The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1884-09-25

become SO dependent on. / say it's in
human, it's out o. all reason, it's worse
y swearin', ten times, Billingsgate and
Carthage, if it ain't!''
"Well now, Id calm down if | were
you, said Miss Cynthy, again using
her most consoling tones. 'sIt's too
bad Maria's gone to the city, but her
week S most up, and / know she'll say
something comforting when she
comes.
'tShe'd do JUS right to storm like a
hurricane" said the poor Captain;
''course she won't say the fust word to
yex me, Miss Forbes never does, but if
I'd q listened to her, we might been
comfortable enough"
Strange such trouble should come
the first time in a dozen years or more
she's been away for week. But there,
we must do the best we can. You
mustn worry on my account, brother,
you know the Lord will provide, some-
| how.
"IH have to sell the cottage" con-
tinued the Captain, despondingly. But
don't you go to worryin', Cynthy Miss
Forbes and /, we'll look out that you
get cared for, we won't either on us
forget how you struggled and brought
me up, wicked little imp as | was, too.
How in the world did you ever have
such patience, Cynthy?"
1T was perhaps the hundredth time
he had asked the same question, and
only to receive the same comforting re-
ply:
''On. / knew there was good in you
somewhere, brother, and it would only
take time and patience and plenty of
prayer to bring it out, and sure
enough"
Two more days must e.apse before
Mrs. Forbes would return from the
city, and it was both pitable and laugh
able to note the conflicting emotions
with which her worthy but troubled
| spouse anticipated her appearance.
''Of course she'll know all about the
failure and our losses" he said to his
sister, repeatedly. $50, thank fortune,
we shan't have to tell her about it, but
| should think she'd hurry home on
that very account now. shouldn't you?n
"WeH, / suppose she thinks she
might as well have her visit ont, !"
Cynthy would reply. ''You know her
brothers wanted this visit for a long
timen
Hope they ain a urging Miss Forbes
to stay away from me in the future"
said the Captain the afternoon of the
day his wife was expected home By
| this time the poor mans anxiety and
forebodings were truly painful to wit
ness.
/ \ Il
naughty of you," said Miss Cynthy,
las if Maria would desert in trouble,
of all times"
At last the stage coach stopped at
the cottage door, but somehow, the
Captain could not go out, as expected,
to greet his wife, longed for as she had
been.
He stood peeping through the blinds
as the stage driver helped her alight,
then rolled her little trunk into tho
graYelly path. All at once he turned
to his sister, his face fairly working
with emotion.
30, Cinthy, she doesn't know thing
about it. 1 know she doesn't She's a
smilin' and noddin' to the driver, an
her face is as peaceful as the coral
isles, and poor Miss Forbes don't know,
| know she don't
But he could hold off no longer, his
wife was at the door, and the next mo-
ment had entered the room, given him
a loving embrace, and receiving his
sounding smack, then went over and
kissed "Sister Cinthy'' affectionately.
The little maid of all work soon an
nounced supper, and although the Cap
| tain sat with the most lugubrious face
imaginable, yet throughout the meal,
Mrs. Forbes was as bright and Joyous
as young girl, her round, dumpIing-
/ like face and figure shaking with
laughter at the queer stories she had to
tell, and at amusing "reminiscences OF
her journey.
After tea, when they were sitting
costly together, the husband, wife and
sister, Captain Forbes felt that at last
his time had come, so summoning all
his courage, he said with a gigantic
| effort at calmness:
"Maria, dear, there's awful news"
''Now, the little black kitty ain't
dead or any of the chickens, hope, "
said Mrs. Forbes"
MERCY, noI' Then as gently as
possible, the Captain broke the disas-
trous tidings, how the bank had broke,
and they had lost all.
| Law, yes. | knew it had broke, -
said Mrs. Forbes, complaeently. 'But
thank kind, merciful Heavenly Father,
it amt hurt us any,"
s'Why. what do you meana" gasped
the Captain, fearing her senses had de-
serted her at the news; "all we had
was there, wife.
mo, 'twasn't," she answered, pla-
cidly. "rd drawed it all out three
days afore the smash came. Brother
William has it all safely invested in his
business. .
"Why, but Maria. you couldn't draw
it. I deposited that money. no one
could draw it without my order"
Mrs. Forbes broke into q rippling
laugh.
"Well now, do you think, Johnny
Forbes, I've lived with you all these
years without bein' able to write ex-
actly like youp I never did approve of
all your money bein' in that bank, and
William didn't, so l just writ out an
order, an endorsed it. I had your