The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1877-09-06
A Bad Game of FreeZe.Out.

No, John William is a changed man.
He will never be real happy again. He
was light young man once,
and he wore a good conscience and
collar as broad as minstrel joke, and
little tight boots, and his heart was Just
as full of affection and the image OF
girl out on High Street as it could hold.
And twice week, Tuesday and Friday
nights, John William went up to High
Street, Just dressed to death and over
flowing with tender things to say that
he had thought up and composed and
read during the day. And she-that
High Street girl-always met him at the
hall door and led him into the parlor,
and he was, oh just so happy hewanted
somebody to kill him right away, for he
felt too good and happyto live. oh, he
was a nice young man. Every body
loved him. Dressed in such exquisite
taste, and such flow of language.
Could talk about any and every thing
under the sun; members of the Philo-
Appolodorus- -Diadactitian Society used
to call him the Aventinonidas of Ameri-
ca, he was so flowing and lucid.
Well, one lovely evening he made his
regular semi-weekly visit, went up
rather early, and anticipated the best
kind of a time, but was struck all of a
heap when the servant answered the
bell, and politely ushered him into the
parlor. But he thought maybe the dear
est girl in the world was just putting on
little style. But you can't imagine
how dreadfully discouraged he felt when
he went into the parlor and couldn't see
the young lady anywhere, and nobody
there at all but her mother. Now John
Williams acquaintance with her mother
was very slight. He had never met her
at all in fact, and he had casually heard
that she had once remarked that she'd
like to meet him once, she'd take some
of his impudence and nonsense out OF
him, that was all. Naturally, John
William stood in great awe of her
mother. Tall woman, with a broad,
high forehead, wide mouth, with awful
parentheses at the corners of it, thin
lips, and eyes that had a supernaturally
CLASSY look even when they were smil-
ing. Talked bass. And spoke very
slowly. Not at all the kind of woman
to impress a strange young man very
tenderly.
But John William isn't the kind of a
man, isn't John William, not to take
advantage of an opportunity when II
presents itself, and he resolved, as soon
as he took in the situation, 10 smite
while the metal was in condition OF
temperature indicating malleability. Sc
he proceeded to strike. He sat down on
the edge of the hardest chair he could
find, and directly opposite the young
lady's mother, and looked her directly
in the face while he began.
To begin with he didn't say any thing
Couldn't exactly think of what he want
ed, SO he just looked at her and smiled
pleasantly.
His overture was met by stony glare
that not only froze his smile, but con
gealed the very blood in his heart, anG
| he had to gasp for moment or two
while it thawed out. Then he once
more unto the breach good friends.
Pleasant, this evening"
every" came like q response from
r the gloomy tomb, and John William
; felt the cold chills crawl up and dowr
) his back.
| ''It has been lovely afternoon" h
went on.
t beautiful" she said, hosrsely, ant
r John William thought of stories he hat
t read about dead people who were mes
r merized and kept on talking for hour
e after they were dead
ssIt was very warm during the middl
. of the day." John William said, goin.
back for subject, thinking he woul'
light on something if he only pushed hi
researches far enough down the din
shadowy aisles of the buried past.
), "Ex-ceed-ing-ly," was the solemn re
sponse, and John William wanted t
!; stand up and scream so bad that h
i thought he would 90 wild. But in tn
bright Lexington of youth tnere's no sue
/ word as never say die, Mr.. Brown, an
:. he made one more effort:
$ alt looked like rain once during tn
morning"
1t every much in-deed,' came in
;. sepulchral cadence. And John Williar
IL held on to his chair with both hands t
,s keep himself from jumping out of tn
> window. But he persevered
!, awe had lovely sunrise
q Remarkably" And to save hi
Is never-dying soul, John William couldn
q help making gurgling groan an
II u pounding on the floor with his heels.
Il " Sir-r-r!'' the lady exclaimed in th
!, !, distant thunder tones with which j;
II nauschek used to say, .''Mr. Tulkine
70 horn, open the door,
"Oh!n screamed John William
springing to his feet and tearing h
+, straw hat MILAN braid, $500 int
le shreds, "Oh!'' he yelled, dancing U