The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1885-12-24
THAT MITT." /"
Miss Alice's Cunning and Success
full Device.
CHAPTER I.

EuRoH6 DylF6otIc, tdL, W0lI-pTO-
portioned, blonde and mustached, stood
with watchful, albeit rather sleepy
looking eyes. near crowded corner of
State Street in our busy, bustling, WELL
bepraised city. He was leaning. with a
languid grace, peculiar to his kind,
against one of those aesthetic posts i'm
pressed of late years into the postal
service of our country, and as he leaned
there he softly hummed. a verse OF
which the only audible words were
"good night, ladies'"
The young and talented gentleman
here introduced UGs a gentleman.
courteous, brave and kind, and one OF
fortunes favorite sons. He was also
the city editor of The Mornsnq Scoop
enaup. most brilliant and influential OF
our city journals, and he was in that
particular place at this particular time
in patient search after that thing which
bis soul loved-an item.
The sun was shining with almost
southern intensity. and Sylvestre, who,
should have told You. was of southern
birth, had only to close his eyes little
more than usual and stand near one OF
Ital;a's palatial pomological emporiums
to be transported, Aladdin-like, to his
childhoodFs home, had he so willed it.
In the throng of pedestrians and the
hurrying of vehicles this cynical young
man saw nothing that to his intelligent
eye was more than an oft told tale. He
continued his observations from force
of habit, or. rather. from that in
stinct born with the rightful member oi
the fourth estate. He stood las one
who slept and dreamed; all things to
him unreal seemed" when, 10! one OF
those fortunes that favor the brave. A
rustling of silks, tapping of tiny boot
heels, a gay but subdued chime OF
charming laughter. a bewildering
glimpse of scarlet lips and eyes that
suggested black velvet and black dia-
monds. all those distracting things in
fact that have disturbed the peace OF
men since Lilith, first beloved, dawned
on Adam. Ii was but moment, and the
vision had passed him before our hero
had fairly opened his eyes. HIS mind
was for once rippled. and Ike some
''inspired idiot it feebly intermixed
girls and hours and other mytbolori.
cal absurdities. Had he, the ubionit-
ous reporter for long, long days and
weeks. who had worn out innumerable
pairs of shoes tramping the city from
end to end uutil his present dignity
was fairly won-coatd he have dwelt
within knowledge of that thing of love.
iness and failed to make her his by
right of discovery? Out with the
thought! She must be stranger, per.
haps Peri from the gate of Eden wan.
dering disconsolate.
In fact, the passers- by were two very
good-looking Chicago girls (they welld
have been rare beauties elsewhere), but,
by the bow of Cupid, one had he seen.
and only one, and she had fired his
southern soul. He started forward in
time to catch the last glimmer of silk
as she passed into the dry-goods palace
on the corner, then with a sigh was
sinking back into his old, restfal posi-
tion (Sylyestre was born tired), when,
on, rapture! there at his feet lay dainty
kid mitten!
Sdeathr (Sdeath, oh, uninitiated
INTO the mysteries of newspaperdom,
Is tne customary ejaculatory utterance
u the well-f0rmed newspaper man OF
sne nineteenth century,
sdeatht' he calculated. It was
aeFs. Instinct told him that. He seized
Z Win even more avidity then if it had
Ssen an item, and with heart exultingly
;asaang' he hastily followed the ladies
n1o the busy hive. where people were
pecAed like pickles in jar" Up
s.alrs and in the basement: glowerinp
. = sle A cash-boys and forgetting to smile
= = me lady clerks. from aisle to aisle,
s pursued his fruitless search, forget.
.s:.a ~ ol the fact that it was corner store
v,;.l w;sn ooors on two streets. Exhausted
S.a .sn sucn labors and the heat of the
10 ne muttered a-vocabulary word.
anI reluctantly abandoned the search.
tpIAsted his precious '.find,n and be-
io.s. IN himself to his Office, here to seek
Eeeuiness in his accustomed wav.
~ ane next morning in the columns OF
s paper whose staff he so brilliantly
this legend: pp'"i'0 'onspicuously
State staDo.The lady who yesterday lost on
trimmss set, near -, a red stitched. fur
favor eu, e, neeee- lined kid mitt will confer a
toy s on Ihe she finder by sending the other one :
0' Ddsty Scoopemup. '''o
CHAPTER II.
orr ,ss.y Miss Alice Bingham, in her
Ssn especial room naxt roc,,,;,,o .;.A:...
ras. ro.s upright. with a stare of astonisb.
us Asus read the above modest reonest
ras ndsce was child of wealth. fashion and
Is nhusnent, but she had a brother and
saw eL L moment OF surprise, we regret to
of i; ler language was modelled IN tbst
ensa Sas near relative. She said with
Sa5d. S5Rdassls. too: .Well, he has a eaIiis
S4snly she leaned back in her Chair @