The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1877-09-13


ton coming in at the gate?'
"That?" laughed Bell" that is the
aforesaid rector
us ne coming to give you ghostly
counsel! shall be getting a change
OF heart, depend on't.''
"He's coming home to tea. He
boards here.n
"'There is divinity,''' quoted
Flora. :" thought, to be sure, it was
no less than the master of Pine Hill
coming to his estates just in the nick of
time. How long has his reverence been
here, mayI ask?''
| "Only three months.r
"Well, wonder you haven't fallen
in love-"
| 81? Where would be the good?''
| who ever stops to think of that?n
AT least one must have little en-
couragement to begin WITH
| And hasn't he given you particle? |?
You just hand him over to my tender
mercies.''
"You sha'n't flirt with him, Flora
he's too good and innocent; he would
think you in earnest
| "'Sha'n't' is in the imperative mood,
believe. Are you the guardian of his
young affections?n
And then they descended to the tea
table, and Flora and Clarence Gascoigne
shcok hands and chatted familiarly-
nobody could resist chatting familiarly
with Flora after the first half minute
about his cousins, the Gascoignes of
Newport, and dozen people, of whom
Miss Raymond had never heard, and of
whom never to have heard seemed
suddedly to prove her person of the
last consequence. After tea the trio
strolled in the garden, Flora leading the
conversation, and waking the echoes
with her quick laughter; and they sat
while on the rustic bench beside the
syringa bushes, and Flora sang snatches
from the operas and spiritual hymns:
and Bell marked that when she dropped
out of catch or chorus, nobody seemed
to miss her, and presently she stole
away to look after her house.
keeping, congratulating herself that
every thing promised well for
her scheme. Flora was perhaps
trihe giddy and girlish for clergy
mans's wife, but she would outlive all
|
would be for Mr.. Gascoigne, whose abil-
tiles would never have fair play if he
married any poor girl about Haphazard,
and lived from hand to mouth, so to
speak, with none of the opportunities
| which money could offer; and as for
Flora, she might bless her stars if he
preferred her, if he had no movement
scrupples about marrying rich
| woman.
The summer weather was fine at Hap
hazard, and if Mr.. Gascoigne begged
the ladies to visit some poor or invalid
parishioner in his company, it usually
ended by Flora going with him alone,
| Bell having found some urgent duty to
and Flora developed quite talent for
cheering the sick-room and dispensing
luxuries to the needy; it was role of
which she relished the novelty amazing
| ly.
/" You were plainly intended for
clergyman's wife, blundered Mr..
grateful grateful NO. enthusiasm; and and then en-
he colored, and added, hastily, "The
lame, halt, and blind are all singing
|
your praises
"What discord it must be-" return
ed Flora. 81 think / should prefer a
solo,
The claims of the parish, however,
were not so exacting but he could de-
vote some leisure to the poets, sitting in
the vine-covered arbor, while Bell and
Flora worked and listened-exceptw when
Bell remembered she had omitted to
leave orders for the grocer, or had ne
elected some important household affair,
and excused herselffor a long half hour,
begging them to 60 on with the reading.
And when she returned, she was always
pleased to find that the book had been
closed for the nonce If he had not been
reading, then of course he had been do
ing what he liked better. And he would
say, "We have been waiting for you,
Miss Bell ''-he had fallen into the habit
of calling her "Miss Bell " during these
familiar seG'aces.
81 sha'n't dare to run away if am
going to spoil your pleasure so," she re-
piled.
"You certainly do spoil it when you
leave u.s." he would gallantly retort.
If they went for an afternoons picnic
to the top of Chrome Cliff, with their
supper packed in hamper, Bell fell to
sketching bend of the river, with the
willows dipping above it and swallows
skimming low, and Flora and Mr.. Gas
coigne were naturally left to their own
devices. If they went out for an even
ing's entertainment-whi even Hap
hazard afforded at times when summer
guests were plenty-Bell remembered
the latch-key as soon as they were be.
yond the gate, or she had left window