The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1906-12-14
Bette NOIRE
BY r. H. LANCASTER


have! Bete-n0ire put II In MS pocket
and sailed away. His dago assistant
sat down In the bow and said moth
ing. What could he say, unless he
meant to lose his days work. or,
rather days pay for idleness?
Blith ely unconscious of the evil sig.
nificance that hung owe the empty
scene, Bete.noire set his mar and
himself to work. Shrimp were plen.
tifuL yet, save a sail In the offing, no
other boat was In sight. The dago
watched the sail, B%ete.nOire did not.
He had come there to catch shrimp,
and he was catching them when a
boat swoopcd alonggide and a gentle
man, ~uninyited, ca'Ie aboard.
"Seem 10 be catching some shrimp,
said this gentleman, dryiy,
"Yes. sir" returned Bete-noire pT
lltely, Il been catch some, me-
We'll. you are going to stop 1t, yo5
know?'
"Ha?" questioned Bete.noire pleas
antly.
You, nor no other man amt going
10 fish shrimp ont Of these here waters
for three, twenty a barrel
I'VE: sir" said Bete.noire, 'das
what ! , t. me. Tree, twenty a barrel"
We'll, you shun't do you under
stand?"
Bete,nolre bethought him of his GER
tlficate and drew II out.
Amt dat 'tiHtate all right?' he de.
mandcd.
THAT papers got nothing to do with
IT, You got to throw them shrimp
back In tho water and go home"
'Ha?" said Bete-noire. The dago
began to grin but the delegate didn't
understand the tone. lie swore sharp.
ly.
TN show you what | mean, thick.
head, F" and selling a shovel he threw a
peck OF shrimp overheard. The next
instant he dropped the shovel and
dove head first after those shrimp.
As his boat man pulled the delegate
~ " '"iNS NV pilNltV hhu Nib4hhb pAt
the question; you going get out you
going die?" and the steady aim of the
rifle put a point to the question.
The boat-man dropped to his oars.
II was sometime before he even took
breath to say disgustedly yer HIS
shoulder: Didn't you know no better
than to make a 'Cajan mad2"
BY and by other boats came out on
the bay; some hailed him cheerily,
some went, %sullen, by. Bete-noire did
not notice. He was busy and so was
the Dago now. And when he got in
with his load everybody seemed busy
with him, He shook his hand, they
Dragged about his catch, they helped
him unload, they showed him where to
get his checks, And when the man at
the window had pushed out the checks,
he too, shook hands with Bete.noire
and said geniauy: "The boss wants
to see you"
Where find him, II you please?"
In yonder.'
As Bete.noire entered the office, the
bookkeeper said significantly: Here's
that read-headed 'Cajan."
The boss dropped his paper and
"Ah. Mr.. Bete-noire they tell
me, you made q fine catch"
Yes, sir; tank you. l do pretty
good. me-" and Bete.noire, smiling,
shook hands for the twentieth time.
81 Observation-Disclosures you had
some trouble out there"
TROUBLED" No. sir; | didn't have no
trouble. No trouble tall. Water still,
shrimp--ten barrels. Every.
ting all right
The boss bit his beard. "Ah? I III
derstand that some one tried to throw
your shrimp overheard
B~ete-noire's fine teeth flashed with
fun: "Yes, sir; das what he say. But,
me, | t'row damfool overheard"
A roar OF laughter rang through the
factory and Bete.noire joined joyously
in the Joy OF 1t, 1t was worth even a
peck OF shrimp.
Well" he said ~courteously, Il reck.
on, me, | better be going"
A heavy hand clapped his shoulder.
Eyes, sir! You better be going wit
me. l got wagon here for you" II
was NJ. Lanese. He had come to town
to trade hides for cot'.meal and had
been greeted on oil sides with how
B%ete-noire had broke strike" Mon.
sieur never stopped to question wheth.
er It was a good thing OF no to break
a strike. He Just let himself go with
gladness and said to everybody that
would listen: Yes, sir; das great
chap. das B~ete.nolre. Great chap,
shot He's going make marry wit my
III gal. And | reckon, me, he break
strike all right, He's always break
something"
And the craps? Eth, bien, When a
man makes a fine catch shall not his
sins be forgiven him?
Copyright, 1906, by Daily Story Pub. COY