The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1903-02-19
The Call to
Prayer
By EDWARD b. CLARK.

L AMES GRA1 BUN SUOOQ at the
ri doorway of his apartment. I'm
til that hour he had shared this home
with his brother Robert. Now he
was leaving in anger that distorted
his face. There was hatred in the
heart of James Grayson for this his
brother, whom he had loved.
Robert Grayson stood within the
room with an appealing look in his
eyes. 'Don't go this way, Jim," he
said, 81 did not know; l never saw
it, Jim. I may have been blind, but 1
did not know; did not even suspect,
Jim, that your feeling for Helen was
deep. I never wronged you in my
life, and I did not mean it now. Stay,
boy. I can't bear this thing. We
have always been brothers in much
more than name"
"Stay? / hate you, Robert Gray
son. You call yourself my brother,
and yet you undermined me in the
affections of the only woman I ever
loved. I hate you, and I will hate
you to all eternity. You tricked me;
you and the woman. My hope is that
I shall never see you alive again.
Jim" But James Grayson had
gone.
James and Robert Grayson, broth
ers, had been companions from their
earliest boyhood. The elder, James,
had always been of grave DISPOSE
ton, grave to sternness. The young
er, Robert, had disposition like the
sunshine. He was easy going, be-
lever in all men and with a love for
his grave brother that filed all his
big heart. Their father, William
Grayson, had died and left each for
tune. Their mother they lost when
James was IA and Robert was ten.
The brothers had grown to manhood,
and each had fallen in love with
Helen Wright. The girl was an or
phan living with a superannuated
maiden aunt. Helen taught in a
North side public school. The Gray
sons had met her through the me-
dium of a business matter which they
jointly had transacted for the aunt.
James Grayson's love for the girl was
like his nature, deep, yet undemon-
strative. The girl knew-what wom-
an doesn't know when a man is in
love with her-but she gave him no
encouragement, though James Gray
sons temperament made him think
the lack of demonstration did no.
mean necessarily lack of love. He
had certain confidence in himself
that kept him free from the thought
that his love might not be returned
Helen Wright held her heart for
Robert Grayson. He wooed her and
won her quickly. He was ignorant
of his brothers feeling, and when
he came to tell the brother thai
Helen was to be his wife he knew
nothing of the blow that he was to
inflict
James Grayson had taken Helen's
kindness to him as Roberts brother
to mean love. He made himself be.
lieve that the girl had led him on
and that his brother had undermined j
her affections. His nature was one
which made him hold to a fancied
wrong as one that was real, and SC
he left Robert with anger in his
heart and with something that was
little short of curse on his lips.
This was 12 years ago. James
Grayson left Chicago and went to Eu-
rope. He stayed in capital after cap
ital. He knew that Robert and
Helen were married. After the mar.
riage he had received letters from
both, gentle, entreating letters, bu:
James Grayson had closed his heart
He had taken hatred into it, and had
shut the door. 81 hate them both,
he said to himself, 'and hate them
I always WILL
The years went by. James Grayson
still stayed abroad. Letters came
from Robert, but they were unopened
and unanswered. One day there
reached James Grayson in London 9
letter with the address printed in a
childish hand. He was puzzled and
opened it. In printed letters inside
the first words which caught his eye
were Dear Uncle Jim." A look thai
had been a stranger to James Gray
sons face for years was there for G
second. Then there came sternnesi
again, and the little letter was
crumpled and thrown into the fire
One day James Grayson read ar
American newspaper. He looked al
the financial column. 1t contained
news of the loss in mining venture
OF every penny of the fortune ol
Robert Grayson, millionaire, Chicago