The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1895-10-17
HOLTON'S CONCESSION.
BY WILL LISENBEE.

I Iy IN biaZed IN the III |
. I~ tie sod fireplace. |
t 50 | | There were some |
VEL matters he wanted !
to think over, and he had found that
he could best collect his thoughts
when his pipe was at his lips
II reckon m about as comfort Die
as anv settler on Badger prairie, he
unused, gazing into the glowing Goals.
"Plenty NV grub, scads NV wood, an 10
one ter look alter but myself.
Here he paused in his musings, ana
puffed vigorously at his pipe. Perhaps
the condition implied by his last words
did not bring the amount OF satlstac-
ton he would have liked to persuade
himself it did. 1t was true that DICK
HOlton was pretty we'll fixed for the
winter when one considered the almost
destitute condition of some Of the set
tiers on Badger prairie. He had gath
cred his small crop, got up his WIN
ter's wood. stored an abundant supply
of provisions in his cabin, then sold
his team. put the money in the bank
along with the little nest-egg he had
already laid by, and ridden home with
Sim Drake.
Them bosses NV mine would a eat
their heads off tore spring" he ex-
planned, mot countin' the trouble Nv
feedin' an takin' care Nv EN- got
two hundred fer EN-, an in the spring,
when plowin' time comes, | can buy
list as good a team fer the same
money. With corn a dollar bushel.
say nothin' NV the trouble Nv feedin,
watern' an curryin'. Now thar's Ben
Spikes with five ole crow-bates. Not
thing has he got ter do with en- but
he's goin' ter winter the whole bone
yard, and when spring comes his
cropll be eat up, an like as not he'll
be comm ter me fer corn. 1t amt no
wonder that BONE people aire pore -
vas, an allus will be. y
Dick thought over all these things as
he sat gazing into the red Goals. lie
was pretty well fixed for the winter-he
was quite satisfied on that point. He
had no stock to feed and look after
during the cold months That, too,
was viewed with no small degree of
satisfaction. He had no one but him
self to care for.
He could not get beyond this point
with the same feeling of gratitication
that had marked his disposition of the
other domestic problems. In spite of
his efforts to conceal the fact from
himself, this question brought some
very unpleasant reflections. 1t also
brought face before his mental vision
the face of Mrs. Rudd, a widow
whose cabin stood just across the
"draw." Mrs. Rudd was very attract
i've, not over thirty-five and one of the
pluckiest little women on the flats
that was the verdict of the denizens OF
Badger prairie. She managed her a.
fairs quite as we'll as any of the men
even the most thrifty of them, anC
with no one to assist her except Lizzie
Jones, a half-sister, who made he
home with Mrs. Rudd. Dick had joined
in the admiration which had been be
slowed on the little widow. In fact
his admiration soon took form which
was quite ardent in it's character.
Dick Holton was not the man t.
waste time in idle hesitation, ant
when he had got to a state Of realiza
ton of his feelings he laid the Who'll
matter before the fascinating littl
widow and offered her his heart an
hand.
The ability to transact business wit
dispatch was one of Mrs. Rudd's note
qualities, and an engagement for a
early marriage was the result.
There was more than one reaSO
why such union should prove bot