The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1876-01-10

house" all by herself in the quaint VII
lage of Darlingville, where the elms
lined the streets like green-skirted SEN
tinels and every body went to bed at
haf-past nine o'clock.
Very sudden resolves will sometimes
rush through our brains, ightning-ex-
press fashion, in a short space of time,
and almost before the shrill tones of
Miss Rachel's falsetto voice had ceased
to vibrate on the air, Patty Peronel
stood dipping odd little courtesies before
her.
suitP'
Miss Rachel glared through her moon
shaped spectacle glasses at the trim fig
ure in sober gray.
'sYou child" quoth she. sWhy,
you are such chit of thing!"
81 am nineteen, ma'am.n
s'What can you dop"
"a little of every thing, ma'am, :"
Patty answered, demurely.
What's your manner"
ssMartha, ma a'am, please. :"
Apparently the cross-examination
tnat followed was satisfactory to Miss
Rachel Penrhyn, for she finally told
Patty she might s'come and try" at 81
a month.
ST may go home for my clothes,
ma'am," said Patty, with dropping
eyelids and hands folded.
sYes; but be sure you meet me at
the railroad station at four precisely -
Patty promised and ran home to Mrs.
| PerOnel.
s'Where's my girlp" demanded the
81 haven't got any. I'm girl my
self, Bessie, at 81 month-and no fol-
lowers!"
"What under the sun do you mean?"
And Patty explained.
"Don't scold, Bessie-now don't,
that's darling. I'm Caliph Haroun
Alraschid in disguise, that's all. 1t
will be such fun! Where's my gingham
dress and the little linen collars and the
big bib aprons? For my bubble would
burst altogether if I shouldn't meet
Aunt Rachel at the station o'clock
precisely -
What a change it was from the swarm
ing city streets, radiating scintilations
of heat from every curb-stone, to the
old Penrhyn house, where the century
old elms formed q green canopy of
shade and the Glove pinks and old-fash-
ioned blue-bells blossomed along the
borders. And Martha, the new maid,
settled into the grooves at once, as if
she had lived all her live under Aunt
Rachel's roof-tree.
81 believe I am going to like this
girl, - said Aunt Rachel. ssBut then,
Of course, new broom sweeps clean,
and I'm most 'fraid to believe in any
one since Keturah Smith experienced
religion and then ran away with my sill
yer sugar basin!"
'sThis is Mr.. Ralph's room, is it?''
said Martha, with her hands in her ruff
fed pockets, as she stood regarding the
apartment that had just been opened to
be busted and aired.
EYES, this is my nephew's room, :"
said the old lady. ssHe comes out once
in while, and always keep it ready
for him. I've no family of my own, !,
you see, and Ralph seems very near to
me.''
ssDear metz said Martha, awhat a
lot of photographs over the mantle!'
Miss Rachel nodded.
ssThat middle one-it looks little
bit like you, Martha, / declare
ssDoes it?'' lisped Martha, inno-
Gently, as she looked into her own smil-
ing, saucy eyes, under fringe of crepe
hair.
ssIt's my nephew's sweetheart, -
went on the garrulous old lady, 1.-THE
gal he loves the best in all the world. ="
fare they engagedP' Martha asked !,
the tell-tale roses dying her cheek as
she gently spoke.
"Well, no, not exactly. Iguess she's
rather pretty, but she's got nothing of
her own, you see; and there's Almira
Playfair- one on the left-hand edge
Of the chimney''
ssThe one with the twisted nose?''
roguishly asked Martha.
"Her nose may be q little to one
side,n severely demonstrated Miss
Rachel, sbut handsome is that hand
some does, and Almira has $50 900 in
the bank
s.My!" cried Martha, opening her
eyes wide $3.50 900, ma'am! / should
think Mr.. Ralph would marry her at
once"
$50 he ought" said Miss Rachel ,
rubbing her spectacle glasses vehement
". ssShe'd have him in minute so
all the neighbors say; but he's just pos
sessed in love with that little Peronel
girl. He would rather work for . crust
: day, with her to share it, he says,
than to marry Amira Playfair with all
her money" !"
ssThat is noble of him!" cried Mar
tha, with sparkling eyes; ~ respect
him for it. IL mean should respect