The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1903-06-04
THE WAY OF
A WOMAN X y
~ PAUL LAURENCE DUNBAR.


nulsed time and time again. How
ever the capricious one may smile
1t times, one mo" upsets the mem
ory of many days of smiles.
The structure of Gabe Harris
hopes nad fallen so often that he had
begun to build it over again listless-
il and mechanically enough, until
one momentous day, when 1t seemed
fallen for good.
He had come by, as usual, upon his
cart that evening after work, and
paused, as was his wont, for chat
with his desired one, Anna Maria
Moore, He had been hard at work
all day hauling from the clay-pits,
and so was not thing of beauty as
10 clothes. But if Anna Maria loved
S h;m--and he believed she did-love
was blind, which left him all right in
his own eyes and hers.
Perhaps he was right even thus far.
and all would have gone well had not
the plump, brown beauty of the girl
overcome him as he stood chatting
with her.
The realization of her charm, of
her desirableness, swept over him
with a rush of emotion. 1nstinctively
he held out his arms to her. They were
in the front yard, too. "We'n-w'en
you gwine may me, honey? Tell me.
with rush to her. They were in the
front yard, too. "We'n-w'en you
xwine may me, honey. Tell me-.
Anna Maria froze at once. She
grew as rigid as the seams in her
newly starched calico.
sW'y-w'y, what's de mattah, Anna
5 Maria?" stammered the discounted
Gabe.
.Scuse me, Mistah Hais." said the
lady, with dignity. "but Ise not in de
habit OBJ bein' spoke to in dat man
nah"
.W'y, what's I done, Anna Maria ?"
"What's you done, sah? What's
you done? Wy you's scandalized me.
10 de eyes OBJ de whole neighbo'-
hood and the calico swished itself
{ as well as it's stiffness would allow
into the mouse.
Gabe scratched his head. "Well,
1 I'll be- dadburned!" he calculated.
Just then Uncle Ike, Anna Maria's
father, came up. He was Gabe's
friend and ally. and the young fell
lows bewilderment was not lost upon
him.
whats de mattah, Brothah Gabe ?'
he questioned.
.W'y, Unc' Ike, / done axed Anna
Maria to may. an she say Ise insulted
IN scandalized de neighbo'hood. Hue
come dat?''
Tsch, tsch, tsch, Brothah Gabe; you
sholy doesn't know de pherloserphy OBJ
comankin'"
7 reckon amt up on dat, Unc' Ike;
seems aim had de spe'ence dat hab fell
toyo' lot"
The present was Uncle Ike's fourth
matrimonial venture, and he was sup
posed to know many things. He went
on "Now, Brothah Gabe. in co'tin' a
CONAN. less'n she's widdah CONAN,
dey's thee t'ings you got to do; you
got to satisfy huh soul, you got to
cnawm huh yeah, an you got to please
huh eye. Tain't no use doin' one ner
i tothah less'n you does all-dat is, l
cay, pervided it amt a widdah lady;
dey bein' easiah to please an mo. un-
nerstannin' laik. Well, you come
nyeah, aftah yo' days woK. an you
taAk to Anna Maria. She know you
peen a-wo'kin, anil max a good per-
WIDER; dat satisfy huh soul"
Yes, sab; she smile wen I was a.
S 1aikin to huh, an dat what max me
fu'git myse'f."
uh-huh,' said the old man. wagging
nas head sagely and stroking the strag-
Aling beard upon his chin, ''uh-huh, dat
mean dat you chawm huh yeah; but
aoi on, hoP on, dey's one mo- ting.
& now in de name OBJ common sense you
spec to please huh eye a-comin' hyeah
an sch togs ez desc? HI, vi, now you
again Gabe had recourse to his sig
nai CT perplexity. and woolly head and
q Flmy nails came together in half
81 Aearted scratch.
unc' Ike, you sholy hab opened my
AS, he said, as he went slowly out
- his cart.
~ the morrow he arrayed himself in
ia pest, and hitching his mare to a
sgy not yet too rickety to awe some
9 nls less prosperous neighbors.
sssrIed toward the home of his inamo-
rata. Old Suke. accustomed to moth
ag iighter than her cart on work
ss' nrst set her ears doubtfully at
ne unaecustomed vacation, and then.
ming to realize that it was really a
asaeion, a gala-dav, she tossed her
ssa ana stepped out bravely.
- tne heart of Gahe Harris similar
satlon was present. What now
you'd check him in his Quest of tie
slr one? He had fulfilled all the re-
nfements laid down bv Uncle Ike
suu Uncle Ike knew. He had already
s..,snea her soul; he had done his duty
s. chawmin' huh yeah" now he
= iorth a potential conqueror for