The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1882-06-29

AhuS' heFeI happen again. He had
taken from him what dust he had left.
and this he refused toreturn. saying that
he intended to keep it safe Old Pete
was luticrously penitent,l but he was
also unquesfionably very much ashamed
OF himself, and anxious to avoid repeat
ing ms dlsgraeeful act. He suggested that
with ms known habits, sobriety, as lone
as he lived in the camp, was difficult,
10 this Phillips agreed, and proposed
that the two occupy the cabin for the
Iuttre, the old man to act as cook and to
DO what work around the claim he
could.
And so it was settled, much to the
mingled astonishment and amusement OF
the men IN the camp, who had so long
looked on old Pete Farley as common
drunken sot. Old Pete and his "pard,,
were standing subject for Joke, and for
long time any allusion to them resulted
always in setting the crowd in roar.
II must not be supposed that the old
man gave up liquor at once, but he GER
talniy did try to refrain. He kept away
1rorn the saloon and rarely went to the
camp at all, preferring to stay in the
cabin, which was about a mile away.
One thing he did do, however. When
ne took too much, he kept away from
Phillips. Nothing that could be said to
him would induce him to repeat his ex-
pertinent OF visiting '.his pard'' on such
| occasions.
One afternoon the old man went into
the camp to buy some groceries. With
the best intentions in the world. he
allowed Jack Hartop to delude him into
taking one drink, and after that he was
lost. About six O. clock Phillips stalked
into the saloon, and there he found old
fete, drunk, standing on the table, try
ing to make speech with grinning
crowd around him. To make his way
into the crowd, and pull the old man off
the table. was for young Phillips the
work of minute.
Then putting his arm around him he
turned to the door to go out. Jake, in
spired by bad whisky, took it into his
mead to bar the way, and with there~
mark: "Hold on, young feller, you can't
take your baby off afore we're done
with him, - caught hold Of old Peteps
arm. The next second Jake was living
in one corner, and Phillips said: rs
there any one else wants to try itpn
There was dead silence and the two
passed out. s. Ssa s. azSssHSszSss :
IS The next day old Pete was as penitent
as ever. In the evening, while they
We're smoking after supper, Phillips
said:s rs
f.Pete, I'll tell you bit of a story
that n Asxinder explain why hate liquor
SO. My mother is as good woman as
ever the.Lord let live. She married
man who was said to be-for / don't
recollect him-as handsome and as good
"a man as could be. They were very
happy together, and was born bout
two years after thewedding. ! AIyfather
drank some at tirst. but not enough to
hurt. But as times went on things got
kinder hard for 'em and he. drank more
an. more. He used to come home drunk,
an. my mother was scared half to death.
He got worse an worse. MY mother
never told !. me this; heard it from
people who recollected it. At last, when
| was bout four years old, father came
home drunk one night and there wasn't /
nothing to eat in the house. He made
an awful row, and at last he struck NV |
mother, knocking her down and cutting |
her cheek open. She's got the scar still.
Then he disappeared and we never heard |
of him again. NowI hate liquor worse |
than | do anything on earth, and won't |
have you or any man around me drink
ing. If you can't stop you've got to
leave, that's ALL
While Phillips was taking old Pete
had gradually drawn himself into one I
corner of the cabin where it was dark.
When Phillips stopped speaking, there
was asilence fora few minutes, and then
the old man said in a rather unsteady
voice: sxs sssa
'sWas your mothers name Po1lyp'
eyes; how did you know it?" es5
'sWas your fathers name Phillips?''
"No, mother look her own name after
ne left her. His name was Parkes.n
: Old Pete got UP, left the cabin and did |
1ot return all that night. While mar
velling much at his strange manner the
7oung man went to bed. The next day
he spoke about it, but old Pete turned it
,f with casual remark. But from that
lay out old Pete stopped drinking. Moth 1,
ng that could be said to him could In
luce him to enter the saloon or to touch
anything at all. The men in the camp
S0llucftu, OOuEt6u tudG IL WOulu last,
nd finally, as the weeks slipped away, 4
ccepted the miracle of Petess reforma-
ion as being fact. They ceased to call
i'm Pete and began to address him as
'arley, or Mr.. Farley. The passion for +
onferring brevet titles being strong in
he West, in time he began to be called
quire, and ten months after his visit to ,
'hillips to borrow some money, there /,
Tas actually talk of electing him a. Justice :
t the Peace. The old mans devotion
, the eyounger one was apparent to ev-
~ one, and the affection was warmly l.
sturned. One day he said to him: Fl
"Pete, seem to me that our names
elm similar kinder mixes things up.n
THThat's true,n answered young Pete, ]
'ith a laugh. They're all calm you
quire now; s'pese / do the same. y
.sJess as you likes bout that, only / Z
unno as / cares very much for the q
anne. / wish / had son, cause I'd ]
inder like some one to cali me daddy.
amt 'shamed now of bein' a daddy In
at iss Of course - he added. hastily. j q