The St. Mary banner. (Franklin, Parish of St. Mary, La.) 1889-1931, 1908-05-16
The Fourth Monkey.
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
&>~>>

things were scattered about In ihe
nueerest places. The parlOr chairs
were crowded into the dining room.
and the sofa stood in the middle OF
the kitchen floor. with the ironing
board leaning against it. A good many
Of the parlor ornaments had been put
into the storeroom. and mother had
asked the twins not to go there 10
play. for fear Of breaking something.
The twins had on their blue sailor
dresses, each with white anchor III
front and white stars on the collar'
and each head of bushy brown hair
was tied with bows of white ribbon.
The twins looked so much alike that
most people had long ago given up
trying to tell which was Faye ana
which was Fern, and only said. Here,
Twinnie," when they wanted some
thing.
They were waiting now for Miss
Margaret. who came twice week TO
give them their. piano lesson.
Lets play hide-and-seek while we
wait" suggested Fern; there's such
lot of good hiding places when things
are all moved around So"
Eyes, let's" replied Faye. scamper-
ing of to hide under the table behind
a screen of chairs, while Fern hid her
face and counted.
Then Fern hid behind the bureau in
mothers room, and, when it was
Faye's turn again, she crept under the
ironing board.
New it was Ferns turn to hide.
When Faye hal counted 25 and had
sung out twice, "Bushel O wheat,
bushel O. rye" she searched through
the dining room and kitchen, and then,
without thinking. opened the door Of
the store room.
Just as she did SO, she caught sight
Of q pair Of startled brown eyes gaz-
ing into her own, and Of blue sailor
dress with a white anchor in front.
and of white bows tying the bushy
brown hair.
Hastily shutting the door for fear
her sister would rush out and get to
the goal first, she suddenly remem-.
bered what mother had said about not
going into the storeroom to play.
"Fern's forgotten" she said to her
self. "and most forgot. I'll remind
her when she comes.'' and she hurried
back to the goal to call. Zone, two,
three for Fern!"
But no Fern appeared. Instead, the
front door suddenly opened, and Faye
heard the sound of flying feet as Fern
raj. out to greet Miss Margaret, And
the game was forgotten as the. piano
lesson began. \.
After the lesson Faye fingered mo-
ment to listen again to the hollow,
echoing sound the piano made in the
nearly empty room.
All at once she heard Fern say to
mother out in the dining room
mo. mother. haven't been in the
store room today"
Faye caught her breath sharply.
What could Fern mean? She wanted
to rush out and say. "Why, Fern. l
saw you there" but held herself back.
thinking, Il must give her chance
to tell it herself"
Faye" called mother. ''have you
been in the stOreroom today? Some
one has let the cat In. and he has
knocked down the monkey carving
and broken it."
The precious carving that Uncle
George had brought form Japan! ''t
Often and often Fern and Fave had
studied the three queer little mon
keys, one holding his paws over his
eyes that he might see no evil. anoth-
er covering his ears that he might
hear no evil. and the third holding
paws over his mouth that he might
speak no evil.
At last Faye spoke. Eyes. mother.