The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1877-10-18

~ S1HOu upoH IL. OF ne nau lOVeQ her.
Not with the wild, unstable, love of
youth, but when he was man past 80,
who faced trouble and temptation, and
conquered both. .@st ~atH H.
He had met her first in, the country,
where she was the comfort of an invalid
father, spending a winter there, and he
had been won first to love her sweet pa
tience with the irritable old man, who
kept her constantly busy in his service.
Later, when they were friends, Herbert
learned that Mr.. Morrison, the fretful
sufferer, was very wealthy man, and
that Leda was his only child. Being
himself a man of large fortune, Herbert
Payne needed but little the fact that
Leda was probably an heiress, but he
found his whole heart going out to her
as they grew better friends. Accom-
pllshed, beautiful and well read, she
was as yet as modest as a wood violet,
not shy, but graceful and sweet, and
purely womanly. Every day he loved
her better, till he was assured of her
love in return, when he sought her ia
theirs consent to his taking her to his
heart and home, his loved, honored
wife. And Mr.. Morrison's plea was
this
81 can not spare her yet When /
tell you her story you may not care to
marry her, but if you still love her, spare
her to me few months longer. | may
not, can not, live over another spring,
even in this soft climate, but when die
Leda will inherit all my fortune, though
she is not my child. 1 told you she had
history. .. 4. ....Etrz
"When my wife had been married
but two years, our first child was born
and died in an hour. Leda-my wife,
Leda-was delirious, calling constantly
for her babe, and the docterisaid it was
the or death with her to have child.
So we took the babe, who has grown TO
be the comfort of my life, from a'found-
ling asylum. / have no idea who. she is
or what was her parentage; but from
the hour she lay in my wife's arms, and
the pressure of her tiny fingers oalmed
the wild excitement of the brain, she
was to us our child. We never were
blessed with one of our own again, and
all the love that was in our hearts for
children was lavished upon Leda. She
was 10 years old when her, adopted
mother died, but she knew nothing then,
and knows nothing now, of the secret
Of her birth. Only two other persons
besides myself know of it, my brother
and my nephew, who will be my heir if
| leave no will. But promise you to
make will before die, and leave Leda
Independent. You-you do not look as
if this story had shaken your love-"
ssNor has it! Leda will ever be to me
the one woman [ love, and | care moth
ing for her fortune Rich or poor, she
will ever be the same to me.''
But you will not urge her to leave
me yet? Not until spring? 'Tis but a
few months, but it is all my life. y
will not ask her to leave you,"
Herbert said, deeply moved by the
pathos of those last words shut let me
speak to her, win her consent to be my
wife if I can, and have the right to re-
turn here tolcomfort her, at 5sthe time
you fear you must leave her in sorrow
and loneliness"
?. g Yes, yes; but must you go?"
81 must! / am here only on busi-
ness, and | must return to my home at
once. But, if you wish it, will return
in March, Ei5-g @si& tfA1a
a. q do wish it. I will give you our
town address,. so that if you. can not re-
turn here, you will find Leda in her own
house in London. / shall will the house
to her."
Little doubling his success for while
Leda was never unmaidenly, she had
never quite concealed her shy, pure
love-Herbert wooed and won the
maiden he sought for his wife, They
were to correspond regularly, and in
March Herbert was to return and re-
main with the Morrisons. He was filled
with new, deep happiness, as he jour
neyed homeward, and every tender,
loving letter for some time added to his
content. January was over when the
letters ceased. He waited reasonable
time; then wrote. No answer. Again
he wrote, inclosing his letter to Leda in
one to the landlord of the hotel, giving
his address. The answer. to this came
promptly Mr.. Morrison had died very
suddenly the last week in Januafy, his
brother and nephew had come to re-
move the body to London, and Che whole
party had left the hotel as.
Hastening at once to the town ad
dress, Herbert. found the house to which
Mr.. Morrison had directed him closed
and deserted. The agent whose adj
dress was upon the placard announcing
the place To Let" could give no in
formation excepting that he had re-
ceived his orders to sIet the house from
Mr.. Morrison, the brother of the former
owner. He was not at the funeral him.
self, did not know any thing about Miss
Leda, could give the address of the late
Mr.. Mor1ison's lawyer, and knew that