St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1904-01-23

one DeSdu 10 cnaLleT Sdyly, anu tnOuSu
out of respect to her, M. Lecerf muf1ed
his mighty ha-ha. her own laughter rang
out unrestrained. And this merry mood
was not dampened by her reception, for
madam, in her relief to find that the
teacher was not a man, was gracious
to gleefulness, and as the long line OF
clumsily shod days faded from her fu-
ture she joyously resolved to break in
on the setting she was saving, and give
the new teacher fried eggs for supper.
The school having thus opened with
eclat, run smoothly through the first
four weeks Miss Margaret grew bright
eyed and rosy-cheeked from much walk
ing among the pines and faithful doing
of her daily mead. Smiles came easily
to her lips and songs fingered there.
. She sang often. Too often 1t would
seem after that Sunday when she came
in from stroll and found handsome
lad smoking cigarettes on the front gal
lery for Marie's benefit. Marie intro
duced him shyly as M. PHILIPPE and the
boy greeted her with fine French grace,
throwing away his cigarette and prof
fering his chair. Margaret sat down to
chat little, thinking to please Marie.
Mallieureux! that woman should be
SO dull of wit!
But she pleased M. PHILIPPE! Out,
vraiment Such a combination of blue
eyes, white brow, pink cheeks and fully
hair had never before entered M. Phil
lipe's ken. When he told her good-by
he promised to bring her mail next Sum
day And next Sunday he brought 1t.
Margaret went out to thank him, and
stopped to chat little. She was so anx-
ious to be polite to Marie's friend, and
show him that she appreciated his cour-
tesy. Which was all very we'll. But
when she went back to her room. M.
PHILIPPE talked to Marie about her
which was all very bad, stupid. VOLTA!
To talk to ones sweetheart about anoth-
er woman And then, which was still
more stupid, he brought the teachers
mail one day when it was not Sunday.
He and the teacher sat down on the gal
lery to chat while he waited for mon
sieur to come in, and Marie came up the
branch with the weeks wash in tub
on her head and found them there. The
teacher looked fresh, dainty; she wet,
toil-stained. All Sacre!
The next day Marie was sullen at
school, and all Marie's little brothers.
taking their tone from Marie, were sui
len also. The teacher tried patience
in vain. She resorted to discipline, and
all Marie's cousins-c'est dire, the
whole school-joined in the insurrec-
ton. The big girls rose as one man.
Rivalries among themselves? Mais
Out! But no outsider should poach up
on their preserves, teacher or no teacher.
At home they spoke openly of leaving
school, and little brothers and sisters,
true to the lead, told tales Of pedagogic
injustice narrowing to hear. Every
twilight witnessed the roasting of Miss
Margaret upon dozen well-scrubbed
doorsteps. Monsieur alone stood firm,
shaking his head with good-natured in
credulty at the startling reports and
silencing all protests with his powerful:
"Das all right; das all right Mees
Mar'git git good fetch, yas Good fetch"
But presently the discouraged droop Of
the young teachers shoulders when he
overlook her on the road from school
one hot afternoon moved the big man
to more active measure.
Good even, Mees Mar'git. How's
school getting on?" he sung out, cheer
lily, as he swung from saddle and turned
to walk beside her.
pretty WE'LL" She looked up brave
ly, but that broad indulgent smile
claimed it's usual tribute of confidence.
THE children don't seem to like me any
more" she faltered.
Il know, me" he said, soothingly, but
das all right. Beeg gals get cranky
some times. Don like people to talk to
des young fellows. Mex 'em mad, vas!
But das all right. Me and Sylvan been
talk bout it. He say hees gal tell him
school goin' be shot op. But tell him.
me, If does beeg gals don watch out, des
be shop op, das what And Sylvan
laugh. Say 'Das right, yas' Das all
right. shO."
The big man laughed his big ha-ha as
he climbed back into saddle and then
leaned down to Margaret with a twinkle
in his kind eyes. Better let me bring
your mail, Ell, Mees Mar'git?"
I'll be ever so much obliged" she
flashed up to him, with swift compre-
hension.
"Das all right, yas Das all right" and
to his horse: "Allons, cheval, allons."
Miss Margaret was very matter-of-
fact when she addressed Marie Louise
that same evening, saying:
"Oh, Marie, if you happen to see Mr..
PHILIPPE, will you please tell him have
made other arrangements about my
mail? | know it has been nuisance
to him."
VOLTA. The big girls were all glad
ness. the little ones all glee. The school
was running again on its well-oiled
wheels.
Pourquoi? All, mon ami, the teacher
had bowed gracefully to that unwritten
law of theirs: A bas les mains"
The Collewe Yell Has It's Use.