The Bossier banner., 1891-09-24
ON THE BRIDGE.
The Old Bookkeepers Love for a
Strange Woman.

When tell you, my only friend, to
whom / so rarely. write and whom !
more rarely see, that my lonely life has
not beer without love for woman, you
will perhsps laugh or doubt.
aWhat!" you will say; that gaunt
old speeter in his attic, with his books,
Ii tobacco, and his three flower pots!
He would not know that there is such
sword as love did he not encounter it
now and then in his reading"
True, l have divided my days be-
tween the books in rich mans count
ing.room and those in my attic. True,
again, have never been more than
merely passable to look at, even in my
best days.
Yet have loved a woman.
During the five years when my elder
brother lay in the hospital across the
river, where he died. it was my custom
10 visit him every Sunday. l enjoyed
The afternoon walk to the suburbs,
where the air has more of nature in it,
especially that portion of the walk
which lay upon the bridge. More life
than was usual upon the bridge moved
there on Sunday. Then the cars were
crowded with people seeking the parks.
Many crossed on loot, stopping to look
idly down at the dark and sluggish
water.
One afternoon, as I stood thus lean
ing over the parapet, the sound of a
#oman's gentle laugh caused me to
turn and ocularly inquire it's source.
The woman and man were approach
ing. At the side of the woman walked
soeerly handsome dog a collie.
There was that in their appearance
and manner which plainly told me that
here were husband aud wife, of the
middle class, intelligent but poor, out
for stroll. That they were quite de
voted to each other was easily discover
able.
The man looked about thirty years
Of age, was tall, slender and with
neither strong nor handsome but amia
bic face. He was doubtless a clerk fl
70 be something better.
Thewoman was perhaps twenty-four
She was not quite beautiful, yet she
was more than pretty. She was o.
good size and figure; and the shor'
plush coat that she wore, and the man
ner IN which she kept her hands thrust
n the pockets thereof, gave to her {
aauntless air which the quiet and af
1setlonate expression of her face soft
ened
ehe was a brunette, her eyes being
iasss and distinctly dark brown, he.
Aee having that peculiar complexion
Which is most quickly affected by an.
shange in health.
The color in her cheek, the dark rim
under her eyes, and other indefinabl
slgns indicated some radical ailment
y the quick glance that l had of tina
palr, while the woman was smiling.
ieeilng of pity came over me. l hav
AeFer detected the exact cause of tha
s'noeon. Perhaps in the woman's fac
leaa the trace of past bodily and men
- suffering; perhaps a subtle mari
saa1 death had already set there.
Neither the woman nor her husban
Aaeleed me as they passed The do
garded me cautiously with the corne
y ms eye. probably would neve
uase thought of the three again had
Aos seen them upon the bridge, unde
s1aetly the same circumstances, on tn
next Sunday. %
g these young and then happy pee
IS walked here every Sunday,
.aought, This, perhaps, was an even
=, sUoked forward to throughout the weel
me husband, doubtless. WAS kept
Soner and slave at his desk froI
aonday morning until Saturday night
e respite only for eating and sleel
Such eases are common eve
I'm people who can think and VIII
aase some taste. for luxury. and VIII
~ :. not devoid of love for the beautiful
&c sight of happiness which exist
ssspite the cruelty of fate and mai
asa which is temporarily unconsciol
: y own liability to interruption an
-slnctlon, invariably fills me with sa,
and the sadness which arose
s. sontemplation Of these two being
49, ss y me strange sympathy for n