The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1877-08-09
1.-The. wonder is that you should be
L

"I?"
The, young man $ eyes turned evaslVe-
" away from the others frank glance.
"a Oh, we lawyers are here and there
and everywhere. I've had a libel case
in the town, and it has brought me
down occasionally Tn, ,s,,-.,,,,
"Who was that woman you were talk-
ing to when first came in ?'' carelessiy
questioned Falconer. "She seemed an
noyed or angry s7e RI
Porter laughed again. this time mere
constrainedly than before.
"It's only a, woman from the other
end of the town." said he. ''I've paid
her pretty daughter a few passing at-II
tentions, and She wants to t.tke the mat
ter al serseac These country people
are so desperately in earnest. Here
comes the hostleR; now you'll be off. "
But fate had ordained Otherwise.
The only horse left in the stables was
hopelessly lame. ,slEs,aa,e-
But f the gentleman tier an could es wait an
% Wait an houri - echoed Mr.. Fal-
coner, .-and it's after IL already! No,
thanks, my good fellow. It's an easy
two miles, - 1 could walksit in Jess time
than that .,.-,-s,.,.. ..-.-..-.-,
"But it. bitter night, sir, for Sall
the moon shines so BRIGHT urged the
man, 90 and you'll be famished with the
cold.'' -, 800.
mo matter. My friend here will
lend me his rltrimneas Ulster-eh,
PorterP nr 1aughingly demanded Fal-
coner. zf3- ~ ,r.f = -e.t rs~Q =
ssWith all the pleasure in life,'' KARL
Porter 1anguidiy made answer; 4thatis,
if you are actually determined to commit
) such an eccentricity.s"
"Wait until your wedding-eye comes,
and see how you will feel about it, re-
torted the bridegroom-elect, as he but
i. toned the long wrap. about him, and
turned up the fur collar to protect his
5 neck from the cold. "Well, au revoir.
/ shall expect to see you at the wedding
breakfast tomorrow, remember" And
I with the long, swinging stride of a
practiced walker. he disappeared down
the road. - s&4 $40 II
All this TRANSFERRED at about IL 80, and
the little alabaster clock on Miss Con-
! ways mantel pointed to II precisely,
when, still brooding over Mr.. Falconer's
i letter, something like a tremulous culver
!. of chill air across her made her start in
stinctively and look up. The lamp il
> illuminated only a small portion OF the
d room, but the silver radiance of the full
moon, shining in through the easement
=: across which Katie. had forgotten to
draw the crimson draperies,y made all as
d, light as day. And there, standing lean
r, ing. against the long French easement,
J Katie Conway saw her lover, wrapped
. lin long, fur-trimmed coat, a seal-skin
cap on his head, and face as pale as
IS marble, save one scarlet spot on the left
Is temple She started up with low cry,
and at the same instant he seemed to
Is beckon her come to him. And even
as he beckoned the 'bell in the old
chureh4tower struck r. 81 ss.EZy
Katie ran to the easement, but when
she reached it the moonlight and glisten-
v ing snow of the untrodden lawn, and
d the moving shadows of an immense old
tree that grew close to the house, were
d all that could be seen. For an instant
h she looked with wild, startled eyes out
upon the snowy silence, and then, wrap
l. ping her dressing-gown about her, she
If ran to her mothers room. -
IS "Mamma, wake,n she cried, STOPPING
l. over Mrs. Conway's pillow. "Rober1
d Is here Robert is outside in the cold
d Call Michael to unbolt the doors. Quick
d mamma, quick.''. And in five minutes
- Michael, the old man-servant, had I'M
e fastened the ponderous front door and
4 was looking out. ~ p
t. "Did you say it was at your window
ir you saw him, Miss Katie?'' he asked =
,r YES. close tn the o-1aSs-beck0niuo
o me to come" ~ ss Il
: "But it couldn't be, miss,'' protested
l. the man. b" Look at the smooth snow
N There's 9naught on it for three yards
ir around your window, let alone the spar
Is rows tracks. Sure there's never a.foot
print touched it since the snow. fell
S. three days ago.
AZ :" For all that Issaws him, She said
id lifting blanched and .haggard face
towards her mother "Issaw him. Oh
m mamma, mamma, put away the flower.
la and the bridal vel. / shall never b.
- married now" $50 vtsus1aGva ..s- =
t. Darling, soothed hermother,a yo,
are nervous. 1t was only a dream. Gt
i, to bed now and rest
!. 4 But Katie kept OH saying sssI shall
st never be married now" 60
he Early the next morning old Michae
le set tito the florists for the vfreshly-cu
Ell flowers which had been ordered forth,
at wedding breakfast. - But he had scarce
it ly reached the gates when the outline
-, of something dark lying in the SNOW
caused him to pause abruptly 1t wa
o. the figure of a man, his white face turn
as ed upwards towards sunrise, and a tin,
= - n