The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1907-02-05
Sentiment vs.. Realism
fOriginal.1

(Original.l
One morning in the sunny state of
Louisiana a group Of men were loung-
/ ing on the. porch of plantation store
telling stories. Jean Benoit, creole,
had the floor. The French people are
much given to rhapsody, and Benoit
was no exception to the rule A drum-
mer from the north sat on the head Of
a barrel listening to the creole's tale.
"M'seur Coquenard came from La
Belle France with his son Adolphe and
his YER beautiful daughter Lucille.
America his little girl was five year
old, and she grow up with all the BRAY
cry of the true southern girl. She could
ride and shoot and pull at the oar.
! Mam'selle Lucille We're YER fine girl.
Her eye flash like lightning, her hair
| was black as the raven
| ''Black cats is better to describe hair
Of that kind" interrupted the drum
mer.
"Her neck was like the swami
"Just the kind for the new collar
the Bernhardt-just out" put in the
drummer. give got samples in my
trunk
The story teller cast glance at the
Yankee, but, seeing no trace Of any
intent to poke fun, continued:
Zone YER fine morning Mam'selle
Lucille was pulling her boat on the
river, and coming to an opening in
the canebrake where there was a
ferry she go ashore to look for wild
flowers. The first thing she see beside
the path was the dead body Of her
brother Adolphe with dagger in his
heart on the hilt Of which sparkled a
YER large and beautiful diamond. With
shrek she threw herself on the body,
calling on her brother like the wall Of
harp to speak to her.
"When this brave girl get more COM
posed she TAX the body of Adolphe,
put it in the boat and row to the plan
tation. At the landing she leave it, go
to the stable and mount her milk white
horse
"Kaintuck' stock?' inquired the
drummer.
"Mamselle ride away to avenge the
murder Of her BROTHER" continued
Benoit, without noticing the query.
GLOW did she get her clew?'
"She know YER we'll who kill
Adolphe. M'seur Octave Moustot wish
to marry her. She not wish to marry
M'seur Moustot, and her brother tell
him to come no more to the house
"Mamselle Lucille ride straight to
M'seur Moustot's plantation She rein
in her horse before the gallery and,
drawing a dagger from her bosom, call
on M'seur Moustot to come out and she
will kill him. But his slaves tell her
that their master have gone away that
morning. They say he gone down the
road toward the city. She wheel her
horse and follow like the wind"
'She'd ought to have had one Of the
new autos. They're better N the wind.
When the wind makes hundred miles
an hour, that's hurricane. These
autos do hundred an hour with the
chauffeur asleep"
The listeners cast look Of i'm
patience at the drummer and the story
teller continued:
"Mam'selle Lucille ride till the after
noon, when she come to river. The
ferryboat was just leaving and she was
YER certain her brothers murderer
was on it. Just as she got hundred
feet from the stream her horse fell ex-
hausted. Mam'selle Lucille ran to the
boat, but 1t had left the shore. On it
was man holding a foaming steed.
Mam'selle went back to her horse, and,
opening holster on the saddle, took
out pistol
"What maker" from the drummer.
Flow I know what make the pistol
was when this happen befo' the warp
cried the creole, at last becoming I'M
patient with the drummer's Interrupt
tons. Presently he continued:
"Then Mam'selle Lucille ran forward
again and fired, hitting
'The horse?"
1.-THE horse! No. She shot the manv'
shouted the narrator.
WELL" said the drummer, ''if she's
like most women sending missiles she
must ha' turned around and fired at
her milk white steed.''
Didn't tell you Mam'selle Lucille
was YER fine shot?" shrieked the
story teller.
"Go on with the yarn"
1.-THE ferryboat came back to shore,
and they laid the man on the bank.
Then Mam'selle Lucille see that she
have shot the wrong man."
"Did he swear any?"
mo. He was YER handsome man,
and he looked up reproachful with his
fine eyes, and then Mam'selle Lucille
was struck with self accusation. The
man smiled at her beautiful smile of
forgiveness
my old woman would like to have
| man like that" muttered the drum
mer to himself
He was young planter who raised
500 Reward, $1O0.