The Banner-Democrat. [volume] (Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, La.) 1892-current, 1897-03-20

! OH must nave Scl tNO AhOti
my friend" said Jack. Il don't think L
exchanged twenty words with her.
Gals have eyes as well as ears, my
friend. " was the reply. L ain a-goin'
TO 60 over agin what she said, cause
l don't b'lieve in tattlin', but what I've
told YOU is dead sure, an as you're
pooty decent kind of Teller, as Lsaid be-
fore, | made bold to come down an ask
You between men, an not to go any
further, an that you don't go to maxim
yourself extry pleasant an soclaDle-
like onless you mean biznes5.
Jack eyed the fellow sharply. Was
this talk what it seemed on the surface,
or was it q sly way OF discovering
whether he had any intentions regard
ing another mans sweetheart? VI
course this man Bill was himself in love
with the giri-he couldn't help lt-no |
one could, Jack was sure, who saw her
often. He had heard that some simple
looking SoutheIners were desperately |
crafty, and it was plain to Jack prac-
ticed eve that this fellow, in spite OF his |
rude exterior. was no fool; had he not |
discovered, through his own unaided IN
| telllgence, that Jack himself was "a
pooty decent kind of feller!" What
| could he be up to? Well, the most
| StfalgnLIOTWaTu COuIoC was liiV SOoU,
particularly with a man who always
carried a gun, and was astir SO early in
the morning.
MY friend" said Jack, Il give you
my word as an honest man that all I'm
thinking about down here is the bee
business. 1 like the people I've met
along the river, and the young woman
YOU have been talking about is very
! I.,% p,-n
sisters OF my own, and I've too much
respect for other women to triie with
their feelings.
Il didn't How that you'd do anythin
mean-no siree-not a bit CT it, was
the reply. 1T amt you I'm afraid CT
dom anythin', it's her, bless her big,
warm, natural, innocent, heart. You're
somethin' new en- strange, not that she
amt seen other men that wasn't brought
I'D in these parts, but reckon you amt
like the rest of em; she thinks so, any
how
Jaek had been studying the man
closely while he talked. Unless all
rules of human nature were false, this
. man was no sly dog; there were traces
of the gentleman in the expression OF
his countenance. IL was natural that
, he should not have said bluntly that he
himself was in love with the girl; he
had displayed admirable taste in the
way he put the ease. Jacks heart
warmed toward him, and Jacks hand
!. went forward as its owner said:
, Your manner does you great credit,
old man, and l wish you JOY of her. /
promise solemnly that l will not go near
, her house again. When l find myself
r feeling lonesome I'll tramp in the OPP
. posite direction and find somebody to
, talk to. We Yankees are great takers;
t everybody has his weakness, you know.
But as for that girl, l again give you my
word that | won't see her again.
The visitor dropped Jacks hand and
> his face grew long as he sighed:
"That'll be awful hard on her.
n Jack stared in establishment; then he
u began to lose his temper and he ex-
claimed-almost shouted:
See here, old man, you talk like
q fool. No man can be near that CIR
without admiring her a great deal
c you've told me certain things about her
Z YOU don't want her to get more inter
q ested in me, nor me in her, yet
Yes, 1 do" came with great energy
from the visitor, while Jack in his sur
# prise stepped backward and nearly
7 tumbled into the river. IL only wan
n you to keep away if you don't meal
anvthin' serious. Nothin would sui
, me better than for her TO git a man like
4 you for her husband.
q What? And you give her up?"
N Then it was the visitors turn to b.
1 surprised He began to straighten MIN
o self TO a standing posture, and he con
% tinued until he seemed giant when h
y said:
}. What have got to do with it? I ain
W her beau. Pm goin' to marry frien
s of hers as soon as my cabins done.
pr "Oh," said Jack, with a whole gamu
IS of infections as the change of condi
e lions became clear to him. Then h
le found his brain in whirl. 1t was ut
IN terly ridiculous, the discomfort he ha
id suffered in abandoning that girl, whor
t, he had first seen only twelve hours be
OF fore, TO the man whom he supposed wa
V her lover. Now that he learned sh
De was free he wanted to shout with Joy
IN which of course was equally ridiculous
e. Besides, the fellow was probably mis-
n taken; any man in love imagines every
Mt body else in the same condition. II
ed would question his informant farther
n, not that it would be possible for him
ed fall in love in earnest with woman {
MIOSc liO hVtAAAA - 49,
nd would be delightful TO be sure that 6
glorious creature had really becon
| interested in him.
ur Its born in her" said the visitor,
ter q short chat about the indication
We which had aroused his interest. H
rs father and mother went tho same wa.
rts I've heard ag'in an ag'in how. h
by mother, who was the most run after &
up in these parts, never took shine 10 al
,s- Teller till one day Sam came alon
IN Therc'd been some land flooded dow
ne here by break in the levee, an Sa
,e- come down with some more fellers fro
en- up-river to go for deer that got bunch'
on little rise of ground that the wat
ow didn't cover. He stopped at her o
man house to light his pipe; he didE
ID git no deer with his gun, but he got
e's dear with his tongue before mornin
Then tie visitor INDUCED in a long al
.ck gentle laugh over this tme-honor
yer ioke Of the vicinity. As for Jack,
IN murmured beneath his mustache:
"Heredityl heredityi4
NV sam could have done a good dc
re- better for himself, in the money way
III. said the visitor, If he hadn't been
fond of his wife. He's got a good he
n for business, an more.n one big plant
zen lion owner back OF the rive: has offer
yer ri go shares with him il Sam wou