The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1902-08-14
BENTON, LOUISIANA, THURSDAY, AUGUST H. 1902

her lap. and man who was not study
ing out treatment for diphtheria
would have seen how tight the clasp
was. This, perhaps, would have made
him delay long time in his answer.
"These are difficult questions to de-
eide for another" he said at last, ju-
dicially looking out at the window.
my opinion would be that it would
be wiser to marry the gentleman
who is gentleman, take it for grant
ed-than to go out into the struggle
with the world. Personally, don't
like to see women in business, if-if
it can be avoided-and in this instance
it seems that it can." he added, with a
swift look at her face.
At his first calm words she had
shrunk as if from blow, and now she
arose and turned toward the door, her
eyes lowered.
"Thanks-you are very kind" she
murmured. He saw her put out her
hand and feel for the knob, as though
something blinded her. but he was
there before her, looking at the down.
dror orped face.
"I-I omitted to ask one question" !"
he said. "Do-do you love this mans
"Does it matter? No!" she replied,
as she went out.
But he had seen her eyes.
He sat down at the table and
looked at the page he had been read
ing last-looked at it until the after
noon had waned and night had set
in. 1t is a singular fact that while
the eyes of the body can go patiently
reading lines and paragraphs and
pages of learned treatises, the eyes
of the mind can be looking steadily
at a gray-eyed girl with her fingers
twined together in her lap. True,
here is this investigation carried OH
successfully to this interesting point;
but-why was it that she went away
so soon?-and her eyes-now why
should there have been tears there?
And she would go away and marry
the rich mamie had advised it.
Well, why should it concern him?
The doctor suddenly arose, leaving
his books scattered on the table, and
went out into the street for air
his Office was insufferable. Where
he was going he did not know. He
was not conscious of any resolution
until he found himself in the door OF
Miss Willoughby's little sitting-room,
and girl with a very pale face rose
up from the chair before the fire.
Her eyes were wide with fear-what
was he going to say? What had he
discovered?
II was forced to come" he said
humbly. Il know you will be angry
perhaps you will be amused at the
fact that Ia poor student, physi-
clan who has his thoughts on you,
when you have an opportunity to
make a wealthy and distinguished
marriage. I knew at the first that
there was no hope-yet felt that ]
must come. Itonly remains for you
to tell me so, yourself, and then ]
will go back to my work and have
done with the dream"
No. it was mistake about her
having been pale; for when she
leaned on the mantel with her face
turned to the fire she was as rosy as
the morn.
"You are too considerate to tell
me outright" he said; "but I see
what must be. OF course it is in
sane-the idea that you could take
poverty, and the struggle for life
with me, when wealth and ease are
offered you. 1t would not be possi-
BILE, unless you loved me sd devoted1y
that your love would set all other
considerations aside"
He paused and gazed at her miser-
ably; and without turning she half
whispered faint suggestion.
"I-I might learn" she said.
He turned white and leaned against
the table for support.
"Learn-learn to love me?" he
asked, in a daze. "It is impossible y
sIt will be difficult--but 1 am will
ing to try" said the arch-hypocrite
with the gray eyes.
When he went back to the Office,
several hours later, with the step OF
one who walks on air, he found a
number of books scattered in most
unseemly disorder on his table.
"Really, John is growing insupport-
able" he said to himself. "All these
books lying around-but I remember
now, I was studying about--oh, yes
diphtheria. Well, there's plenty OF
time for that"