The L'Anse sentinel., 1907-11-23

Tner0 was no doubt about II, Edith
Bannering was distinctly sentimental.
For q week after reading Janice Mere
dith. 16-year-old Edith. with . long
brown curl over one shoulder. and the
collar Of her gown turned in. was
Janice. For two weeks after the initial
performance by the members OF the
6hakespearian club. Edith In the
spare-room counterpane and the GRIM
son piano cover. was Juliet. The fam
lily shrewdly suspected that, during
this period the iceman was uncon-
sciously doing duty as Romeo; for on
moro than one occasion Edith was
seen to gaze tenderly down upon him
from the safe vantage of the flower
box In the attic window. that being
the nearest approach to q balcony that
the house afforded.
The family bore up under all this.
with commendable fortitude.
Before September was over, Edith
was Queen Elizabeth, in the spare
room pillow-shams, Marie Antoinette,
in cornstarch and impossible heels,
and even Charlotte Corday, behind the
grimy bars of the family gridiron. She
was Joan of Arc at noon, and her rela-
tives would say good night to Lady
Jane Grey at bedtime, only to be con-
fronted by Lucrezia Borgia as the
breakfast table.
Had this been all, the Bannerings
might have borne up under 1t; but
there was worse to come. Edith,
wearying of solitary heroines, began
to look about for heroes. What
was Josephine without Napoleon, Isa-
bella without Ferdinand, or Mary,
Queen of Scots. without Rizzio?
The iceman. having vanished with
the summer, was unavailable for ro-
mantle purposes; but the black-eyed
peanut vender, whom Edith passed
every morning on her way to school,
made an admirable Napoleon; the
tall young man In the florists shop
did very nicely as Ferdinand; and
Edith's Imagination was sufficiently
elastic to clothe the grocer's assist
ant in the picturesque garb OF Rizzo.
One day Dayton, Edith's older broth
er who was about as sentimental as
lobster, happened to walk home from
school with his idealistic sister. He
saw the peanut vender exchange
glances, not with the Empress Jose
phine, but with his-Day ayton's-pre-
cious sister Edith. He saw the for
lists assistant touch his hat boldly.
not to Isabella of Spain, but to Edith,
OF America. He heard the grocer's
young man say, not by your leave,
your majesty" but How do you do.
Miss Edith" and Dayton was not
pleased.
You SEEM" said Dayton, with the
unqualified. severity of an outraged
elder brother, ito have a circle OF ac-
quaintances. Are you in the habit OF
exchanging bows with al, the boot
blacks and street fakirs ypu meet on
your way to school?"
Il know those young men quite
WELL" replied Edith. loftily, "and they
are not bootblacks. often buy things
from them. They are very pleasant
young men. Don't you think that
young Italian looks wonderfully like
Napoleon"
mo. don't" returned prosaic Day
ton. HE looks more as IL he needed
a BATH"
A few days later. Dayton discovered
Edith with a bag Of peanuts in one
hand, a bunch of carnations in the
other, standing upon the grocer's door
step, conversing with the grocer's
Nod
home he told his mother about it.
"She's such dear. friendly little
SOUL" said Mrs. Bannerirg, that /
hate to tell her that she mustn't make
a bosom friend Of every person she
happens to meet, even II that person
does chance to resemble royalty"
But when Edith's schoolmates be-
gan to tease her about her conQuests,
when the neighbors began to hint to
Mrs. Bannering that the girl was not
too particular In her choice of asso-
ciates. and when the peanut vender,
the florists assistant or the grocer's
young man was continually at hand to
escort Edith TO or from school. Mrs.
Bannering realized that the time had
come for interference.
III she were my daughter" said
Dayton, shaking threatening fist at a
bunch of violets presented by the
young florist, 'I'd lock her up in her
room and keep her there. I'll thrash
those three chaps II you say so.
Shall II"
!. Certainly not" said Mrs. Banner
Ing, quietly. Il want you to invite
them here to dinner"
What" gasped Dayton.
i've decided" said Mrs. Bannering.
ito let Edith invite them all here to
dinner, tomorrow night. l told her I
wished to meet her friends"
'Is It q trapr'
well, ye-es," admitted Mrs. Banner
ing.
The following day. Edith, radiant
with anticipation. made elaborate
preparations for the coming event. !
Az six o'clock the door bell rang.
The Empress Josephine went joyfully
down the stairs to greet Napoleon.
But what allied him? There was GER
tainly something au1iss. In his coarse
flannel shirt careleesly fastened at
the throat, with his ragged hat on the