The Banner-Democrat. [volume] (Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, La.) 1892-current, 1900-04-28
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john tIle BapqS!
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z By Ward MeS Is
By Ward RteS
COPYRIGHTED BY THE e. p. 4
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
lcoNTIsuED.l
HER TREACHERoUs FRIEND.


HER TREACHEROUS FRIEND.
The parties to that tripartite inter.
view were very differently affected By
Its immediate results.
To the adjutant 1t was both hu.
initiating surprise and a woundina
puzzle. Despite the assurance OF Mrs
Zenith he felt that the objections tc
the engagement were due at least In
some measure to distrust of himself
After serious thought he determined to
wed at once lest the family influence
should overweight the present wish OF
Miss Stella. He had no doubt thai
she would now consent to elope.
Miss stella was quite satisfied thai
the scene had occurred. il dispelled
any little doubt she might Heretofore
have entertained as to the frmness oil
her hold upon the adjutant or her
ability to control him. It was, too, q
very substantial victory for her In the
family warfare so strongly waged
against her. Better than all else, she
saw that the result would be her
speedy marriage.
Mrs. Zenith was greatly unsettled by
1t and entirely dissatisfied with It's re-
suits. To her it was evident that she
had utterly failed to separate the two.
In fact Ii was clear that she had
only made matters worse. She
did not doubt that Miss Stella would
elope rather than submit to coercion,
and the bare idea of such . possibility
distressed and Mortified her.-~r-Thak
was precisely what some Of th8 Gossips
ktze a. y =.
predicted; what they Unanimously
and devoutly hoped for. Sue& oatas-
trophe would be insuppo-t6ble. The
more she thought about It the more
sincerely she repeIted her precipitan-
cy. How to prevent the elopement
that she felt was impending vas the
disturbing question upon which she
now called Miss Zenith to consult.
The consultation resulted nothing
satisfactory until it was ih1nrruptob
by the entrance of Miss Letson, q
friend residing at Barton. To her they
confided their dilemma, desiring her
advice. She suggested that time was
Important; that IL Miss Stella could be
prevented from meeting or commune
eating with the adjutant for day or
two. satisfactory means might be de-
vised for effecting their object.
After much consideration 1t was
agreed that Miss Stella should be in
duced to accompany Miss Letson to
Barton with the understanding that
she should return by the noon train
the following day, her return at that
time to be by some means frustrated
by Miss Letson, 30 that the appointed
meeting fixed for the afternoon must
fail
Miss Stella came in and when Miss
Letson. proposed the visit Miss Zenith
that she might not be suspected Of
collision, opposed the suggestion and
urged her mother not to approve 1t.
However, the invitation was accepted,
and in three hours from the time she
saw her lover walk down to her faith
er's gate Miss Stella was in Barton,
twenty miles from him.
The visit was a pleasant one, and
Miss Stella thought 1t fortunate cir
cumstance, as it would obviate any
trouble she might otherwise have en-
countered in keeping her appointment
to meet the adjutant at the Morton s,
since she could go thither directly
from the train on her arrival at Mi
nersyale.
In the morning when Miss Stella
lwoke Miss Letson was up and reading.
She looked at her watch and found
that it was stopped. She was much
surprised, being unable to account for
its failure as she knew 1t to be in good
order and she never forgot to wind
Il. She glanced at the clock on the
mantel and regulating her watch by
that, started il. The watch had been
stopped by Miss Letson. who had also
turned the clock back.
The Letson residence was but q
block from the station and 1t was easy
to reach the train II one started as the
train pulled in.
The morning was pleasant and the
young ladies spent the greater part of
1t in the yard. Looking at her watch
Miss Stella climbed out Of a hammock
In which she was lazily swinging and
said:
"It is nearly time for the train. ]
must get ready to 60"
Stella, do wait till tomorrow"
mot for the world, this time"
"You are too bad; you don't care Q
bit for me; it's so pokey here alone.
Do stop?"
II think a great deal Of you, dear.
but would not stay till tomorrow for
all Of Barton"
but why not? It's just nasty lit
tie notion of yours; you are always
so headstrong when you set out to DO
anything. Please stop over?"
II would stay IL l might; but 1t is
impossible: 1t is not whim; would
not miss that train for all OF the great
fortunes of all the millionaires OF the
world, past and present"
Before she reached the door the train
appeared at the station and she real
ICED that her watch was inaccurate.
She did not hesitate, but started to-
ward the station, saying to Miss Let
son:
"Oh, dear! I must not miss that
train! ! will send for my wraps again.
You can say goodbye to your folks for
me. Come along, hurry"
She hurried along az such rapid gait
that Miss Letson could not keep up
with her. Reaching the ticket window
she called for a ticket to Minersyale
and thrust her hand into her pocket.
Her purse was missing! The engine
bell rang: the engine gave two short,
shrill shrieks and the conductor cried
"All aboard"
The agent looked cut through his