The Tupelo journal., 1903-06-26

20
"Down there they laugh and dance,
and gamble and drink, and that hand
some girl with red hair and black eyes
sings fine songs. You remember how
she slashed that schooner captain with
. knife. Well, she disappeared. The
police never knew what became of her.
But / do. l perched on the mast of
the C~arlotta, when she was towed
down Old Basin canal. I saw her"
Where did he take her?" F~rivolle
asked, craning her neck to watch the
girl on the bench, who had covered her
face and seemed to be weeping.
"None of your business, Miss In
quisitive," Dick answered, piping
shrilly.
"But that's just why I like the levee,
and the French market, and all those
cafes and grog shops and funny places.
Something is always happening, and
there's a lot of mystery and queer
doings around"
"If you want amusement so much.
watch those two. She won't marry him,
that's evident. Says she can't leave
that feeble old lady she brings out
here in the evenings. Now he's get
ting in a temper. He's going to walk
Oft; then she will be in despair.
"What did 1 say? Did you see his
face? A perfect thundercloud, and
she's weeping, of course.
"Aren't they silly? That's a master
full fellow. Of course he's going to
make his way in the world and be a
success, if the soft little fool only
realized it. Don't you call that a
comedy?"
mot spicy enough for me-" Dick de-
clared, futtering his wings inpatient
ly. Come on, Frivolle. Let's steal
away while Grisette is not looking.
We will fly down to the Mariners Rest
and see what devilment they are
up to. Come on"
With a gay, subdued twitter of de-
light Frivolle stole away by Dicks
side and fitetd off down Old Levee
street.
Grlsette was listening to the choir
practice which floated across the
square in sweet, long-drawn notes, and
only noticed the look of acute pain and
anger on Stanley's face as he passed
by with his usual long, elastic step,
and, going through the gate, disap-
peared.
But the other sparrows began to
o around ueasily.
Whats become of Frivolle and
Dick? Have any of you seer them?'
one of them inquired.
They're gone. Flew over the rail
ing and went over on the levee as fast
as they could. You need not expect
to see them again. They'll never come
back here" the old maid of the flock
said, in wicked delight.
They have gone? Well, I'm not
going to stay in this stupid place,
either"
"Bon soir, mes amies," said the lead
er, as he fitted away.
IF Beau thinks he's going to leave
me behind, he's very much mistaken.
Here goes" cried out the usual COM
panion of that faithless fellow.
Are we all going to desert Girls
ette?" called out a plaintive little
voice. She was young and good TEN
pered, but easily led astray.
1t was growing dark, and Grisette
was so absorbed in Cherubini's beau
tiful music and the organ accompani-
ment, as it pealed out through the
open s~tained-glass windows, and was
SO accustomed to let her little flock
wander at will among the orange and
palm trees, the Towering shrubs, the
mignonettes and ~violets, and rose
bushes of the beds, that she failed to
notice how still the square had be-
come without the twittering of the
sparrows.
Looking around, she saw the bowed
figure of the weeping girl.
Poo child! Poor child! You are
too fair and too young for such bit.
ter tears. But take courage. He may
come back. Who knows? His heart
strings were wrung like yours. How
a he keep away?"
Then Grisette fiuttered down and be-
gan to call her flock around her.
Her search was fruitless. Slowly
the truth dawned on her, and, trem.
bling with emotion. Grisette resumed
her perch on the swaying Dough of the
\ sweet almond bush.
"They have gone! All gone and de.
serted me. The voice of the levee
called them, and they have left me to
fall back into their wicked ways.'
Grisette moaned softly. "They have
deserted me. after all these years!'
The organist. having dismissed the
choir. was playing Mendelssohn.
Claire raised a sad white face from
her hands, and looked upward to where
a few faint stars had set their sileAt
| watch in the sky.
"He will never come back, never!'
she whispered. despairingly, pressing
I her hands together in bitter anguish
"The world has called him, it,
ambitions and struggles and pleasures
and Ne has gone from me forever"
"My birds have left me. oh, how
cruel. They have left me to- a soil.
tary life. All my loves, affections
an2 sweet solicitude have gone, an6
will never return. Would that l coul6
close my eyes forever on the worlds
ingratitude and emptiness"
The whirr of a brickbat sped through
the air.
With a soft cry Grisette f1uttered an6
fell on the dew-wet grass.
With a laugh of delight a street boy
sped along the iron fence towards the
levee.
"Poor bird. how I envy ynni" the