The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1877-11-15

4 q
swhat on earth's the matter with, Paul;
he has hardly paid the time I've spent
on him, for he's getting kind o'cross
and restive, and's as set as set can be-
He had scarcely finished the words
before Paul reared and came to q dead
stop. The Deacon chirruped: The
horse laid his ears back close to his
head, planted his feet firmly, and SEEM
ed to stiffen into stone. Deacon Tibks
seized the whip and laid it squarely and
fairly on his back. For a second he
trembled, and then gave one dash for
ward and broke into a fearful rum
For the first time the Deacon realized
Paul's wonderful strength. 1.-THE
power which had so long. lain un-
tried came into full play The ground
was passed over with a rapidity incredi--
Bile, even for runaway. Deacon
hTibbs's face grew white; the pulling
and. Jerking into which he put his whole
strength had not the slightest effect on,
/ the horse. His mouth seemed of the
same material as the bit. aa. M 'S
= 'qhere was one hope-a high railway
just before them, and surely the horse,
would draw up and become manageable
them! ~ ''t' '-'''' %
But with a lightness and ease scarcely
credible, he carried them up the hill.
1t seemed certain death there. For at
the foot of the hill the bridge was up
for repairs, and the not over-stout rope
stretched across the road would surely
break like thread before his fury.
/ Mr.. Fairweather, as they neared the
top of the hill, took the reins from the
! Deacon's fingers, and spoke as quietly
as possible to the exerted horse. But
! his voice and his quiet, steady. pull
, seemed to have no effect on Paul. He
dashed down the hill at a rapid rate.
} No, not quite! He was certainly slack
ening little Again, Mr.. Fairweather
spoke, in tones of authority, but calm
[ ly-he pulled harder on the reins.
, Paul drew up; before he quite reached
! the rope he came to dead stop.
Fairweather sprang from the carriage
, and went to his head. He was almost
, startled at the calmness he met in the
, horses eye, but there was a look of de-
liberate- anger, which gradually wore
away as he caressed him.. 4 --s-..E f''s'
The carriage did not prove to- be
: broken at all, but Deacan Tibbs, as
well as his wife and daughter, decidedly
refused to ride home, and as walking
seemed to be out of the question for Mrs.
, Tibbs-who knows what Miss Melinda
, might have done?-it was deemed best
that Fairweather should ride back, on
Paul, and drive my horse and carriage
! out for the three. u1pt. .
. He knotted the harness into stirrtlps,
sprang on his back and turned toward
t the town. Paul had by no means lost
, his nervous defiance, but this gradually
wore away. Fairweather's firm tones
: seemed much more, or rather pleasantly
, less, effective than the deacon's whip.
! And while 1 was helping him hitch up
Bess, he INDUCED in no stinted praise OF
e the animal he had always so highly ad-
v mired.
, The accident ended agreeably after all
3 Mrs. Tibbs refused to take back seat
5 on the homeward route, for she wanted
to be, so she said, where she could jump
/ Sin case the critter rum And so the
!. minister and Melinda were seat-mates on
: the homeward journey. She had but
little to say, but her sweet young face
: gazed from the carriage window with a
| really thoughtful look. fl3.' .
t Mr.. Fairweather watched her with
curiosity 81 do believe the girls
. thinking" he said to himself. "There's
something to her after all"
t Although my acquaintance with oul
: new minister dated only year back we
: had been thrown SO intimately together
0 that had already found in him my most
Y valued friend. 1t was long after this ride
h that | began to see that the interest
o awakened some time before in Melinda
= Tibbs was gradually deepening. One
night | jokingly said to him: at
e "Oh, by the way, Fairweather, il
! seems to me it is about time for you to
Y settle down in a home of your own."
s' 1t will be long time before then,
5 Johnson
6 Need it be ?" answered. "Couidn't
: you persuade Miss Melinda-'' }
81 Fairweather's face flushed. 81 don't
. know what you are thinking about
d johnson. do feel that Melinda can't
o express it to you and see you know
: how it is. The first time saw her
2 wished she could be placed in circum
stances to bring cut what there was ii
a her. a
: "Like Paul." l suggested.
n elf indeed, she really had any deptl
:, of haracter Since then she has occa
o sion y given me some glimpses whicl
e encol Hted me to think that wide
It sphere nd larger knowledge-in short
e develop nent in every direction -woult
e make Of her as noble a woman as eve
l. lived'
; Fairweather arose abruptly and walk
e ed to the window, mechanically crosses
! hooJ~ -x~I fo,tL oc1 of \