The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-05-18
AT THE SCRATCH.
HY F. H. LANCASTER.

(Copyright, 1905, by Daily Story Pub.
 Company)
 Hien. mon ami, "Au fait ct au prem dre, as they say out wonder. When 1t comes to the scratch it takes very little to make trouble between a man and woman. Bat, yes, and whole lifetime Is not long enough to set teacher knew.
 Madeline was mad, yes. So was Sevari And the old folk who had been banking on their doing the sem sible thing were in no good humor. And all because of a little Irritation at a chopping. Sevari should have known better than to call pretty girl to ae- count. But, what will you have? Sevari was hot-headed-and he had his house ready. Why should the girl that was soon to be his wife have eyes for any one else? Not only eyes, but laughter and dancing and much quiet talk.
 En bien, the book agent thought he had quite a mash on that little 'Cajan maiden. He did not know that she was making a fool of him for the fun of the thing. Men never do know that until afterwards. In her heart, Madeline had meant no harm. No, she just wanted to see Sevari go stand by Inc QOOT anu CiSnlO ObtNo AAho nv was smoking somebody he didn't like book agents, may be. It was his chopping so she knew he could not get on his horse and go home before she was ready for him to go. Ha, and she forgot that man may seek com fort in an anisette jug as well as in cigarettes. And, mon ami, though the Lord alone knows what isn't in anil sette, everybody knows that there Is I1Aa r~ff md hot After the tenth taking of council with the jug the situation became very plain to Sevari. He would tell Made line what he thought of her. and he would take that book agent out in the woods. Tomorrow, yea.
 But on the morrow, the book agent was not to be found and Sevari had 8 sore memory of how he had taken Madeline roughly by the arm demand ing: What you mean by das? Ha?' And of how the fire had flashed into Madeline's eyes. Mon dieu. when a girl gets mad. the games up.
 That was in the fall. Ha, 1t was bleak fall for Sevari, and a bleaker winter. But yes, he set his jaws and swore he would not forgive-or which Is the same thing-ask to be forgiven.
 The book agent with his high hat had vanished, 1t Is true. But there were others-many others. Every Sunday the pine knots blazed in the mud chimney and every Sunday the hide bottom chairs in wide semicircle on the snow-white floor seated more than one of the handsomest boys on the bayou. Sevari heard.
 Madeline have beeg time, yes" re- ported his tormenters. "Beeg time, yes Go to all the ball. go to horse race, go to church" The fastest trot- ting mares. the newest sulkies were ever at her service-and Sevari sulked at home.
 q t'ink me, damn swore his fath- CT "You have more fight dan das." And his mother said: 'Das Madeline Men tier, sic aint das only gal on Bayou Bien-vieu, mo-"
 Sevari said nothing because a Ca jan son may not tell his parents; 'Va, tout les diables." and that was the only thing he felt moved to say, For the rest-the youths after a vlc- ious round or two let him alone and the maidens having smiled in vain, fell to scoffing. They nick-named him La figure du mauvais jour" Ha. an image of evil days. Ha, Sevari him self did not know what was the mat ter with him. A physcholOgist would ask Madeline knew nothing of psy- nomena in a state of mind that knew 1t could nave what II wanted TOT the asking and could not-or would not ask Madeline knew nothing of psy- chology but she knew what was the matter with her lover She said simply to her simple soul, "Sevari. he's mad, yes" But she did not say even to her soul that she missed the merry fellow. His laugh, and the nice way he rolled his cigarettes. Neither did she say that she was wrong to firt with the book agent A 'Cajan girl if she has the spirit does not admit she Is wrong. After marriage, she will SOW the cow-pea, sack the coal, scrub the floor. and bear the blame always. But before marriage? Non. She Is queen, then.
 So Madeline tossed her head and winter went and spring came. Spring comes early out there on the bayou,