The Lakeland evening telegram., 1914-07-09
POUFI AH.LA-LA-LA
sy MARIE eEAUMARscHEFF.

Madame had locked her son IN a
room. Such a son! Such mother!
Emil Jean Marie Lefebre wept and
was chastsed at the age Of twenty
one. Madame la mere-buxom, lrate,
huge-was competent to manage any
one-even a gendarme if need be.
The cause? A miserable -pouf!-
the scum of a milliner's daughter
down the street, she of the hair re-
sembling carrots, and the atrocious
! freckles. Mon dieu! and it would seem
the more freckles, the more love.
Bien! Madame would attend to all
first to Emil Jean Marie; afterward
to the bold mink; all-all in good time.
Par5leu. What would you? To
have a girl come to the house every
week-eyery week, attend you!-to
collect a bill for a bonnet not yet
worn True, madame had possessed
it year; but what then? What with
It's hues-yellow and pale pink-it was
not possible to wear it SO soon after
I the death of monsieur For madame's
/ husband had died during the year, and
4 so she had continued wearing her old
| black hat.
Who would expect anything differ
! ent? A beloved husband in his coffin,
the very thought Of yellow and pale
pink was odious-odious for many
days to come. Meanwhile madame had
been constantly reminded of the price
Of her unworn bonnet.
Can one never trust the ungrateful
children? All, the tortures Of mother
hood! First the agony of the birth;
then the rearing of the infant, the fear
that it will not live, the continued and
eternal vigilance-for what? To have
an migrate of son answer summons
to the front door every week, like a
rabbit run out of its burrow, and fall
in love with the daughter of an ex-
orbitant millner-a daughter present
ing a bill-as if she were wound up
regular to appear once week like a
mechanical toy!
To think that he should be so un-
like his brother Paul Bapdste-Paul
Baptiste, who knew not one woman
from another except when served by
one at his dinner A fine son; so ST.
lent-so honest-so dutiful, who had
eclipsed all by wedding one Of the
soeurs Felice. The eldest one 1t was,
Antoinette-she who had always had
epileptic tits-so sad!-and only four
teeth-but a portion Of five hundred
francs. All, bon dieu! there was flial
devotion for you-an example for all
mothers to admire!
And Emil Jean Marie! Have you
not heard, then? He is no longer a
son, but an migrate, an outcast pa
riah! His mothers heart 1t Is broken
as well; even the thought of Paul Bap-
tiste and his wife will not console.
1t is like this: Madame locks Emil
Jean Marie in her room. Never" de-
clares she, shall you come out until
You promise to forget this pauper Of
milliner girl, who has not a sou to
her name. r-never-never!"
IF all were like you in making pay
mcnt for what they purchase, 1t is
small wonder that she is a pauper."
This atrocity from ones own son!
Then all is quiet.
Presently madame goes downstairs
She strolls in the garden at the side
OF the house; she becomes calm-then
pensive. She plucks flowers and
shifts in deep breaths OF sunshine and
air. She reflects that it is as we'll |
to punish sons once in a while. as
lie bon dieu knows how men are all
born to be lords, and forever order
ing women about as soon as they are
married.
1t is only during their youth that
they are submissive. Men are like
kings of beasts" soliloquized madame.
complacently reviewing her life with
the departed monsieur. "Ah! he was
like unto a noble lion when roaring
his desires Blanche, fetch my shoes
Blanche, carry the hamper" Mad.
anne wept.
A footstep sounded. 1t stopped in
front of the house. Doubtless some
stupid OK Of huckster. Madame paid
no heed; she continued her gentle rev.
cries. 1t was a romantic moment, full
OF sentiments of the past Presently.
however, madame bethought her OF
her uncooked dinner, and she saun.
tered around toward the front Some
one was passing by-some one-mad.
anne screamed.
II was the milliners daughter-on
her head the yellow and pale pink
bonnet! Madame grasped the stone
post for support. The girl bowed.
Behold me, madame. | wear the
nat, 1t is true. am here, but l return
TINS time with it on my head. and YOU
may also reassure yourself on one
point: your son-such a baboonl Do
you think l would look at him?
La-la-la! l would as soon wed a blue
To him l have made all the
Establishments Only to endeavor to se-
cure the money owed To him prom.
50 all my cgu1 - H. Iii -.