The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1916-07-15
A NOVEL A WEEK.
Next Week 49,
1.-THE LITTLE GRAYtSHoR"
BY Percy j. Brebner.

had been YOU"
Eyes, you could. The baron
would-dog- gone HIM"
Yes, but they call him John
the-Fool!"
"Sho'! And he taught me in the
end, / reckon. And / reckon / feel
betteh now. Cleaned out, but
feel betteh. I'll be on my feet
and fightin' in a month. Doctor
Dick"
Eyes. but" she had taken a
step between him and me. '"All
you've done-the canals, and the
pumping station-everything?"
I'm sorry" he muttered. Il
CANT put yo' woods and prairie
back like 1t was. But in a year
two years-the Isle Bonnie jungles
will grow owe the plant, and the
lilies-you won't.find a ditch fo'
yo' lilies, Laure."
ut wasn't always So" Laure
answered slowly. do you know
that once they kept the sea out,
and 1t was all sugar cane and rice
from the woods to Bayou L'Ourse?
And groves and orange trees
Papa Prosper can almost remem-
ber-there were little children
playing there!"
He was looking out to her blue
green woods, and the old somber
sense of failure came on him: Il
know. That's what I used to think
I'd fight the sea back, too. You
swamp land-such black rich land
i was goin' to beat you and
then sometime show you-what
dreamed of in the beginnin'the
little farms and orange rows and
homes they'd be-yes, seh!--long
afteh I'd been dead. That was
what | dreamed Oft wasn't the
money - any fool can make
But the game-that it.
To make the earth richer, and
some homes happier-afteh you'd
gone and you game with you =
that's the mans size job I dream
ed of"
She had listened to his exalta-
ton curiously. WAS that it,
m 'sieu?" a,li5 n
He had turned in the passage
way, his brown crushed hat shad-
ing his face from me. 81 CANT
talk to you, now-aftehy you beat
me-"
me to help your" l.
"All the time, I reckoned I'd
tell you mo'--when I'd won. Now,
you'd think-because I was beat
i come to you and beg TO- COM
promise-to fix it up, someway.
Well, I cain't-from you"
He was turning from her, his
voice at the nearest break I had
ever known in the man, when she
came and was at his side.
"Here-here-" | heard her
whisper. "Td rather you would
burn them-than to hurt you so!
To have you feel that way-to
beg of me-of me-when all the
time, l waited-wondered-"
| could not understand her
clear voice further for it's blur
ring curiously. ITO beg of me"
she went on. "Me! When all the
time | wasn't trying to hate you"
Then her voice was lost alto
gether, and I thought it was muf-
fled against his gray shirt; for
after a moment, | heard him
whisper: "You mean that-you
little? Why, all the time you
was tryin' not to love me-and
couldn't make it-go?"
l heard the ancient grants
from the king of Spain fall to the
cabin floor-from about the
height of the Texans shoulder.
Then, as | reached the planks Of
Papa Prosper's wharf, purposely,
making a noise SO that they
would know l was fastening away
| heard Laure speaking SO softly
that I did not know whether 1t
was whisper, laughter or a sob.
"Messieur lie Baron! We will
have to tell him the Isle Bonnie
has found another knight besides
John-the-Fool! A real knight for
the little homes and gardens =
and all the children playing!"
"A fool TO- luck" he murmur-
ed; that's me, little Marquise!"
l then went on up the gallerie
stairs and heard a siren whsle
afar on the lakes, VirgiPs second
supply steamer coming to the
main canal. Then steps behind
me; and l discovered that the two
from the white boat were follow
ing.
Well" I said; "since you are
here, you may as we'll tell them"
Laure looked at her fat knight,
who was sound asleep in the
shadow. She was going to him
when she found Mary in the ham,
mock and Clell on low seat by
her, holding her hand in much
the fashion they did before me in
the old days.
"Ah, l always thought, m 'sieu,
that somewhere nawth y there
was LADY,"
And she had come down to
your wilderness. my DEAR" Mary
"just to escape from
her own-that she made for her.
self! She knows nowl"
Laure had reached the baron.
She softly dropped the grants
from the king of Spain down up
on his bosom, and even, In his
alaan tho Lniahfea fat ola hnnd