The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1877-02-22

gloom, when Arthur and Alice entered
from the garden, where they had been
walking among the roses for the past
hour. / was too listless and miserable
being horribly jealous--to
care whether 1 played the eayesdrop-
per or not; SO | kept quite still, al
though | knew that l would presently
be the listener to a lovers tete-a-tete.
"But, Arthur" said Alice, apparent
ly continuing a conversation, az
thought when I saw you two together,
that first day when | came, that you
and Evelyn were lovers.''
awe have never been so, my darling.
You are my first and only love"
[ think he drew her towards him
then, and kissed her. OF course he
did, though | could not see them, for
my chair was turned from them and |
dared not move. Presently Alice spoke
again:
"Of course it is fortunate for me,
Arthur, dear, that you should prefer
my poor beauty to Evelyn's, but you
know l can scarcely understand any
man knowing her well and seeing her
constantly without falling in love with
her."
"Well, sweetheart, if l had ever
known her well enough not to feel
afraid of her, and grown accustomed to
her style of beauty, perhaps it is just
possible | might have fallen in love with
her if [ had never seen you, my darl-
ling"
The blood seemed to rush back upon
nay heart, and then surge up into my
brain; there was singing in my ears,
and heard no more.
When returned to consciousness of
what was going on about me, they were
gone; but | had heard enough-too
much!
Till those last words of Arthur's, I
had tried to bear my misery bravely in
dumb despair. I had persuaded my
self not only that he had not loved me,
but never could have loved me; that
Alice was the only one he ever could
have loved at all, and so I must try to
bear my anguish and my disappoint-
ment as best I could-but now! Those
words from him let loose fury in met
Had he never seen her, he might have
loved me-his own lips had said it.
Heaven knows what wild and monstrous
thoughts pursued each other through
my frenzied brain then. | had not
hated her till now, but hated her from
that moment-wished her dead, and
would have laughed and rejoiced to see
her die!
The moon had risen and was flooding
all the world outside in silvery light,
when Alice came into the room, and
approaching me gayly, cried:
"Do come down to the lake. We
might have lovely row by moonlight,
for | promised not to 60 to bed till
Arthur came back-so | could say
goodnight again. she added, blush
ing brightly. "He has gone to the
town with your brother. They must
be back soon, but we might have time
for row on the lake before they az
rive-do come"
| rose without 8 word, wound the
scarlet scarf on the back of nv chair
about my head and neck, and prepared
to accompany her.
The lake was less than ten minutes
walk from the house, and all the way
there Alice kept up such run of care
less talk that, in the exuberauce Of her
spirits, she didn't notice that I had
scarcely spoken at ALL When we had
launched the little boat and Jumped
into her, Of course I did ali the rowing,
for the delicate snowfases of hands
that held Affects oars merely toyed
with their work. But I bent to mine
with will, and being strong and mus
cular, although only slight girl, we
were soon far out on the water. We
were nearly half way across when Alice
said suddenly, after some minutes ST.
lence:
"Evelyn, do you know the people
about here say this lake is bottomless
just half way acrossp Isn't it absurd
little lake like this?''
Yes, but it's terribly deep, AID we
are directly over the spot now which
the country folks declare goes right
through to the other side of the world ~
elbow perfectly ridiculous just as if
that was possible. But don't lean over
in that way, Evelyn. If you upset the
boat, the lake is deep enough to drown
US, even if it doesn't 90 quite to the
other side of the world"
"What nonsense, Alice. When |
battle here, [ often swim as far out as
this and back again just for exercise. y
Every likely, my fair Amazon; but,
as | can't swim, prefer not to take my
bath SO far from shore-ah!'i
A loud shrek from Alice asI bent still
further over, and in the next moment
we were struggling in the water, and
the boat foated from US, bottom up
wards. 1 thought for one moment /
saw the white face of Alice above the
water, but in the next instant it was
gone, and though 1 think 1 regretted