The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1885-12-24

forth conquering and to conquer, and
went, as she said. ito beard the lion in
his very den"
An hour later Mr.. Sylvestre's unman-
ageabie heart thumped more tiercely
than ever. and he felt more limp and
feeble than in all his life before, as he
was confronted in his sanctum by yes
terday's vision of beauty He bowed
deeply and presented her chair. She
smiled sweetly and accepted it. Then
pause. He. with expectant look, trying
to appear at ease, heard his heart beat
ing like muff1ed thunder. and was posi-
tive she did. His cheeks were afams,
and his hand shook as he fumbled
aimlessly among the papers on his desk.
She was the image of high-bred repose.
1t seemed to him that years of silence
were intervening; in fact only the proper
interval had elapsed when she said, in
her cattiest tone:
"There was very extraordinary
article in your paper this morning.
Advertisement" he corrected; then
flushed to the temples at his asinine
rudeness and indiscretion.~ If he had
betrayed himself, however. she did not
appear to see it. She innocently at
tributed his knowledge of her meaning
to his newspaper perspicacity. He felt
the perspiration running down his back
and whiting up his celluloid collar, but
she was as cool as the biggest one in q
"lodge of cucumbers."
"Yes, the advertisement" she
meekly assented; did you not think it
q very straSge one?"
Yes, he did.
II was on State street Yesterday, I"
she continued, in her soft tone, looking
straight at him, land l dropped the
'mitt" referred to: at least, this one
bears resemblance to that as de-
scribed." /" She laid it before him.
!" Yes, that is its mate" he exclaimed,
when
How do you know?" she asked.
looking suspiciously at him; but this
time he was prepared. and had his little
lie quite ready, if necessary, as it was.
30, saw the other when the fellow
came last night"
The fellow? Tt was man then. i"
"Ye-yes-oh-yes. Some, fellow
picked it up. saw it when he came in, !"
rubbing his chin and looking anywhere
but at her.
30 yes, of course you would see it
then. How stupid / amr' with q smile;
then. as he deprecated such self-slander:
20 yes, l am. | sometimes do the
most ridiculous things. You could
scarcely believe them. As don't wish
to shock you, though, won't enlighten
you, looking innocently at him and
reading his silly. adoring soul as if it
were the page of an open book He
began to say something, when she again
spoke:
Perhaps the man left it with youp''
40 no; but perhaps can get it for
you" And at this moment it was living
fairly soaked with perspiratiOn lust
squeezed up as closely as he could get it
to the heart that was framing those
tremendous-well. say deviations from
truth. Sylvestre had never realized until
yesterday that he had heart, but now
ne had real serious thoughts as to
whether it might not jump out of his
throat. where it was at present chiefly
located, he thought, and follow her de-
parting footsteps.
More of their talk we need rot repeat.
Halt the men in town and all the girls
can fill it out satisfactorily. She arose
to depart. and gave him graciously her
card. for he was to come and report
progress" He sat down and lost him
self in blissful reverie. and she went
home, walking on air." and all that
warm day went singing and carrying
on" about the house until she made her
mother actually nervous with her
fidgeting."
CHAPTER III.
Six months later, after brilliant and
fashionable wedding at brilliant and
and fashionable church. and q charm
ing wedding journey, Mr.. and Mrs. Eu-
gene Sylvestre, comfortably ensconced
in their own luxurious home on Michi-
gan Avenue, once more hold sweet con-
verse anent ''that NIT" that fortunate
''mitt. :" He, after the manner of men,
has been telling her, perhaps for the
hundredth time, how fortunate it was
that that fellow who found that ''mitt"
had come to The ScoopensuE to advet-
tise it, and so given him the precious op-
portunity. Here we will draw the cur
tain kindly, and resume further on
Mrs. Sylvestre. Ioquitur, "And dear,
dearest Eugene, do let me say further
that it was mit-ten. not a smitt.
None but man would have called it so.
And still more, my dear Eugene, did if
never occur to you that .fur-trimmed,
fieece-lined kid mitt. was wonderfully
warm wear for hot summers dayp'
Did it not, dear Eugene" with a
hooking tone impossible to initiate,
lever seem possible that lady might
by accident have had such a mitten in
her shopping-bag and chosen to drop,
not the handkerchief-tha is the sui
tan's privilege, dear Eugene-but the
mitten, to the man of her choice; enter
store by one door and leave it by an
other to prevent pursuit, and-but
listen while I tell you little fable with
an application: A young fox was once
rowing hither and thither, when she saw
q goose. Her heart longed for that
goose exceedingly, and she planned
with subtlety to capture it. She-''
You don't mean, Alice''-he began,
curious expression dawning all over
his face.
ssVor a.. ~ ~