Bozeman avant courier. [volume] (Bozeman, Mont.) 1872-1882, 1875-04-02
THE LOVE OF A FOOL.

1ON LAMA u lEh0
THE LOVE OF A FOOL.
La stood behind the little counter whe,
she passed 70 many hours Of her life. b,
fingers resting up"n the glass Of the sho
|case, which she tapped impafiently. viii
her eyes roved from Ned Snyder. benin
the opposite counter. to the door, throu8
which she hoped some customer woul
enter.
Ned's attention Vas divided betwee
|iseriae ~ In, With bssashorkmg c0nto
lions Of face, and volunteering variou
clOwnish remarks. each Of which elicite
fnm their object only movement Of In
patience, sharper tapping Of the glas
with her fingers, but 20 word Of answer
Finally Ned left his place, sauntere
around behind Lus counter and ende
the manGuvre BY thrusting hts face q
befnre hers.
"Oh, go away, Ned" she exclaimed
turning from him. do 60 now!"
"What'll 60 away forl' he demanded
creeping up again in trout OF her face.
Go because am tired and want you /
|go, this in tone Of marked lmpatience
which Ned evidently understood that ]
would not do for him to disregard. ''G'
hack behind your own counter, or sta!
here and III 70 there. What do you sup
p,ae customers would think to zee ~,
acting 10 tins way!"
Ned hustled over to his own side of tn
room before he answered. IN very matter
of-fnct way: ''Supposc they'd think ",
ought to be married."
''Marrird-ycu foolish fellow! Why d.
you keep talking such nonsense!"
wall, now tel you there is lots o.
folks hat talks it that way, whether you't
think it or not, and course they're righ
about It. Tell you one thing-whel
we he married you don't drive me arount
this way; just make up your mind ab0u
tha,!''
The last part Of Neds information llal
t,een volunteered as the door opened t.
admit Homer Harknese; and Lu had
scOwled silence 1t the owner of the wag
ging tongue in VAIN. But if the young
man who entered had heard anything ol
what was being said he did not indicate i,
by any change If expression. He greeted
he twain with q friendly word to each.
and passed thr'uyh to the dining-room
When his footsteps died away, Lu turned
her great brown eyes to Ned, and said
Ned. why will you talk 80, and before
people, must Of a!ls Don't you know tina,
don't want you to talk that way, and
Iaustn-I:- -'----e-----ss'' -Fr
Mustn't! Lord, Whist words you uec!
But you'll get over it some day-won', ;,
always he a. bashful"
A voice from below called for Ned, and
he tumbled from sight, much to LUIS re-
lief.
Any person seeing Lu Towner day by
lay Would have understood how cherries
her young life really was An evil s,a
had seemed torule At her birth Her fa,he,
engaged in comfortable busi-
,ces, had ,skcn to drink, ruined his Gus
|om, squandered his little property, and
ins)ly died soon after LUIS birth. Her
mother, broken hearted, struggled with
adverse f..rtune for few years a. d then
he. too, died. leaving her little daughter
. the care of her only relative, married
.unt The aunt was kind, in 90 far As
Ter nature knew the meaning Of the word;
mt she had made Manmon her goi. and
nature had given her great power for
physical eDdurance-twO dangerous quail
ties for the same person to p,ssess, es-
ecially if that person be v man
LUIS uncle was the proprietor OF . bakery,
md his connection was ealesrh,m, and q
sarding house. Mr.. Towner superintend-
d the former; his wife the two latter; and
n it Was that when Lu had mastered the
udiments of the common school educs.
ion. she was taken in ~ 4 sort Of general
lelp for her aunt II was q though the
unlight of her dawnlng life had gone
,ehind rome great cloud. There was 30
much that she could do. and she Was 30
Wiling 10 do whatever might be demand
d Of her. From peeling potatoes, chop
ling hash and washing dishes. her sphere
t usefulness gradually extended through
II the departments Of the boarding house
nd salesro0m; till now we find her, at the
ge of 20, after eight years OF incessant
oil, with no prospect Of any change, co
ong 8 life and health should rema n.
from very carly in the morning till very
lte at night, through seven long days in
very week, with only IN hour or two re-
plte on Sunday, she was here, there,
vhereyer her scrvices were demanded. not
onscious that she wss doing more .ctual
,Iysical labor th two like her should
besides shutting out frUm her
oung life the j.,ys Of companionshir and
kuorlug alI those social privileges which
re 80 dear u young life.
Lu was not specially pretty. Al first
lance she seemed a0--her small. compact
lgure oval features and great brown eyes,
o full Of honest truth, were certainly the
leineDts of lkauiy-bu her incessant toll
lal wrought It's lines upon hands and
sce; insufficient >lcep. continued care and
be absence Of socisl Joy tinged and shaded
lcs whole lite with : hue Of sadness. -
|ometimes she smiled, but It Vas only for|
moment, and furtively, - though she|
cared 70 allow even this cxprsssion oil
Iuman fseltDg-nO one ever heard herl
lugh. Tisoss Who knew the most OF hcrl
ifs said Il va to0 nau u keep her there.
aar after year, in thst manner, bat Lu|
ever said so-never thoughs n, in fact.
he bed known no happier life che nsves|
xpecisi To
O. IL ~ u 4 - q 4