr
"Yes," the visitor answered. a ten
der, almost reverent look coming
into his eyes, II know her"
"You un'erstan' den," Raoul went
on. Life ain not'in' 'cept it goin'
make dat girl more happy an better
off. She not like any girl I ev' see
fore, an dere plenty han'some girl
in Canada. She be nor like some
great lady dat ain proud an aim
know she been han'some-only Elise
ain educat. She n queen drop
drown in de wood by mistake an
grow up fore peoples fin out. When
l t'ink maybe she goin' come live
long me till we both be dead, l ain
hardly know how I breathe, it be SO
WONDERFUL.
"Den a young man come from
Montreal to see bout some reever
claim, an he hire me to show. him
how de current run dis way an dat
way an how far up de spring water
rise, an den one day we go pas de
cabin an he see Elise.
"Wen he feel bout her JUS like
me. an YER soon ]. e dat Elise feel
to M'sicu de IIrme an me bout dc
same. When I been 60 see her she
like me hes, cause I ain new 'fraid
notin', an go down de reever STAN
in straight up on a log like no udder
man ev' dar to; but when M'sieu de
l'Irme go see her, den she like him
hes, cause he sof' spoke an poleesh
an educat. / been see how it goin'
be pref queeck. We ain both know
her but two weeks, an she like both
de same; two, tree weeks, an
she goin' like jus one mooch better.
an it goin' pend on which de bes'
man."
"AHd you proved yourself to be
that. of course?"
II been pref steedy nerve dose
day." Raoul went on, without seem
ing to notice the interruption. when
I start out for ting I go straight on.
an if it broke my head I let it been
broke. I new stop to count dat.
When I see how things goin' | slip off
in de wood wher' I be by myself.
Dat my way. I ain new tink good
with peoples roun'. Well. frs / see
Elise married an me lookin' out for
her. an I know I goin' do de YER
hes / know how; den I see M'sieu de
lIrme lookin' out for her, an l know
he goin' do JUS de same. I been
watch him pref close, an know. he
clean, straight man who goin' do jes'
what he say.
so dat ain settle it, an I go
queeck to Montreal, my tooth set
hard"
ITO find out something about
M'sien de TIrme?" the visitor said.
Raoul nodded. "Qui, m'sieu. Her
fader an bodder bout dat. But when
a girl get married she goin' pend a
might long time on de man mos like
". / been know bout myself, an /
tink I know bout M'sieu de Prime.
But I ain Eoin' let Elise take some
reesk, non. When / fin out il he been
good man as me, den I goin' back an
say, Here. Elise, you pick out de n
you been mos happy long with"
A slight grin twitched the n
o@E
Of Raoul's mouth.
"Seem like / might fair" he con-
tinued, .but I feel jes' how things
comm out all de time. Her fader
like me, and Elise t'ink whole lot
what her fader say, an she like me.
too. some-much as de udder man, I
tink. I goin' stan close up to him
when she look, an I ten inch taller
an fit pound bigger, an my voice
roin' drown him all out. His voice
sof' an quiet like, 'cep' once in long
time when his eyes fash, den it still
sof' but cut like knife ane make de
udder man jump. Qui. I know JUS how
t'ings comm out-till l go down to
Montreal. Den / know JUS de same,
only de worl' been shift roun'."
He was silent so long this time that
the visitor would have reminded him
Of the unfinished narrative, had it
been upon any other subject. As it
was. he waited.
IT been 'quire bout M'sieu de
rIrme," Raoul said at length, in a
low voice, "an' fin he straight, true
man, JUS like I t'ink. But more, /
fin he great lawyer, with big house
an plent' servant an t'ings like dat.
ANY folk who long to him goin' have
de YER bes' de worl' got to give.
When / fin dat out I 60 of, in de
wood an fight de bigges' fight dat
man ev' live t'rou. Den 1 go buy trap
an ting an start off on de longes'
an mos far of hunt I ev' take. l
been gone tree year."
"What! And did not go back to
Eliseo"
81 ain dar'. Maybe she start out
to like me bes'. an you know what
life been as trapper wife. Elise ain
! meant for dat. non. She made for
de bes'."
"And-forgive mc-haven't you ever
seen her SINGER"
"Non. 1 aim new feel strong 'nough
to 90 to Montreal since dat time. But
i hear she been 'sist on goin' to
school an study to be like him, an
dey have a great house, an she be
like queen 'mong de peoples. DEFY
have two child, and de oldes' + been
hear de name Raoul!-!-" The trap
per rose impatiently and strobe to
the pack of traps. y which he
bent, ostensibly trying to place the
one he had just cleaned with the
others. The visitor glanced toward
him. then turned abruptly and stole