The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1903-06-18
4 Fools
Copyright. 1908, by Daily Story Pub. Coz
By HATTIE PRESTON RIDER

wv Elsie, you have given me the
right to know it, and l shall assume
the right to straighten it out for
you," he said.
Miss Lester, the stenographer, sat
up, with a long, quivering sigh.
at is nothing that anybody can
help me about" she said, drearily.
Least of all you, Mr.. Grant, kind as
YOU are" Her blue eyes were fill
ing again.
Distressed at her tears, Grant sat
down beside her.
"This is nonsense, Elsie!" Ten
derness vibrated in his deep voice.
"You speak as if something serious
were the matter, and yet you would
have me stand by like a craven
image, not lifting finger. Darling"
softly, you say you love me, and
you accept my little gifts for my
loves sake; yet you shut me from
your heart like that"
She moved one hand a little way
toward him on the desk. He took it
eagerly.
4
tell you,' she said, flushing swcetly
and warmly. "Only that you could
not help me. My mother has been
very ill and my brother has lost his
position caring for her. They have
written me for help, although had
sent them nearly all my last months
salary" Her lashes drooped. But
Grant leaned back with q huge sigh
of relief.
"How much would it require to
tide them we'll over till your brother
is on his feet again?" he asked.
She hid her face in her hands.
"About two hundred dollars" she
answered in a smothered voice.
Grant got up with alacrity and
went over to his desk. A pen
scratched. Then he came back and
laid the magic bit of blue paper on
her desk. He took her hands from
her face and held them.
II have fixed it, Elsie," he told her
with ill-concealed satisfaction in his
voice.
She glanced down at tina check,
looked at him shyly and eose, the
flush on her cheeks deepening.
"You may 60 and attend to this
matter now," he said, with an effort
at self-control. "Bayley can help me
out for the rest of the day"
He went to the door, opened it,
and after short parley walked
v4i<h r.c1
folded the check carefulls in her
purse. Then she went lightly out
and closed the door.
Nolan got up from behind the big
safe where he had been kneeling
completely hidden from view by the
great iron door. On his elean-cut
boyish face was the look of one who
has received his death blow. He had
not dreamed that his entrance a
quarter of an hour before was un
noticed by the other two, but the
role of eavesdropper thus unex
pectedly thrust upon him was the
least of his dismay.
Opening a side door he went bach
to his desk. The woman he loved
and the employer in whose honor hi
had trusted!
The day dragged, nightmare Of
misery. An hour before closing
Grant came and laid a sealed note
on Nolan's desk.
You pass Miss Testers boarding
place on your way home, do you not
Nolan?" he said. Would you be kline
enough to hand her this? She wa.
toe i'll to work this morning and
have arranged to give her to-mor
row also.'
Nolan drew his days first fre,
breath. 1t sounded like a repriev,
almost to his surcharged heart. Ant
yet
Certainly" he answered withou
looking up. He put the missive in hi
inner pocket. Grant went back int,
his private Office.
Half an hour later Grant left. A
the hour for closing Nolan rose and
taking handful of letters from hi
pocket, sorted them over CAREFUL,
and placed part of them in his desk
Among the remaining ones Grant
note lay uppermost and Nolan saw
that his nervous fingers in handlin,
had broken its imperfect seal, s.
that it lay open in his hand.
The hot blood mounted to his fore
head and then receded. Jealous mis-
cry rakes short work, sometimes, O
mans fine sense of honor. /
wrought in Nolan that hour, tn
deed his sane self would have re
jected with scorn. Deliberately h
took out the note and unfolded i,
The words ran together in letters o
fire:
Dearest little girl
Il shall call for you with a cal
riage this evening at eight"
"Devotedly yours,
&C."
Nolan refolded and resealed th
letter and put it back in his pocke-
de locked the Office and passed ou