The Starkville news. (Starkville, Miss.) 1902-1960, 1904-12-09
Bavardage
By r. n. LANCASTER
Copyright, 1901, by Daily Story Pub. Coz

J ann, tuSIe udu Deeu Nedp U
talk along Bayou Bienville. Heap of
talk. yes. Some people said one thing
and some said another. But it was all
about Dazier and Nizile.
"Dazier had been goin' see Nizile long
time; long time. yas. Most tree years,
SO madam, his mother, said:
And now he had bought a silver ring
down to the store. Tout lie mond knows
what it means when young man buys
a silver ring. But yes; everybody along
Bayou Bienville knows.
Dazier didn't mean for anybody to
know about the ring. Not yet. He
wanted to make NiZile one surprise
Mais, Quel voulez-vous? \ man must
talk. And a Frenchman. mon ami And
only one paper week
Dame Tutute, MILES papa, got hold
of the story. Tutute was stolid man,
but he knew how to clinch good bar
gain. When he saw Dazier's team COM
ing up the road. he laid down his hay
fork and yelled: "Arretez." Dazier
stopped his team with a long whoa-ho-
whoa, and when the old man began to
climb the fence, added that the sun was
"sho hot"
Tutute said: "Hot sho.' and held out
his hand and they both said: Bon
jour" Courteous inquiries were made
concerning the well-being Of madam sa
mere and of madam. meaning, OF course,
his wife. then Dazier showed back his
hat and wiped his brow with his shirt
sleeve while the old man wiped his
palms on the seat of bis pants and ran a
critical eye over the waiting team.
.'Das nice team you got" he said,
slowly.
"Yas. sir He's right nice. heem.
Pull t'irteen hundred feet yesterday.
"Boa!" f~e
There was a pause during which the
pines purred in the hot air and DaZler
wiped his brow again. The sweat was
oozing from his every pore, but it was
not the suns fault All. que non! The
thoughts he was thinking were enough
to make man sweat on a cold day. To
ask a father for his daughter without
first making a toilet for the occasion!
According to 'Cajar etiquette a man
NAV not ask the old man for his leet;e
gal without first giving himself and his
horse also an extra grooming. There
are certain things that must be done in
a certain style. Everybody on or off the
Bayou knows that.
But, VOLTA, Dazier got hard grip on
the great spoke of his carry-log wheel;
he tore his stare from Jaques red flank.
IN. Leon"-Tutute raj name was
Leon, mon ami. Leon Demuerre. Tu-
tute was his baby name, and he went by
it on all save grand occasions.
IN. Leon, I been come see Nizile good
while"
Good while, yas," assented Tutute.
"Das right nice leetle place got down
yonder."
Fright nice, yas. Right nice leetle
place.
Dazier faced up desperately. his
strong fingers gripping that spoke; his
strong jaws gripping each other.
Seem like she and me might mex
marry" he said, tensely.
"Sim so, sho: Mais, it'll be like my
1eetle gal say"
eyes, know me-" he spoke softly
"Sho is hot" said Tutute.
They shook hands hard.
"Bon jour, Dazier."
Bon jour, monsieur"
Tutute climbed back over the fence
Dazier took up his long whip. 1t
cracked and cracked again. And hope
was in the cracking of it and shy pride
and nervous joy.
Noise, down in the hollow, scowled
He had heard about the silver ring; he
had heard the old man hail Dazier; now
he heard Dazier cracking his whip. And
Nizile was the prettiest girl along all
Bienville.
Noise was no fool, as everybody
agreed. Pas nigaud, though he had
come to the bayou only year ago. He
drove teams in the turpentine orchard.
He was good teamsters and made big
money. All, que non! He was no fool
Yet they distrusted him vaguely. Voyez,
he had red head.
"But das one fonne ting, mon ami.
You can distrust a man, but when he
come tell you one lie, you will believe
that lie, yes. And Gas curious sho,' AS
madam, Miles mamma, would have
said, smoothing her apron the while.
Curious, shot"
Tutute should have known better than