The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1898-03-24
u assure You, I won't"

view! If there is any man l hate-yes,
hate, Cls.vnce!-it is he"
"And yet he may be quite HARM
knew him."
II withdrew the book instantly and
burnt the entire edition.
IF all authors accepted their crit
les version in the same spirit, that man
who wrote about the hundred best au-
thors would have had to fix his total at
So"
Il felt as if all the world was laugh
ing at me-
You little silly. I don't suppose
even milliohth part of the world knew
anything about it. Nobody reads re-
views of books-except the men who
write them"
Il could not regard it so stoically,'
she sighed. Il cannot even now. You
| do not altogether realize my utter
DEGRADATION: These babblings OF in
cpient imbecility.' That was one OF
his phrases
She shuddered at the recollection OF
it.
i "Bv Joye! OF course, the best of crit
| les are not angels, but yours must have
been a"
"A heartless, heartless MANI
| eff it had been mans book
"He may not have known I was
a woman"
| "You are too severe. No reviewer
criticises book till he has read the
title page"
| "But I did not use my own name. l
wanted to see if they would mistake my
work for that of man. l called it
Heart Longings, by Harold Ransom;
but all my friends knew, so that really
made no difference"
"Not Bit
He had grown suddenly thoughtful,
and spoke absently.
You will forgive me, darling-wont
you?-for deceiving you?"
"Deceiving me?" he asked.
"Well, for seeming not to confide in
you unreservedly
Taking the childish, pretty face be-
tween his hands he gazed down into
her dreamy blue eyes, and laughed
softly to himself.
"I-don't-know," he said.
"But-it was netting actually wrong,
Clarence" she cried. Indignantly; then,
melting again. l know, dear, used to
say all along that had concealed moth
ing from you. I had told you every
thing" 4.
81 used to say the same to you, didn't
-"
Yes"
well, coming to think of it. I re-
member 1 have secret which 1 have
never disclosed to you. So, after all, we
are each as bad as the other
She started, and scanned his features
eagerly.
You? 4 secret, Clarence?'
"Only little one-like yours"
'But mine was no secret. ] had for.
gotten it," she protested. Besides
mine was nothing for which you could
blame mel"
| Il wish could say that of NINE"
"Clarence!" she sobbed. you have
been deceiving me-"
''No; had forgotten about it."
You always said,' she faltered, he,
lips quivering, you never loved any girl
until you met me-
Now, want you to make me prom
Use: If l forgive you, you will forgive
me?'
She hesitated.
Tell me, first, ali about it,
do you promise?" he insisted.
ooh, Clarence, you can never be the
same to me again! do hope it is moth
ing dreadful. What can it be? H.
"Do you
Eyes, yes, dear. l promised" she said
desperately. "Whatever it is, 1 love you
and must forgive you"
"You won't hate me?"
Il could not.''
She pressed her handkerchief to hel
eyes.
II won't keep you in suspense" SAID
he. "We have both been sinners, and
was the worst of the two. I must tel
you, then. Before I was a successful
barrister, l was good-for-n othine
young scoundrel, with very gooG
opinion of myself and a very bad one
of everybody else. l was a wicket
Young dog, and did several scandalous
things that am ashamed of now"
She caugh: her breath and waited In
an agony of expectation. He seemed
very serious, and yet a battling smile
was Pickering round the corners of his
mouth.
"They were all of the same descrip
ton, but am sorry on account of one
in particular"
And that?''
"Well. being hard up, used to earn
odd guineas in all manner of odd ways
was a flippant, self-satisfied brute
and he paused, and putting an arm
about her, drew her closer to him. 81
have a heart now-you know l have
sweetheart, don't you? But once upor
a time-you have promised to forgive
me and not to hate me!-in the days
| nod hoo1y