The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1903-07-16
The Danger
Line
Copyright, 1903, by Daily Story Pub. Coz
By JEANETTE Il. wALwoRTl

can befall, Drusilla Blake, but
Il was never decreed that parents
should suffer for the folly of their
children. Your insane obstinacy
passes belief"
II am very sorry, mother"
.Oh. Lord, what good does that do?
A pleasant prospect ahead OF me. To
he housed with superior sort of
crank with the Mississippi river slop-
ping over the front doorstep. 1t nev-
er has come any higher than that and
presume there is limit even to its
powers for evil"
To which the girl replied nothing.
It was inevitable that she and her
mother should share their watery
isolation with each other alone. All
of their neighbors had "refugeed"
over in the hills or gone to the city
to be out of harms possible way.
Since that explosive sound had start
led her from her hard-won sense of
security the girls brain had been
working very actively. She must ex-
ert every nerve to reducing the dis
aster to minimum. Already the
larger portion of the live stock had
been sent back to the Mason hills.
But there were the cows and her
poultry to be housed in the gin
rooms. There was fuel to be stored.
and general preparations made for
siege of uncertain duration. Four
short weeks ago escape had been pos
sible. She had put the chance away
from her, acting on conviction OF
duty from which nothing on earth
could make her swerve. She was not
given to looking backward, but with
the frightful roar of that crevasse
making itself heard in the stiffness
OF the soft spring morning, she al
most wished the chance might be
given her once more.
"That conscience of yours is always
getting in the way of your own COM
fort l will be glad if it does no
worse this time," her mother snapped
querulously.
Yes, it was certainly her conscience
that had made her say mo" instead
of "yes" when Arthur Dennison had
asked her to marry him without any
feminine frippery' and let him place
her and her mother in a place OF
safety before returning to his ardu-
Gus duties as engineer in charge OF
the levees along the whole front OF
one district.
Every fiber of her being had thrill.
E led with the glad affirmation she
would not let her lips utter. She
would not let him burden himself sc
heavily because of generous i'm.
pulse of pity. "Hee does not know
poor mother" the girl argued with
herself conscientiously. "After the
danger is over and we secure she
would make life unbearable for him
and he shall not come to hate ~hel
nor me either. I will chance it with
her alone. Poor dear she is my bur
den. No one shall share her with
me-"
Which was the cruel reason why
she had looked up into the face dear
est of all the world to her and sale
with that mendacity which only your
truly good woman is mistress of:
Z have known you such short while
Mr.. Dennison and I have never
thought of you in-in this light. /
would be great injustice to you tt
settle so vital matter under the i'm
pulse of self-preservation."
Unprotesting he had given his hant
in farewell. There was no time TO
prolonged alliance Lives and prop
erty were in his hand for preserva
tion. He had smiled gravely dow
into her sweet, troubled eyes as h
said:
Il had hoped for different answer
dear, but should you see cause to re
cali your decision send for me.
shall be und-well-anywhere nea
the danger line. / am sorry I can
not be more explicit"
And conscience-up to that danger
fraught moment had sustained hel
She had done right. She reiterate
the words fiercely to herself. Sh
would do it all over again. Yes, sh
would.
But all that had happened week
ago. And Dennison was-she kne,
not where. What she did know wa.
that, within few miles of them tn
safest levee in the state" had jus
given way without moments war;
ing and that she was alone with he
crippled mother in the old plantatio
house so far away from neighbors G
help. Alone, but for the corps of il
capables who had remained on til
place when the hands had been el
rolled to fight the common enemy III
der Dennison's generalship. He
hardest task would be managing he
mother. She assumed her gayest a
OF CONFIDENCE
The water never has come up int
the house, mother. Perhaps "
shan't lose anything but the violeI
and the spring vegetables"
What has been is no rule for IL
Mississippi river. You have heard