The Bossier banner., 1901-12-05
Belle of Bear
City ~ ~ ~ ~
BY WIN. PERRY BROWN.
Copyright, 1901, by Authors Syndicate.)

woman? What life! If one
could have two years without sight
of man, now
She glanced at Sterling meditatively
from the hammock, as he swung one
long leg over the arm of his chair and
twiddled raw gold nugget doing du-
bious duty as watch charm.
"Could you imagine such a horror?"
be quizzed.
ut would be heavenly. Men grow
wearisome when they fancy them
selves in love.
"An of them-O, most sweet sati-
ety?"
"M-m-tell me about your life up
there" she said, briskly. 'Of course
the cold must have been terrific, and
with no news, no papers, no women,
no--er-"
mo anything desirable, you might
add, except the grub the fires, the
gold dust and-yes, there was one
thing else which became to me, at
least, more satisfactory than all the
rest of our meager comforts"
This last with a steady, admiring
stare that caused Miss Lamar to slow
ly droop her eyelids, as if the long
lashes might veil the faint blush that
seemed to ripple beneath the white
down of the rounded cheeks below.
"And what was this eminently desir-
able thing?" she continued, imperi-
ously.
1--WE called her the Belle of Bear
City. Fun!" he chuckled to himself.
"You would have thought it dizzily abb
turd could you have seen us line up ev-
cry morning and make our bows. We
even reserved our smartest small talk
for her-seemed as if she could hear,
Z you know"
why not, unless she was 'dizzily'
deaf? So the most desirable thing
turns out to be feminine after all.
might have guessed it. if there was
get-at-able woman inside the arctic
circle. What was she-some Esqui-
mau?' This last as a sort of debative
challenge.
Not on your life. Neither was she q
siwash, Chilcat-nor any other Alas
kan monstrosity. All! how we did
adore that girl!''
We'll, really!" Here Miss Lamar
ennced sundry dignified symptoms of
rising. How do you reconcile this
wlthyour staying two years in that hor-
rid hole without seeing a woman?"
1t is solemn, lugubrious fact" he
gravely asserted, "that we did"
wit is one thing, Mr.. Sterling," said
she, adding hauteur to dignity. "Men-
daeity is quite another. Even actress
es are supposed to know that"
She rose, darting at him a final
glance, neither meditative nor deba-
i've. Had he not seen her look that
very way at the unsuccessful suitor in
hearts Are Trumps," her latest stage
success? Was she really going? Ap-
palied lest he had offended, yet thrilled
iaoennab bly, that anything he might say
: could De of more than zephyrlike i'm.
por'ance to move her Sterling timidly
put out detaining hand.
riease don't CO." he ventured. 81
mao no idea of-of-you see, it was
only picture, after all"
Miss Lamar paused tentatively, with
Vet hand on his chair back.
lou seem overburdened with conun.
efums to-day" she commented. "Wh,
not solve them yourself?"
but. do you not understand
! am poor hand at guessing. Be-
sues 1t is too much trouble" This
WIN a sort of dry WEAKNESS which,
however, seemed to impel her to forge t
ner previous intention and sink Ian.
ealoly back in the hammock.
s'erilng grasped his opportunity BY
linking his hands together around one
5 oiawn-up knee and gazing sleepily into
vacancy, as if still mesmerized by the
magic memory of the elusive Belle of
Bear City.
mere were reseven of us fellows Gagged
IN one large cabin that winter Most
" us. being college bred, we herded
.oeeeher-bi'ss of 4 feather, you know
= was dreary time. No sun at all
r 'nree months, the mercury so de.
bsees below or worse, with an ever