The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1901-08-15
After Twenty Years
By William Wendham.
Observation-Disclosures
Copyright, 1901, by Authors Syndicate)


M old-fashioned. "Oldfashioned and
out out of date and irritable and cranky,
by George, SIR" said he to himself as
he watched the blue flames struggle
unsuccessfully to leap into something
like cheerfulness. Even my fire won't
burn. I've jawed every man in the
office to-day, quarreled with every
client I have seen, bullied the janitor
and spent the intervening time in hat
ing myself. | guess Eastman is right.
ought to take vacation, and see if
can't get into some sort of harmony
with things in general"
What was it all worth, anyway
these days and nights of toll? To be
sure. he was successful, far beyond the
measure that comes to the average
man, his reputation was high in the
profession-the greatest cases came
to him, and he generally won them.
His name stood high in the communi-
ty, and honors on the bench or in po-
litical life waited him at any time he
would accept them. But these things
held no fascinat ton for him. For 20
years his life had been centered in
this old-fashioned back office. He had
enjoyed no social life and little COM
panionship with his fellows, excepting
his relations with his partners, his
clients and his opponents in the court
room. He trembled to think of the
result should he lose interest in his
work
And yet it had not been always so.
Nor was he by nature designed for a
life apart from his fellows. In his
younger days he had been a prince of
good fellows, and had numbered his
friends by the score.
But this was before the broken chap
ter in his life, and that broken chap
ter had changed all the rest of the
story. He thought as he tried to coax
some warmth out of the CRATE how diff
ferent it all might have been. He
arose and locked the door leading to
the outer Office, and then he went to
the old-fashioned safe, and, unlocking
drawer, took from it an old da-
guerrotype. Going back to his seat,
ne contemplated the portrait lcrg and
earnestly. 1t was the face of a peauti-
iul. high-spirited, impetuous girl.
This was the face which had caused
the broken chapter. AS he looked at
The old daguerrotype his fea atures soft
ened and he lived over again the old
Gays when all the horizon was rose
colored. This was away back when he
was boy. He was accounted smart
boy and was making strides in his pro-
iesslon, and every effort and every am
oi'ion was centered upon Amy Lester.
one liked him, too-there was no doubt
OF that. Even now, at distance of 20
years and with the keenest knowledge
Oh men and affairs, he did not doubt
mat she loved him in the old days.
iney had been youthful sweethearts
and had built all the air castles of two
nVes upon a united future Then came
'he hrlng on Sumter and the call to
arms oy President Lincoln. The blood
oi the major quickened little even at
TINS distance of quarter of a cell
Jury as he recollected the thrill with
which that call had been received. A
.eiirious month or two and he had
found himself at the front. There
fuied before the memory of the ma ior
al the excitement, the dangers, the
separations, the heroisms of those
dreadful four years; his steady ad-
saheement until he was mustered out
major of volunteers.
Ihe perspiration rolled from his
lace as he remembered his home
coming and found that Amy had
piighted her troth to another-one far
.'ener than he and the choice of her
family. He had never asked her to
marry him. He had always supposed
. 10 De understood. They had writ
.eh continually, and although her let
.ers mad grown more formal he had
oeen SO engrossed in his soldierlv pro-
,ession that he had scarcely had the
y e.ihe TO wonder what the cause was,
90 the full knowledge of the truth.
"nen ne arrived home, nearly took him
on his feet. His great pride kept him
1lom doing anything to prevent her
marriage, even had it been possible.
eno SO she had faded from his life. and
WIN her all the joy and all the hope
&c aad ever cherished. Then followed