The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1901-04-04

and in came John. He gave one look
at the two tiny bundles lying in the
old wooden cradle that had held him
when he was baby, and then he took
| me in his arms and cried.
well, l can't begin to tell you what
enc babies they were-how they grew
and throve, SO strong both of them,
md smart-they couldn't be brighter.
And, as they grew oder, such store
| as they set by one another. John al
| ways said we should have called them
Damon and Pythias; but we named
them after their two grandfathers-
Theodore and Thomas.
Teddy was the apple of his fathers
eye. We expected great things of
him; yet, somehow, though l loved
and did for both my boys all mother
could do, Tommy, who was always in
trouble, was wild and reckless. and,
as he grew to manhood, some, said
fast Though l never could believe it).
Tommy was mothers boy, and, if he
| did do what wasn't exactly right
sometimes, it was because that big
heart of his ran away with him; and,
| somehow, the more trouble he got in
to, the more l loved him-he seemed
to need more love.
well, neither boy took to farming
This was disappointment to father,
l could see, though he made no COM
plant; SO in the bank, where he was
a large stockholder, father found posi-
tions for them both, side by side, at
the same desk. Teddy, we knew,
would do well, and Tom-well, we
were glad the brothers were together.
Teddy would help to keep Tom steady.
1t was the second summer they were
there. Teddy was working very hard
Che always cared too much for money,
1 thought, though John never seemed
to see it), and Tom was doing pretty
well. There had been little trouble
once or twice. John never told me all
about it, but he had made things all
right, and Tom kept his piace-when.
one nigh,, some one drove up to the
door, and / heard Toms voice calling
Mother (father was sick in bed at
the time). So / ran out to see what
was the matter; and there, with an
officer each side of him, stood Tom.
Mother he said, "a lot of money
has been taken from the bank don't
tell father); and 1 am arrested for
the theft Then, reaching out his
hands to me-the irons on them-and.
oh, I thought my heart would break
at the sight. Mother" he cried, "do
you believe me guilty?" and 1 looked
into his face. where there was only
truth and sorrow. "No, Tom, no! I
cried; "but tell me who did it,
81 can't, don't ask me, don't ask"
he said, with such look of pain on
his face as I shall never forget. "Only
believe me innocent; and, here, mother,
is little gold cross 1 got for your
birthday; keep it always, and per-
haps some day you'll know" And he
kissed me good-by. And the voice OF
the little woman broke in sob, and
the eyes of the young mother we're wet
with the quick dew of sympathy.
On the same day the prison gates
closed upon our boy the gates of Heav-
en- opened to his father, and Teddy and
l were left alone in the world.
Though / grieved for Tom and
father, we lived happily and COM
fortably till the day Teddy brought
home wife; cold, proud, ill-tem-
pered woman. She never liked me :;
was too plain and old-fashioned for
her, though 1 gave her the reins and
tried my best to feel cheerful in being
driven first this way and then that,
though sometimes It was hard for me
to tell Teddy how unhappy I was.
But ever since Tom went away, he
had seemed so worried and anxious ]
hadn't the heart to trouble him.
Zone evening he came home COM
pletely worn out The moment the
doctor saw him he looked pretty seri-
Gus. Before he left, he said to Alice,
Teddy's wife: II hope your husbands
affairs are in good order; the disease
is of a malignant type, and can give
no hope for his recovery"
Teddy heard him, and gave me one
frightened glance; tnen, turning to
his wife and said: Would you leave
mother and l alone a little while
there's something I want to tell her;
and, as the door closed upon her, and
l knelt down and clasped him in my
arms, all the months and years he had
seemed to be growing from me were
bridged over-Teddy was still my boy
"For little time he held me close;
neither spoke, and I was almost be.
ginning to think he had forgotten what
he wanted to tell me, when he said:
Mother, can't go out of the world
with my crime On another mans head
1 took the money they accused Tom
of taking, l should be where he is
now. Tom knew it; he wouldn't tell;
once / thought I'd be brave and con
fess all, but Tom said: No; I've al
ways been the black sheep, and anoth
er black mark to the score won't hurt
like one against your name-fathel
; couldn't stand that and, like COW
ard, I let him go. He's been punished
} for my crime; but if he has suffered
} one-hundredth part what 1 have al
these years, pity him, I pity him!
Oh! mother, speak to me; saw YOU for