Vernon Parish Democrat. (Leesville, La.) 1917-193?, 1921-12-08

adding: "And l only came then be-
'cause knew somebody ought to see
that this stable isn't ruined. It's my
own uncle and aunt's stable, and /
got as much right here as anybody"
"YOu have notr' Henry Rooter pro
tested holly. 'This isn't, either, your
ole aunt and uncle's stable"
''Tt isn't!p
"No, it is mott This isn't anybody's
stable. It's my and Herbert's news
paper building, and guess you
haven't got the face to stand there
and claim you got a right to go in a
newspaper building and say you got
a right there when everybody tells
you to stay outside of it, guess!"
"Oh, haven't I?''
mo, you haven't" Mr.. ROOter
maintained bitterly. "You just walk
downtown and go in one of the news
paper buildings down there and tell
em you got right to stay there all
day long when they tell you to get out
o. there! Just try it! That's all l
ask !"
Florence uttered q cry of derislOn.
"And pray, whoever told you 1 was
bound to do everything you ask me to,
Mister Henry RoOter?" And she con-
Guided by reverting to that hostile
impulse, so ancient, which in despair
of touching an antagonist effectively,
reflects upon his ancestors. IF you
got anything you want to ask, you go
ask your grandmother"
Here :" Herbert sprang to his feet,
outraged you try and behave like
a lady,"
who'll make me?" she inquired.
"You got to behave like lady as
long as you're in our newspaper build
ing, anyway" Herbert said ominously.
IF you expect to come up here after
you been told five dozen times to
keep out"
For heavens sakesY' his partner
interpOsed. "When we gOin' to get
our newspaper work done? She's your
cousin; should think you could get
her out ~
'"Well, I'm goin' to, amt II" Her
bert protested plaintively. 81 expect to
get her out, don't n"
ooh, you doY" Miss Atwater in
quired, with severe mOckery. pray,
how do you expect to accomplish it,
prayY
Herbert looked desperate, but was
unable to form reply consistent with
some rules of etiquette and gallantry
which he had begun to observe during
the past year or so. "Now, see here,
Florence" he said. you're old
enough to know when people tell you
to keep out of place, why, it means
they want you to stay away from
there"
Florence remained cold to this rea-
soning. "Oh, poot !" she said.
''Now, look here!" her cousin re-
monstrated, and went on with his ar
gument. "We got our newspaper work
to do, and you ought to have sense
this newspaper work we got on our
hands here isn't-well, it amt any
childs play"
His partner appeared to approve Of
the expression, for he nodded severely
and then used 1t himself mo, you
bet it isn't any childs playw he said.
"NO, sir" Henry RoOter again
agreed. Newspaper work like this
isn't any childs play at ALL"
sit isn't any ehild's play, Florence"
said Herbert. TT atEJ any child's
play at all, Florence. If it was just
child's play or something like that,
why it wouldn't matter so much your
always pokin' up here, and"
"Well," the partner interrupted, ju-
dicially, ave wouldn't want her
around, even If it was child's play"
mo, we wouldn't; that's So" Her
bert agreed.
1--WE wouldn't want you around, any
how, Florence" Here his tone be-
came more plaintlve $50, for mercy's
sakes, can't you go on home and give
US little rest? What you want, any
hOw?"
"WeH, 1 guess it's about time you
was askin' me that" she said, not UNI
reasonably. IF you'd asked me that
in the first place. instead of actin like
you'd never been taught anything, and
was only fit to associate with hood
lums, perhaps my time is of some
value, myself"
The lack Of rhetorical cohesion was
largely cOunteracted by the strong
expresslveness of tone and manner; at
all events, Florence made perfectly
clear her position as a person OF
worth. dealing with the lowest of gil
her interiors. She went on, not paus-
ing:
Il thought, being as 1 was related to
you, and all the family and everybody
else gOin' to hat to read your ole
newspaper, anyway it'd be a good
thing if what was printed in 1t wasn't
all disgrace to the family, because
the name of our family's got mixed up
with this newspaper; so here r.
Thus sDeaking, she took the poem