The St. Mary banner. (Franklin, Parish of St. Mary, La.) 1889-1931, 1906-11-17

The little man, youthful in wears
III spite OF many wrinkles wrought
Dy shrewd dickering with the world
from early boyhood, was now Dos
sessed of the one general store at
Pinney Corners, and doing a paving
trade
He had worked up, alone and
friendless, saving and doubling to in
dependence Women, to him. had
been but buyers of goods, and the
counter was his only introduction to
feminine societt- until now. settled AT
"Pinney's," the. tall daughter of Dud-
ley's stopping n:ery day for the news
paper on her Way home from school
had most Yna,ccountably attracted
! him.
When Mr.. Pepper, in the rast. felt
a strong desire for the possession of
any article. it had been his habit TO
/ strenuously exert his powers in the
direction of acquisition, and his wits
| peing as bright as his blue eyes. he
was quite Invariably Successful
| But Rosemary was outside ordinary
methods of requirement, and but for
the inspiration of that young gentle
man who laughs at locksmiths." the
storekeeper would have been in de-
| spair.
Many times had the object of his
alteration visited the store. but words.
SO ready with others, failed him be-
lore the steady gray eyes gazing
| down into his own with a half won
dering look as if in establishment at
MS dlmlnutiveness. Pepper had
never felt SO small. His size was
no drawback in dealing with men; he
considered himself, by the equalizine
power of Nature, as big as anyone.
The new sensation worried him. and
worry to Mr.. Pepper was a prelimi-
nary to achievement
Therefore, he resolved upon
stroke of holiness, and when next
Rosemary peered through the mail
window flor the store accommodate
ed the post-office), Mr.. Pepper, first
making sure of no listening ears,
mounted concealed soap-box and
brought his blue orbs on an exact
line with those of his startled Wis
avis.
I'm bound to be on your level for
once" stammered he with a tremen-
dous effort. Miss Dudley. l never
cared to be tall Teller, It'll I see you.
| don't s'pose you'd care to go any
where's with runt like me? Lots
of times I've thought if | was only
bigser-you-you' be the young lady
I'd like to know-an'-an' see"
Here the box slipped. as Mr.. Pepper
made convulsiye effort to finish his
speech, and he slid down with a gasp
of CONSERVATION.
The girl had shot an angry look in
the anxious face at the first words
Then she checked laugh. Now her
cheeks were crimson and her lashes
dropped. Behind the grotesque
burned the sincere. Something pitifrl
and far away, yet near and sweet,
had confronted her in that forlorn
visage staring through the window.
For second she felt like crying But
she smiled instead-a wide, gracious
SMILE and stepped around to the
counter.
I'D like fathers paper" she whis-
pered. Il don't think size ought
to make any difference with folks if
they want to be friends. I've always
liked you, Mr.. Pepper-I mean"
Rosemary grabbed the daily print
and fed with blazing countenance
as Mrs Deacon Raggett opened the
back door with a squeak
Mr.. Pepper eyed the fleeing vision
in rapturous silence and filed Mrs
Raggett's pail with butter instead of
lard. The deccons wife fixed a gaze
of piety upon the ceiling and said
nothing. If Mr.. Pepper wished to do
business in that way she had no OBJ
lection.
This began it, and Of all the fools
Pinney Corners, Rosemary and Will
ton Pepper soon acquired the reputa-
ton of leading lights.
Little cared they Independent souls
both, and completely absorbed in this
new and agitating experience. public
opinion, mirthful and tinctured with
sarcastic criticism, was an oblivious
quantity. Together they walked.
drove and attended festivities, with
one mutual idea, 1.-The elimination of
physical disparity by artifice."
However, Mr.. Dudley, small agri-
cu!turist, heartily approved. So did
his wife. They Immediately ran up