St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1910-09-10
SAGhhggHSbB 81 81 e
REX DENHAM'S LUCK
By CLAUDINE SISSON

I why, the lady who paints pictures
and can't sell them afterwards. She's
got room in our house. She's four
weeks behind on her rent, and almost
starving to death. She's so thin you
can see through her, and when she
amt painting she's crying"
Seems to be sad case.'
you bet! Heap sadder case than
mine was few minutes ago. Say, II
| you are gent you ought to go up and
see her. She's your style. She's a
born lady. She talks SO big we can't
| hardly understand her. Oh, she's
been top of the heap, but had to come
down. l guess it's what they call a
romance. Mebbe she wouldn't see
you, though. She never sees stran-
gers"
And her name?' asked Denham,
without much interest.
I'VE call her the painter lady, but
one day she told me I might call her
Bah"
What! What"
"Say, don't scare a girl to death.
| Lawks! but / chewed my heart that
time. Yes, l call her Bab-Miss Bah.
| l amt hight huff up to call her Bah
| alone. 'Twouldn't be manners"
Can you describe herr"
blue eyes, chestnut hair, white
teeth, and a real lady. One of my
shoes would make a pair for her. Got
slim hands. Never uses slang. Goes
| without eatin' two days and then pre-
tends she isn't bit hungry. If was
gent like you I'd go up and see a
lady like her. If you'll come with me
I'll introduce you. I'll say:
miss Bah, this is the gent az
| saved your last ten cents and gave a
fellow the awfullest kick you ever
saw" .......
There had been young lady named
| Bah two years before. She was hun
| dreds of miles away when Rex Den
| ham last saw her. She had widowed
mother who was fairly we'll OIL. Bah!
Bah! The name spoken stirred him.
If there was a Bah in trouble she
should have aid If the girls descrip-
| IlOu was COIICCc
Got to go into the butcher shop
after mutton to make BROTH" said his
companion. "They might give you the
| guy If you went in with me. Don't
| make a sneak while I'm in there"
She found Denham waiting when
she came out. It would have taken
| two stalwart policemen to move him
on.
Say" said the girl, crackers go
with mutton broth, but haven't the
cash. Butcher got it all and then
said l was too chin-chin besides. Want
to buy 'em for Bab?"
| Denham accompanied her to deli.
catessen store and filed basket
with goodies, and then insisted on
carrying it home for her. She walked
| along beside him with her head held
very high, and when spoken to by a
| girl she knew her austere reply was
Anna, can't you see 1 am walking
with a real gentleman!"
The mother could tell little more
| than the daughter. It was a cheap
| rooming house. Yes, the painter lady
was lady, it was easy enough to see
that She was something Of an art
| list, but her pictures would not sell
She had sold most of her wardrobe
but had fallen behind. The descrip
ton was right.
And not word to her." said Den
ham. She'll ask, but make no ex
plantations. Coax her to eat and get
strong. Cheer her up bit. Take
this money and buy whatever she
| thinks she can eat. If she doesn't
improve we'll have doctor. I'll send
in wine from the drug store, and to-
morrow evening I'll call again."
ma, don't you see how it is?" said
the girl to her puzzled parent. eve
take in a lady. She can't pay. She
comes down to hard-pan. I take her
last ten cents to get her mutton fol-
broth, and I meets a gent who res
cues me and canes and kicks loafer
Straight as a Decline, ma. l tell the
gent the lady is Bah, and he can't
stand still. Romance, ma-romance!
Romance, and l am in it! You are
going to see high jinks around this
hotel"
Denham came on the morrow. He
came on the next day and the next
On the third day Miss Bah was re
ported better and he went up softly
to find her trying to work. He was
not introduced. There was no need
Of it. 1t was two hours before he
came down and announced that the
landlady was to lose her roomer.
In two hours much can be told
many misapprehensions set right. The
two years had seen death-chicanery
false friends-illness, despair-pov
erty, but a brighter day had dawned
AS the carriage drove away the
landlady's daughter began to snif1e
"And what's the matter with your
was asked.
Gust my luck. If hadn't told hin
about Miss Bah he'd have married
| mel"