The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1882-12-14
BELLEVUE, La, THURSDAY, DECEMBER a. 1852. :
'lt was not that -

else9'' ''Aio'oos
, ~ don mind telling you now, Isabel.
| had another lover-Anson Andrews
l We never gotten over it. There have
oeen weeks and months when I've tried
with all my soul to forget him-to un-
love him. He and Captain Valentine
sailed together in the Water Witch. and
when Captain Valentine returned he
brought me all the trinkets and letters
hao sent Anson Andrews, but never a
word more" -
You dear old faithful thing! YOU
snail dress in satin de Lyon and thread
lace; we shall live in the lap of luxury;
and I'll send word to Anson Andrews if
he is at farthest Thule. How oddly
things turn out! Fancy me n,-rrying
your cast-off loverr'
"1sabel, beg you not to"
"Not marry Captain Valentine just
because I'm not in love? Perhaps I
never shall be in love. You would have
me give up so much for mere senti-
ment. You mustn't expect everybody to
nave as intense feelings as yourself.
couldn't remember man fifteen wears
if he were the Great Mogul himself
Captain Valentine and Isabel were
married in the little parlor of the old
house, shaded by the old elm-tree. which
made pretty dancing shadows on the
wall. 1t was a most Informal affair:
and when it was over, and the clergy
man had pocketed his fee, and the bride
was trying on her travelling hat, Miss
Eulalie stepped into the garden to draw
long breath. What We're the working
men doing there at that hour?
$50 into the house, Miss Eulalie.''
said Captain Valentine. Il am going to
celebrate my wedding day. isabel has
made me wedding gift of the old elm
tree, and Im cutting it down to burn on
the hearth at The Towers, while we look
out at the 'dreary winter sea- Miss
Eulale, when you thwart Valentine.
you do it at your peril. Do you think l
married Isabel for love? Revenge is
sweeter than love. When you refused to
marry me, l swore 1 would make YOU
repent in dust and ashes.''
Miss Eulalie turned silently toward
the house, but paused to look back from
the doorway. There was crash, and
when strange blur mad cleared away
from before her eyes, Captain Valentine
lay dead beneath a great arm of the tree,
which had snapped as it fell.
81 feel so awfuliy wicked" said Isa-
bel, some months later, awed and
ashamed at finding herself in possession
OF the coveted wealth without the bur-
densome conditions. i've been look
ing over his papers with Mr.. Billings,
the executor, and we ferreted out this
letter. It's from Arson Andrews. 1
thought it explained something: at anv
rate you might like to see it. It's dated
Australia. a year ago."
DEAR VAL" Miss Eulalie read)-" Here I
am. leagues from home, but possessed with an
unquenchable longing to hear from the old
place, and homesckness which no money can
relieve. Sometimes when I'm smoking in my
bungalow, alone, | fancy am home again un-
der the old elm-tree with Eulalie, still young,
with nope IN my soul, and presently awake
from the day-dream and berate myself soundly
for allowing the old wound to throb and ache
believe , me, Old boy, in spite of the fifteen
dealing, cannot think of her and all I've lost
without weight at my heart. | was happy
wight wig when we shipped in the Water Witch.
IN free 10 confess I've never seen happy
day since you contided to me that you were g0-
ing to marry Eulaie remember how black
you looked when told you she belonged to
me. and how we then and there swore we would
neither OF us marry such heartless jilt How
nave you weathered it, messmate? And what
has happened to her? Has she befooled any
more true lovers? After all believe that
My heart would hear her and beat
Had it lain for century dead
Write me about her, and if the old elm
where kissed her first. is still standing Our
love is dead, but the tree is alive No love is
not dead: can not slay it; it shoulders and
torments me-"
"Miss Eulalie," said Isabel, when
Eulalie had folded the letter with tremb-
ling fingers, there has been a great
wrong done. Mr.. Billings and l mean
to right it. We mean to send word to
Anson Andrews; we are going to tell
him what an angel you are. We have
talked il all over. And about this money |
i couldn't make up my mind to touch |
a cent of it if l were starving. | shall |
found hospital with it. Mr. Billings is
to help me. We have talked it all over:
don't care for splendor any longer; | |
have found out, Miss Eulalie, that love is
best. "-Harper's Weekly.