The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1895-02-14

sss ssS#1y, hacking away
~ s#&S" at the hard oak
y with his heavy
,ackknife. Seated by him were the G.
4. r. Man, the Tinsmith and the |
Miller. The Pennsylvania Dutchman
leaned stupidity against the doorpost,
while the Tramp was stretched easily |
along the floor A light summers |
shower had driven the wanderer into
the shelter of the porch for few
hours.
WAS you ever disappointed in
love?' inquired the Chronic Loafer
iocularly of the traveller, at which
sally the rest of the party laughed
heartily.
The Tramp brought the butt of his
heavy hickory stick down upon the
floor with such vigor as to raise
small cloud of dust from the cracks,
and replied: "Wull! Have 1? Jest
say"
Come tell us about it, ole feller."
cried the Tinsnith and the Chronic
] oafcr.
Not muchy, wull l."
ave amt surprised at yer havin'
ben disappinted," said the G. A. r.
Man. ''But cts yer presumption
ketches ice. What's her name?'
'I called her Emily Kate" replied
the Tramp, wiping soiled tear from
the corner of one of his eyes with his
finger She'll allus be Emily Kate to
me, though ter other folks she amt
noti'in'."
s.tS Il -, l.1-aot I'M 10 nH
the Miller, slscptically.
"E.f youse gentlemen keeps quiet an
don't asst SO many questions, said the
Tramp, "rll tell yer all bout ct. Yer
see, ct come like this. Bout three
years ago / was worSin' through this
valley towards Sayder county, an one
fine day-et was one O. them days
when yer feels like settin' down an
lest doin' nothin'-I come through
this here town an went up TIL main
road about two mile tell come ter th'
Red Hill. l never knowed jest why
done et-et must a ben fate, but l
switched off opter tn by road stead
nv sticlsin' ter tn pike. l went bout
1. mile an didn't meet no one nor pass
no houses, tell at las / come ter a
farm what has an orchard on tn sout'
side tn barn.
''They was nice grassy place on
th' other side tn road under an apple
trse, an ez ct was one of them warm,
lazy summer days, [ made up me min
ter rest, an lay down in tn grass Yer
kin laugh ct folks who allus talks
weather, but tell yer ct does pow
erfui sight wit a man. ] know eff thet
he'd bs's rainy day I'd never he'd thet
fairy-co.' o.'e-ez tn French calls et-thet
hit me then an played TIL dickens wit
Inc fortunes.
II was layin' there watchin' the
clouds overhead an listenin' ter tn
ployer whistlin' out in tn tiel an ter
tn tree.frawg bellerin' up in tn locus,
when all Nv sudden l seen blue
CLEAN in an apple tree in tn orchard
'crosst tn way. | watched ct, an pret-
ty soon I made out thet ct was WON
an. She was settin' there quiet an
still, like she was readin', an down
below l seen th' top Nv IA ckickina
coop, an hear tn ole hen clucl1in.
coul;p't see much fer tn leaves, an
didn's ss.t sight nv her face. but made
out t,i' outlines in thet blue calillel
dress an jest kinder drank 'em in.
.'Et was tn day done ct all. Fore
ksewd ct l begen ter imagine tn
fac. het must hev fit thet form.
pictured her like tn girls thet rides tn
mewin' machines in th' agricultural
advertisement chromos-yeller hair an
ALL wanted ter try an see her face
h,,f Jp.& I,r TO- fa eho.l
me and thet 'ud spoiled my chancet
But lay there jest dreamin' like, an
fore | knowd ct I could think u,
nothin but thet there girl in th' tree
who figured must hev ben a heaI
sight letter lookin' than ii circu:
lady.
'Et come sundown. an ez / he'd tel
hustle ter Sit supper dragged mesel
tergether an moved on. | went up til
valley three days an got bout thirty
miles toward Snyder county. but th
whole time was thini1in' bout moth
in but the girl in tn blue calike
dress. l never felt so queer before
an didn't know jest what ter do. Las
decided I'd hev ter go back an he
another look ct her, SO turned 'rount
an kivered me tracks.
Il reached tn orchard bout one da,
later, in tn afternoon an hanged G
she wasn't there. but settin' il
a tree closer ter tn road. | didn'
aast go near her, fer l knows hoy
iraid tn weemen is Nv us men. But
Slid enter me ole place, an jest la
there watchin' her blue dress wavin' il
tn breeze; an thea when ! seen a
how she'd changed trees, l begin te
think maybe she'd seen me an move
up one tree nearer tn road, kinder S
as we'd be closer
The tramp's voice broke. He place
pns hand upon his ragged breast an