The Banner-Democrat. [volume] (Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, La.) 1892-current, 1893-05-20

1Ile 81 hS. II "A IN "A
sy s s.ss or Leaned !: s.s'
vas chair under the Branch Bank ver-
anda one warm, Australian night
about the end of December, with the
full moonlight playing upon and spir-
itualizing her delicate beauty, and
making a silver halo round the outer
edges of her fragrant and MASSEY
golden hair; while Reginald Cleaver,
the new cashier, looked down upon
that radiant vision of dainty and per-
fumed womanhood with great deal
more of warmth and enthusiasm than
perhaps Mr.. Agar, the staid bank
manager and husband of the beauty,
might have cared to encourage had he
observed it. Bat as at the moment he
was engaged elsewhere the young man
could be as daring as he well pleased
to be, so long as the object of his pres
emit enthusiasm did not object.
They had known each other for four
weeks and half however since he
had been appointed to his post; and as
his duties were pretty light in this up
country branch established the weeks
had been spent, with only the neces-
sary daily breaks, almost entirely in
the young lady's charming society. So
that being Australian born and bred
Mrs. Agar had grown very familiar
with her gentlemanfy lodger. and
spoke to him as If she had known him
from the days of his early childhood;
that is to say, they had long ago dis
pensed with all starchy formalities in
addressing one another, and called
each other by their Christian names of
Reginald" and "Lavina" which sound
ed much freer and heartier than Mr..
Cleaver and Mrs. Agar.
When John Agar was present 1t was
Reginald, or Lavina; but tete. a-tete, as
they were on this night he called her
by the pet name she had given herself,
which was Nina, as she called him
volto, SO that they might have some
thing different to what the rest Of the
world knew them by. 1t was foolish,
no doubt, yet innocent enough as far as
it went--as was her habit of calling
her husband Bruno" behind his back
common enough also with young la
dies who haven't much to occupy their
minds in their intercourse with young
gentlemen friends.
John Agar, the bank manager, was
an angular. loud-voiced. consequential
man of about fifty-gray-haired and
bearded, with small, keen, gray eyes
that generally impressed people with
his business acumen. He hadn't very
agreeable manner-these strident, bonn
bastic and argumentative men sell
dom have-and for that reason Gus
toners trusted him all the more, and
considered him the right man for the
place. 1t is astonishing how much
these socially uncomfortable men inn
press the world with their honesty.
Reginald or "volto" Cleaver was
one of those carefully-groomed young
men who look well under any circum-
stances, with prettily-trained mus
tache, slender white hands and modu-
lated voice; one of the young gentle
men who are turned out wholesale
from natures modern jerry workshop,
who look as harmless about drawing
room as tame cats, and are as neces-
sary to the idle fair sex as three-vol-
umed romance of fashionable life.
Mrs LavIna was twenty-three, that
is twenty-seven years younger than her
husband, and the most accomplished and
lady-like female in the township. She
always had her costumes direct from
London, and as up to date as possible;
she was very slender, very fair, and
took great care of her complexion, 90
that Volto almost forgot when he saw
her first that he was six weeks distance
from home; and since she had exhibit
ed those colonial arts and graces. SO
much less formal than TIE home airs
he had lost all desire ever to again in.
hale the yellow fogs and felt that Aus
tralia was quite good enough for him.
In fact, for the first time in his Young
life. he felt that existence along with
Nina would be delightful anywhere.
and found himself so much engrossed
with her that he forgot to think at all
about himself.
This was the state of affairs on this
moonlight night, with that green ex-
panse Of bush and ocean stretching in
front of them, over which her limpid.
gray-green eyes looked dreamily, while
he stood, his face in the shadow, watch
ing her intently. He had come out to
smoke cigar after dinner, and abe
had come to keep him company while