The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1879-09-11

mother and children she had seen that
day. o5..F--<r 49,. -ar--. Z,
:" If the thing had happened in Cali
fornia, one of the party said. EMILY
would have been considered the legal
wife. There cohabitation for the short
est possible time constitutes marriage.
In fact, it is sufficient for a man to reg
lister woman's name with his at ho-
tel to make her his wife, 15F
"That has its disadvantages, too"
Belle objected. 81 prefer that the
marriage service should be more en-
phasiZed. -
"Desertion for a certain length of
time, on the other hand, always has been
considered sufficient excuse for di-
vorce," pursued some one else..4
Belle started. Odd as it may seem,
she had never until to-day bestowed
many thoughts upon divorce and the
laws that governed it. 1t suddenly oc-
CURED to her that she was now prac-
tically divorced from Miles. She Won
dered whether in any State in the Union
the term of their separation would be re
garded as furnishing a sufficient preteKt
for a legal sundering of their union. A
nervous chill seized her She knew so
little of these things. Who could tell
what pitfalls she had fallen into without
knowing it? Good gracious! How lit
tie she knew of the world! If Miles
were only here now, that she could rush
to him and throw her arms about him,
and tell him what uncomfortable
thoughts were in her mind! After adj,
there was no one like Miles in all the
world-no one she could talk to, talk
herself ont to, as she could to him. OF
course there was not. Wasn't he her
own, part of herself? Oh, Miles! dar-
ling Miles! why had she left him? A
horror of the distance between them
came over her-a horror of the DAYS it
would take to get to him. She felt that
she should scream.
Meanwhile the others went on talking
"Colored people have so little sense of
the sanctity of the marriage tie,'' her
mother was saying. ''Most of them are
in the condition of the woman of Sa-
maria, who, having had seven husbands,
could not be said to be married to the
last. My own conviction is that nothing
but death can dissolve the marriage
bond.''
s'You don't believe,n Frank Lee said,
fiippantly, I" in the proposed amendment
to the marriage service: So long as We
both shall loce?'"
"That is perfectly horrid,n spoke up
Belle. "Mamma, | agree with you en-
tirely. Once married, always married.
Why, st. Paul did not even believe in
widows marrying again. | am of St.
Paul's opinion
''lou always were an extremist, -
laughed Judge Drake. ''However, |
have no doubt that Miles would indorse
your views .
The next day Belle put up bundle of
clothes that would either fit NIilly or else
could be cut down for the children. She
also filled basket with food Then she
cantered across fields, and instructed
Peter to go to the house for bundle and
basket. ''You'll have to make two
trips, Peter, but you'll not mind that ?''
No, indeed, miss. He's thankful to
60. Eff he are not a-tramplin' roun' in
one place, he are in anoder. Goodbye,
miss. Is dat tankful.n
Belle went on her way Presently
she saw Judge Drake coming down the
highway, also on horseback. She rode
down to the fence which kept her faith
er's land from the public road, and
saluted. Happy You, to ride where
you WILL" she said. "My powers are
confined in Il narrow Utica, and tired
enough | get of it,
"Come with me,'' Judge Drake suo-
gested.
Belle hesitated; then she signaled Pc
ter, who was still within call and sight,
and gave him a message to take to ''the
house, This done, she put her mare at
the fence, and joined Judge Drake on
the road
60 1t is close day. the Judge said.
unreasonable for early November
Nasty weather. agreed Belle
ooh, how miss the clear, bracing all
of Belleplaine! Miles thought the eli
mate was too severe for me- fibbed the
Grant wife; ''but | am coming to the
conclusion that it would suit me better
than this, in the long rum
There is no such thing as a Utopian
climate philosophical Judges Drake
Every place has its advantages and
disadvantages. Adaptability, that's the
main matter.''
In her present mood, adaptability
struck Belle as being cardinal virtue.
She was seized with frantic desire to
practice it all the rest of her life. Only,
she wanted to practice it in Wisconsin
rather than in Virginia
Judge Drake and Belle rode on until
they came to the country town. 81
have an GRAND at the Courthouse, y
Judge Drake said; 81 should have
thought of that. What will you do with
yourself?n
''Let me see. I'll--I'll-oh, I'll buy
some blue flannel, and take it to Ara
minta to make me sacque. VIII YOU
come for me THEREOF
Agreed. Araminta was known to fame
as the favorite dress-maker of the neigh
borhood. Judge Drake knew her cor
ner well. Belle made her purchase, land
turned her horses head in the direction
of Araminta's. A deeent-looking color
ed man came forward and helped her to
aGght when she stopped. Araminta
awaited her in the doorway with a cor
dial welcome. My brother, miss, -