Vernon Parish Democrat. (Leesville, La.) 1917-193?, 1922-01-19
By
Booth
Harrington
Copyright, 1921
By the Bell Syndicate, Inc.

think we were runnin' a lunatic
asylum the way she takes on. She
hollers and bellers and squalls and
squawks. The least little teeny thing
she don't like about the way we run
our paper, she comes fiappin' over
there and goes to screechin' around,
you could hear her out at poorhouse
farm -
Now, now, Herbert" his Aunt Fan
ny interposed. Poor little Florence
isn't saying anything impolite to you
not right now, at any rate. Why don't
you BE- little sweet to her just for
once?"
Her unfortunate expression revOlted
all the cousinly manliness in Herbert's
BOSOM. "''Be little sweet to herT"
he echoed, with poignant incredulity,
and then in candOr made plain how
poorly Aunt Fanny inspired him. 81
just exackly as soon be little sweet
to an alligator" he asserted; such
was his bitterness on this subject.
"Oh, obi" said Aunt Carrie.
Il would" Herbert insisted. "Or
a mosquito. I'd rather, to either Of
'em, because, anyway, they don't make
so much noise. Why, you just ought
to hear her." he went on, growing
more and more severe "You ought
to just come around our newspaper
building any afternoon you please, af-
ter school, when Henry and l are
tryin' to do our work in, anyway some
peace. Why, she just squawks and
squalls and SOU"
ut must be TERRIBLE" Uncle Joseph
interrupted. what do you do all that
for, Florence, every afternoOnY
"Just for exercise" she answered
dreamily; and her placidity the more
eXasperated her journalist cousin.
"She does it because she thinks she
ought to be runnin' our own news
paper, my and Henry's; that's why
she does it! She thinks she knows
more about how to run newspapers
than anybody alive but there's one
thing she's gOin' to find out; and that
is, she don't have anything more to
do with my and Henry's newspaper.
We wouldn't have another single one
of her ole poems in 1t, no matter how
much she offered to pay us Uncle
Joseph, think you ought to tell her
she's got no business around my and
Henry's newspaper building"
( But Herbert" Aunt Fanny sug-
gested, "you might let Florence have
a little share in it of some sort. Then
everything would be all right"
1855
cracking naturally, at his age, but also
under strain Of the protest he wished
it to express "It woO-wud? Oh, my
goodness, Aunt Fanny, I guess you'd
like to see our newspaper just utter
ably ruined! Why, we wouldn't let
that girl have any more to do with it
than we would some horse !"
"Oh, OH! both Aunt Fanny and
Aunt Carrie exclaimed, shocked.
"We wouldn't" Herbert insisted. "a
horse would know any amount more
how to run newspaper than she does
anyway, a horse wouldn't make so
much noise around there. Soon as
we got our printing press: we said
right then that we made up our minds
Florence Atwater wasn't ever gOin' to
have single thing to do with our
newspaper. If you let her have any
thing to do with anything she wants
to run the whole thing But she might
just as we'll learn to stay away from
our newspaper building, because after
we got her out yesterday we fixed
way SOS she'll never get in there
again ~
Florence looked at him demurely.
"Are you sure, Herbert?" she in
CURED.
"Just you try tt" he advised, with
heartiest sarcasm; and he laughed
tauntingly. "Just come around to-
morrow and try it; that's all ask"
81 cert'nly intend to-" she responded,
with dignity 81 may have a slight
surprise for YOU"
ooh, Florence, say not so! Say not
so, Florencel Say not sol"
At this she looked full upon him,
and already she had something in the
nature of a surprise for him; for so
powerful was the still balefulness Of
her glance he was slightly startled.
81 might say not So" she said-"if /
was speaking of what pretty eyes you
know you have. Herbert"
1t staggered him. "What-what-
you mean?"