The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1879-11-27

ferred to marry without love, rather
than not at all?'' 80
g These are mere idle words, Mr..
Cleverly."
"No, they are not mere idle. words.
Listen: you will do any thing to save
Clement Smithers. Is it wrong to make
another happy, and save friend from
ruin? Then marry me, Dora, and will
save him; l give you my word
"Why will you make such a condition
if it is possible for you to clear him?
Why will you not accomplish it lgratui-
tously?'
Because I love you, and am not
Quixotic. At present your story is not
credited; you are suspected of a weak
ness for the prisoner. Were you my
wife, that prejudice would be Cancelled.
Marry me, dear Dora, and I swear to
save his name and credit, or forfeit my
own" 4 A.1tes5s ~
"How could do such a thing, even
to save Clement?''
s'It is in your power to decide whether
he shall spend his best years in prison,
in the pursuit of mental tasks, in a con-
vict's garb, in the society of abandoned
men, imbittered by injustice. 1t seems
to me that you can not hesitate"
Was it true, then, she asked herself,
that it was in her power to save Clement
from ignominy, and did she hesitate ?
Did she not love him well enough to
sacrifice every thing for him? Daily
she reached the heights of renunciation,
daily she slipped back into the valley of
humiliation and self-love.< Every day
Mr.. Cleverly pressed his suit, waxed
eloquent, convinced her ignorance by
plausible proofs and promises, and one
day he carried his point.
eyes" she assented, feebly; 81 will
marry you to save Clement. y y
81 accept the TERMS" he said.
" You will marry me for Clement
sake; by and by YOU shall love me for
my own @s,ytss -1efe.T
She could make no objections to an
early wedding, since it was only as Mr.
Cleverly's wife that she could influence
Clements fate, while Aunt Hitty, una
ware of the conditions of the contract at
that time, pressed the matter forward
with feminine alacrity. elm sorry for
Clement Smithers, she confessed /;
"but you couldn't marry felon if you
loved him to distraction Mr.. Cleverly
says he prefers wedding in church.
Shall it be satin and 'tulle?" But it
seemed as if Dora had but a shadowy
interest in the preparations, such as a
ghost might have.
1t was toward dusk of a dark. after
noon, always darker in the place where
Clement awaited his trial than else
where, that Mr.. Oliver, one OF, the bank
directors, was admitted to an interview
with the prisoner.
"You have come to beg me to confess
what have done with the bondsp' -
laughed Clement, bitterly
"No," replied Mr.. Oliver; "I have
come to tell you that the bonds have
been found.'s vt
EXACTLY. We had wind-storm on
Mr.. Cleyerly's wedding day. You have
the newspapers here; you must have
read of it?''
81 read nothing here; have been
composing satire on justice instead.
| did not know Cleverly was married. -
"No? 1t was furious gale. and the
old elm that stood near the Church of
the Heavenly Mamma broke beneath it.
A splinter struck Mr.. Cleverly as he
passed from the carriage to the church
door. 1t proved his death-blow."
"Poor fellow! On his wedding day,
too! But what has that to do with me
me or the bonds p''
"Mr. Cleverly was our teller, you re-
member. Yesterday the bonds were
found among his personal effects. That
is ALL
That is good deal," said Clement,
a new color flushing his face. "Iwould
not have thought it of Cleverly. How
ever, let us speak no i'll of the dead. On
his wedding day, too! Who was he
going to marryP'' 'f
"Miss Theodore Gray"
"Miss Theodore GRAY! Ma Dora.n
he cried. The cloud that had lifted for
space dropped again over Clement,
and he walked out of prison more hope
less and heartless than he had entered.
He asked no questions; he did not seek
Dora. The Captain of the Swan, about
to sail for the Indies, had fallen i'll, and
he accepted the situation without mo-
ment's hesitation.
On the homeward voyage he put about.
to relieve shipwrecked crew. .sYou'll
never catch me at sea again, zone of the
rescued confided to Captain Smithers's
mate. when she had gotten to rights on
board the Swan ssBetween sea-sick-
ness and shipwreek, it's no joke. You
see, the doctor prescribed voyage for
my niece: a love affair, you know-low-
cred her system. / wonder if ship
wreck is tonicp Save us! who is thatp
The Captainp Why man alive! it's
Clement Smithers! Dora! Dora! there
was a Providence in our being wrecked,
after all. Goodness! what's the matter
with the girl? Captain Smithers, don't
you know old friendsP Won't you 90
to Dorap She looks as if she were going
to FAINT .
And Captain Smithers went. En-
glish Magazine. Fl .si 8 -
The fire in the Butler Colliery, a short
distance from the Lehigh and Susque !
hanna Railroad, on the outskirts of
Pittston, Pa, continues to burn fiercely q
At present it is estimated that 10 acres
Of ant h 10 az to orn <rlx~,,,;n,. - a. y