The St. Mary banner. (Franklin, Parish of St. Mary, La.) 1889-1931, 1903-05-23
The
Wooing OF Is'bel.
Cy ALFRED J. IVATERKOUSE,
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y said the Ola Settler an
Reub Bannerton, bein' Kin
der lonesome, c'ncluded he'd so. He
was a mighty modest man, Hetlb was,
an he was sittin' b. the wall, not
calclatin' to dance, when q girl he
never saw walked up 70 him. She was
4 big girl with square shoulders, an
anybody could see she didn't need
much male perfection. Roub looked at
her an then looked away. an she says:
Hey the mex waltz With me, pard-
ner?'
"Reub was now in this country. then.
an didn't know much bout the el1ality
Of the sexes. SO he sorter shufiled his
feet aroun' an fn'Iy says:
I'm mighty sorry. but don't know
how ter waltz which was a lie due to
his bashfulness. but Is'bel. which was
her name, didn't know it then.
"'Oh, come on she says, that
needn't make 10 diGrrencc; can swing
YOU
oo Ac went, al IL YOU u Seeu lIc
subsekeDt proceedin's you'd hev
thought she could swing him. Nlore'n
half the time his feet never touched
the floor, an his face shono so with
perspiTation that it looked like one of
these new-fangicd indecent lights. But
he kept thinkin', 'Waal. it'll be over
pretty soon; l won't hev to stand it
long,
"The waltz ended at last, an Reub
was WCnderin' whether he Orto thank
her for the pleasure c. she orto thank
him. when she says:
If it don't make no difference to
You We'll go out on the verandy an sit
out the mex dance. I'm tired
1T did make a difference to him. for
he was gittin' Uneasy. but when he
come 10 look at her he couldn't think
of any way out of it, so he went.
"The frs thing she did after they got
on the verandy was to grab his hand.
Eeub tried to pull it away. but she
grabbed it firm an unyieldin' an says
in pleadin' tones: q
"'Oh, my b'loved one.r'
AZ amt neither your b'loved one
says Reub, soothin'ly. but firmly. 4
amt never done nothin' to encourage
these unman = unwomanly perceedin's
Of yours. I never saw you fore to-
night
"'You are, too. my b'loved one. You
may not know it. but you are my souls
'finity that I've been waitin' fer, an |
felt it JUS as soon as I saw you. Oh.
my 'dored one"
"Waal, Reub sot there moren fifteen
minutes tryin' to convince her that he
wan. her 'dored one, an that prob'ly
her souls 'finity'd be long on the mex
amigrant train. but she only grabbed
his hand tighter an tried to pull his
head onto her shoulder. He asked her
TO think how his mother would feel If
she knew how he was bein' led on. but
she sill clung. She was hit hard.
[s'bel was.
"Fin'ly she let go Of his hand to
brush fly off her ear, an Reub run.
[s'bel looked after him. sayin' so that
Bill Hawkins heered it. He yit shall be
mine. my b'loved one; he yit shall be
mine"
"Ney'. mornin' early Reub started out
He said he felt zif he was
| ha'nted man an reckoned he'd better
'eek s'clusion.
'The second day he was out, bout
,venir. he was sittin' by his cabin
loor when n horse an his rider come
lroun' the big rock by his cabin, an a
ender voice says:
have found you. oh. my bloved"
"Reub didn't look up. but he says:
al amt your b'loved, 1 tell you, an
'ou OTTO know it by this time
"Reub says her voice was low an
estate, though somewhat bass. rs
Shells voice alters is. when she again
'ays: L have found you, oh. my
,'loved" he kinder hesitated. Then he
ays:
WAL, s'posin' you have found mo.
hough 1 amt any such thing. what do
'ou propose to do about it,
"'Oh. the delicious bliss OF this here
moment when l again found my souls
Unity"
"'You may have found your souls
fnlty. but 1t is due to you for me to
ugsest that 1t has not found you, an