The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1886-10-27
Ess lest for you to stay there, bus I

% lest for you to stay there, but ]
think you'll miss It"
hope not, ST." said John Earring.
opening the door to 60 Joel turned a
little in his chsir and said, without
looking directly at the youth: Well.
we don't seem to iibe very we'll on
some points, but don't let that stand IN
the way Of your coming up to see us
when you can.
Thank yeu," said .John Earring. Il
certainly shall not fofsst that duty"
CHAPTER x1.
When the sun had climbed up the
heavens far enough on the morrow to
lock comfortably down over the soft
naples in the ces,F-bovse yard, his
beams, or more poesfcally, his eye
lashes of fire, fell against the portiy
person Of Joel standing in the doorway
of bis bank, and fingered glinteringly
about the great gold fob that dangled
Just below his bullying vest. 1t was the
only ornament that Joel ever permit
ted himself to wear, and for that reason
the more perhaps the sunbeams gfinted
from it umbelliferously. Joel had
"thickened pp' as he termed it, during
these years, being quite pronounced in
the matter Of growth with well-de-
fined double-oAin, and two rather por-
tentious puffs of fat just below his
eyes. However, his skin was still
clear, albeit some little red veins were
traceable about the nose, bat all in all
he was very comfortable and solid
looking person. "Consaxn the boy"
he muttered to himself, Il wish had
told him about it long ago." and he
knit his brows and looked hard at the
threshold where "Whitney's Bank" was
cast in the iron. He heard the ten
o'clock train whistle while he was
staring, and Julius Popp came spring
ily around the corner. His hat was on
one side and he gave his cane jocund
twirl at every second step.
"Mornin', Whitney, mornin'," he
said, coming to astand still with jerk
"Big mornin'," hanginghis cane upon
his arm and lighting cigar. ''Slick
as weasel, STRIP putting vigorously;
make blind robin crow, sir, crow
like nightingale" Then beaming
on his cane with one foot very much
advanced, with his cigar sticking up
past has nose; "lots of the boys comm
home; played 'er brilliant! brilliant as
rainbow, sir. My sen-in-law, Cap
Heater, is expected in any time, I
hear. He's q noble specimen, sir; a
specimen I'm proud to say feel to-
ward as father shos11d feel toward a
son, and l might further remark rs a
man should feel toward q protector,
= national protector, sir"
Joel said nothing; he was looking a
little sorrly beyond Julius and patting
the iron door-sill with his foot. Ju-
Illus whirlel around with a flourish OF
his cane and set his hat down over his
nose. 'HoneysuckIes!' he calculated,
"lots of the blue boys gettm' in?'
Joel looked down the street; good
many people were coming from the
train, and sprinkled among them were
a number of soldiers. One stalwart
long-legged fellow in blue, with full
square beard and sun-burned copper
colored skin, strobe along in front
with swinging powerful tramp that
left the rest behind. He carried belt
and scabbard-inclosed sword loosely in
his hand, and the short hair just below
the crown of his head where his sol
dier's cap shut down stuck resolutely
up. He went by the two men in front
| Of the bank at sweeping gait. Julius
clapped his glasses upon his nose and
peered at him, and Joel started a little
and widened his eyes, but the soldier
| simply winked one eye and strobe for
ward with immovable face. Julius
jerksd his glasses from his nose and
looked at Joei. "The deuce!' be said,
with kind of excited squeak; who
who was hat?"
Joel stepped down upon the side.
walk and looked annoasly after the
retreating figure, but said nothing. On
through the square the soldier strobe,
not speaking to any one or seeming to
notice much. and up the street and in
at Joel's gate and around to the back
door. He glanced at the barn and cis-
tern, threw his sword down and
pumped drink of water, took off his
cap and sat down upon the doorstep
and began to whistle march softly as
he looked about the place. Presently
Ether opened the door. The soldier
looked up into her face, and said, with
a strained sort Of quiet: "Hello.
Poppy!"
Mercy" exclaimed the woman,
sprinsing back with CONSERVATION in
her eyes. Then she wavered, tumbled
and sank forward with one cry: CAB.
! salom!" and fell fainting against hi
breast.
Down in front of the bank the two
men stood and watched the soldier I'M
til they saw him turn in at Joeps gate;
then Julius snatched the glasses from
his nose again and looked at Joel.
Joel nodded his head affirm atively, and
Julius, with kind of ecstatic squeal,
started off in the direction of Joel's
residence with such a marvellous
springiness that his coat-tails came
after him IN a jerky futter. Joel
stepped to the doorway OF the bank, and,
telling the cashier in slightly excited
tone that Cap Heater had got in, he
started after Julius. When he arrived
at his back door Julius was already
there, with his glasses Jared down
across the end of his nose and his hat
very far back upon his head, shaking
Absalom by the hand and talking with
such superhuman volubility that little
could be extracted from the stream
save such shining and broken frag-