The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1879-06-19

| Iaouoth lilies. Inns ONCE, however :.
was almost sinecure al that siaae OF the
year. After tea the party returned to
the parlor, where o Wood-fre blazed
Rosalind dropped into a picturesque
oid.fashsoned chair, which dated as far
back as the dock. Her lovely arms,
with their coquettish elbow sleeves, fell
into her lap. Her little crossed feet re-
Vealed dainty strapped shippers. There
was an exquisite rose leaf flush on her
face. Gilbert Rose, who had ridden
over from neighboring Rossemere, drew
up chair beside her, fascinated appar-
emily, manlike, by toilette and grace
Ruth took low seat in corner of the
place out of the light of the blaze
Mildred fitted off to the kitchen, where
blazed another fire, of giant size, over
which hung coal-black kettle. Aunt
Linda was the presiding genius of this
precinct. Its yellow walls were dark
ened by smoke. Mysterious shadows
haunted it, Two tallow dips served to
illuminate the center merely of a large
table, where Aunts Linda and Cynthy
were supping, the small colored boy at a
respectful distance.
81 seen de ole Lady je5 now, Miss
Milly," says Aunt Cynthy.
You don't say SOL" responded Mil
dred, with spontaneous interest.
"Suthin on her mind, sho She keep
a-lookin' at me an a lookin'. Cap wild
frill, spinnin wheel, an all. Can't
make her out nohow. Desc is tight
times fur de Masons. Reckon dat's de
reason she show herself so often. De
ole place be sole, sho as fate, onless a
miracle take place.
Mildred assented. 1t was as Cynthy
said. This might be her last visit to
Fair Hill. There was a mortgage on
the farm for thousand dollars, which
would be forec!osed in December unless
the money were forthcoming, which
seemed unlikely. Mrs. Mason had tried
to raise the sum far and near, but with
out success. 1t seemed incredible, but
the beautiful homestead represented by
this inconsiderable amount would doubt
less be sacrificed in default of it.
"Mas'r BERTHE Rose foolin' roun' ar
ter Miss Rosalin'. Say she hab money.
Oh, well, reckon Miss Rute kin STAN it.
Mas'r BERTHE want Miss Rute ter marry
him right now, an lebe her ma an de
boys to shift fur deyselves. But Miss
Rute she say no. She say, eff she are
wort habin', she are wort waitin' fur
an she nebber marry so longs herma's
all upside down like. So reckon Mas 4
BERTHE he tryin' to console hisself.n
Ali of which Mildred knew already
: Gazing into the bright blaze, she won.
dered how it would all end. Rosalind
was bewitching.
Still talking, Aunt Cynthy went back
into the dining-room. ''Dar she are
now!" she said. "She hab lef' de
spinnin' wheel. She are a-walkin' up
an down, up an down, dar by de
clock"
The clock stood in recess beyond a
jamb which ran along all the rest Of
that side of the room. 1t contained q
closet, and in the parlor, on the other
side of the wall, a deep fire. place. But
these two recesses having been taken
into consideration, there still remained
a space unaccounted for in the middle
of the jamb. Mildred, staring over at
the wall, puzzled out this fact.
SHOW she are here" pursued Aunt
Cynthy, "a-knockin'" Aunt Cynthy
put her hand on the wall precisely
where Mildred had established hollow
space.
Mildred came and stood beside the
old woman. "Odd!" the girl said
"There is board here. 1t is not brick
ed over like the rest of the WALL
Mildred raped on it with her knuckles,
and it gave hollow sound, very differ.
ent from that which followed the knock
ing above and below it.
''Curus!'' repeated Aunt Cynthy
'tI'd like ter take out dat ar board fust.
rate. OATS whar she raped an pint
ed"
Here Aunt Mason appeared. She
had heard for so many years of Cyn.
thy's "Ole Lady" that she listened to
this last demonstration with composure,
and passed on to 'give out' breakfast
"a matter of more immediate interest.
Mildred drifted back into the parlor,
seated herself in the other corner of the
fireplace, listened to the wind bowling
down the wide chimney, thought OF
ships at sea blown about in such gale
as was brewing. Ships?-one ship,
idoiC PAoPOlly-
1t was consolation to Mildred to
observe that whenever she looked TO-
ward BERTHE Rose, he was looking to.
ward Ruth. In consequence Rosalind
grew more pointedly charming and
sparkling. But poor little Ruth never
once raised her eyes from the piece OF
knitting she had taken up. Her mother
called her presently, and she went out
of the room, and did not return. After
a while Mildred followed her. 1t was
dull work chaperoning Rosalind's fir
tation. She would 60 and write a let
ter. She passed Ruth's open door. No
light; Ruth kneeling by the window,
her head on the sill. There was some.
thing very desolate in her little figure
In the moonlight. Mildred scoIded
away at BERTHE Rose to herself. Men
were the same tickle, worldly creatures
all the world over. No, not all men!
She wrote her letter-a long one. She
heard horses hoofs Gathering down the
avenue by that time. She was seized
with an intolerable thirst, which the
water in her room, drawn for hours,
failed to quench. She stole down stairs.