The St. Mary banner. (Franklin, Parish of St. Mary, La.) 1889-1931, 1906-11-10

| toe two inches away. None Of that
If we finds you we finds you, but w
| don't want none Of your cheek. Your,
! short OF it as it is-ain't much more
! than ugly skin-don't get givin' il
| away"
With that the door shut again
! proudly rivalling a pompom in the
noise It made, and Mr.. Hopkins said
oh" very loudly, and tried to turn
| it into cough.
Liza is very noisy today" said
Molly. I'm glad dad is not at home
You see, he has to think when he is
writing, and you ought to be very
tip-tosy, then. Liza can't be- She
says she thinks she was born in thun-
derstorm, and that makes her noisy"
1T must ave been in very 'eavy
storm, my dear-a uncommon 'eavy
storm" observed Mr. Hopkins.
But you don't mind, MIR. 'Opkins.
do you? You don't write. You new.
er have headaches?'
Sometimes, my dear, in the morn
ing-when I've 'ad stroke Of luck
but not often"
Dad has them most days; he says
they are the price you have to pay
for being a genius. He's genius
that's why we are so poor"
Pore. Pore, my dear: Lorlumme,
this amt SO bad, I've been worse-a
table and chairs, and a mat and a
chest, and a heap Of things. What
helse do you want, that's what l
hasks?"
ooh, lots of things, But now-Oh,
you are the Beast, and it will come
all right"
"Eh? Me! I amt no beast, my dear.
I'm a ard working man-leastways
would be if there was any work. But
work is scarce"
Il mean the Beast in the tale"
"The Beast wifi a tail?"
"You know-who becomes a Prince
afterwards"
Me prince! Ho. / say, Me, Bill
'Opkins, Prince. Come, that's a bit
strong. And who are you?"
"Oh, you See" said Molly confden-
TALLY. Il am Beauty And because my
father takes a rose from you
Being 'ungry?"
mo, no. Why should he be hun.
gry?"
well, he shouldn't ought to pinch
bloaters' roes unless he is. But there.
he's never 'ad nothink from me-
of course not. think you are
very stupid, Mr.. Hopkins This is
only imagination-made up, you
know"
"Oh. ho!" said Mr. Hopkins, very
relieved and smiling in such a way as
to crease his face into a faint resem-
blance to cracked and starred look
ing glass. Now I sees where we are,
as the sleepwalker said when e it the
pavement halter stepping hout of the
hattie window. It's a game We are
playing. l ham the Beast and you are
Beauty. Lumme. l was silly-but
that's me, my dear. l was always sill
ly, never quick of catching a chaps
But l don't think | can
turn into a Prince, not nohow. l did
go to the waXworks once-but bless
you, my dear, they never moved, so I
can't hape their manners. But l can
bark like a dog"
That's absurb-the Beast was a
ion, you know, and-Oh, l member.
don't think we'll play that game
through" she added suddenly In re-
ply to his look of interrogation, she
added:
81 don't think, Mr.. Hopkins, if you
lon't mind. that we will go on play
ng. You see it is what dad calls a
lelicate situation. l had forgotten
hat Beauty marries the Beast, and
'ou don't mind, l hope, Mr.. Hopkins,
tut couldn't possibly marry you."
mo. no, in course not" agreed Mr..
hopkins, heartily. mo, in course not.
1ain't much of the bridegroom about
Bill 'Opkins, is there? Not much of
he gay and festive hair about lis
luds-eh, my dear?"
You see, you are really so much
lder," Molly said, politely. 81 don't
hink it would do
IN course" commenced Mr.. Hop
ms, when the door flew open in quite
passion and the dirty face, with the
irty cap, now gracefully draping
'iza's left ear, pushed themselves in.
o the vast alarm of Mr.. Hopkins.
liza followed her face and cap into
he parlor. Her sleeves were rolled
p. showing two arms very thin, very
irty and remarkably long. In one
and she carried a tumbler and in the
Their small jug with a broken spout.
"Ho." she said, glazing at the trem-