Okolona messenger. (Okolona, Miss.) 1900-current, 1907-02-27
BY AID
OF LULU
By MRS. WILSON WOODROW

he gray olOUG .NullS VI luC OJO
French convent were austere and for
bidding, but behind the iron gates a
quaint and delicious garden dreamed
in the mellow. October sunshine
Up and down the cleaning paths of
white marble paced Sister Victorine
and Angel" Smith, OF Milwaukee.
A pace or two behind them walked
Sister Victorine's familiar, the con-
vent cat-the pampercd, the petulant
Lulu. Lulu was not convent-bred;
she was of the lawlcss intriguing
breed of cats of Paris, and her eyes
still retained the expression of the
boulevardier.
This was Angels second year of I'M
willing exile, of the irritating realiza-
ton of encompassing walls whose
open sesame she was not to know. To
be thrust into a convent for falling in
love few years in advance of the
date decided upon by parents and
guardians, is a vc"y asse situation
in fiction; but Wien such thing
occurs in real life, it is so rocco
as to be extremely ridiculous. This
Angel felt keenly.
She would have regarded her lot
as unrelieved tragedy were it not that
"Ralph's" twenty-lirst birthday oc-
Cured at the beginning of her
second year of seclusion, and he
had promised that on the day fol-
lowing the attainment of his ma
jority he would set sail for France
and rescue his captive princess.
But Angels monotonous existence
was not destined to be of long dura-
ton. One evening, as the girls sat
in the long, bare refectory eating their
blameless supper of bread and cheese
and stewed pears there was a sound
without as of the running of many
feet, and Sister Victorine burst into
the room.
Mon Dieu!" exclaimed Sister Vic
torine, upraising her hands.
"The good Rosine, our maid glanced
from the window of the buttery and
saw, walking up and down the street
of All Angels-a man He meditated
evil, for he scanned the convent
closely Then Rosine fastened to in
form the mother superior who or
dered the gates locked at once. But
oh, mon Dieu!-my heart grew small
for fear that Lulu might be with
Quit"
While Sister .Victorine spoke AN
gel'' Smiths eyes had dilated curious
ly. Her face was pale and on her
lip lay a vivid smile.
The next afternoon in the freedom
of the garden Angel" confided her
hopes to her schoolmates.
The daughters of European nobility
grew pale. They swayed as If in a
strong gust of wind Such daring SEN
timents! Such heart devastating
emotions. #r
But the times were pregnant with
events. Just as they reached the far
end Of the garden, in their walk, a
stone wrapped in white paper whizzed
over the ivy-grown wall and struck
Lulu, the cat, so that the air resound-
ed with her loud cries. Fortunately,
these failed to arouse Sister Victorine,
who dozed peacefully beneath near
by pear tree. ! ~
Then angel" surrounded by her
breathless and excited companions,
read the scrawl. 1t assured her Of
undying love and certain rescue, even
If 1t were necessary to dynamite the
convent. 1t begged that as the even
ing grew dusk, she climb the tree
which leaned against the southwest
wall and there he. mounted upon a
ladder, would meet and assist her
down the other side. Her sister was
in the village, and would witness
their marriage, and then they would
fly to Paris to win the forgiveness Of
her mother. #
The European mobility gasped with
joy. Write back at once that you
will, they commanded, supplying a
pencil.
"Angel' obeyed, and sent the white
wrapped stone flying back over the |
wall. Having acted, she paused TO
think. Now that have said / would,
how. can II" she asked, dejectedly.
You know that we are not allowed in
the garden after dark" i
Intrigue will be necessary" said
the countess, firmly "A moment! !
have an inspiration" ew
She rolled her eyes wildly and
her curly black head Liz
ten, then! We win keep Lulu among
us all afternoon. During study hours,
| can slip away moment. viii
bear her to a tree by the southwest
wall and tie her there by a cord fas.
tened to her collar. lust at the
close Of supper we will tel victorine
that she has escaped. Victorine will
express distress, consternation and
you must demand the privilege Of
searching for her. Once without, rush
straight for the tree, cut Lulu's cord.
and over the wall. Is not that sim
ple?"
What mind! What intellect!~
chorused the nobility
Fate herself seemed to aid that
daughter OF quick-witted race. Luz
luis cord was sufficiently long TO per~