The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1904-12-08

laTiy DGtduSe Sie WIFI DfiNS N2f broth
er, and men are always scarce at a
tea
About 3 O'Clock the next day Mr..
Ezra Miggs hung a small box not IN
like a pocket camera on the outside
wall of Miss Hooper's house.
That young woman watched the per-
forniance with interest and gazed In 81
lent awe as Mr.. Miggs adjusted dials
and set registers among the complicat-
ed machinery.
At last the inventor declared the nit
igator was in working order. and he
and Miss Hooper went back into the
house to await results.
It was an unusually cold day, with
fierce northeast wine which blew like
liquid Ice and left tie atmosphere raw
nnd penetrating
After waiting half an hour Mr. Miggs
proudly escorted Miss Hooper out Of
doors again, fully confident of the sue
cess of his invention. Nor was he dis
appointed. The air, though still cold,
was soft and pleasant; the wind had
Gained down to a brisk breeze, and It
was simply fresh, bracing winter day.
rs it warm enough" asked MIR.
Miggs anxiously. We don't want to
know"
1T Is fnew cried Miss Hooper, clap
ping her pretty hands. And it is just
as l like it. But Miss Boynton is SO
delicate and so afraid of chill. Sup
pose we let it get trifie warmer"
VERY wel.' assented Mr.. Miggs.
And they returned to the house, and
then the guests began to arrive for the
tea
How warm it's growing? and How
the weather has moderated" exclaimed
every one as they entered. And Miss
Hooper smiled with inward satisfac-
ton as she greeted Miss Boynton and
her handsome brother.
But as the Hooper furnace had been
urged to its utmost during the frigid
morning hours 1t had now reached
point where it was impossible to check
it. The rooms were growing unbear
ably warm. and Miss Hooper called
stop mitigating the cold weather or
they would all be baked alive.
"Why. Mabel. dear" he replied, my
| machine mitigates heat as well as cold.
will bring it inside, reverse the indi-
| Gators. and soon 1t win mitigate the
heat of these rooms to pleasant tenn
perature. Have no Tear | will watch
It carefully and not allow the house to
| grow too cold
| The m!tigator worked like a charm.
| Hung unnoticeabiy on the drawing
| room wall it soon reduced the tenn
| perature OF the house to the most de-
sirable degree, and all were comforta-
| BILE once nore-all, that is. save Ezra
| AIirgs.
Although his invention was proving
| itself marvel of practical usefulness,
be was plunged into depths Of deepest
woe. and this because Mr.. Boynton,
1 whom Miss Hooper had expressed
such anxiety to have present, was mo-
ropolizing the attention of that charm
ing lady to marked degree. He hung
over her chair and piled her with
merry banter. to which she responded
with coy and bewitching demeanor
AS Mr.. Niiggs watched them he felt
his angry passions rise, and in defiance
Of DR.. Watts dictum his hands felt
evilly motioned toward Mr. Boynton's
deep and expressive eyes.
| But Ezra Miggs was not an inventive
genius for nothing He knew that he
must not give way to his temper and
make an exhibition Of himself in d
laay's drawing room. and yet the fires
OF jealousy and anger surging up III
his heart We're well nigh uncontroila-
BILE. SO like flash he conceived the
clever idea of mitigating his own fury
with his own mitgator.
The rooms. now at proper tempera-
ture. no longer needed the assistance
Of the machine, and Ezra, without at
tracing attention. took it from the
wall and placed it, with the cooling
adjustment still going, in his inside
breast pocket.
The effect. though gradual, began at
| once. and after q few moments Mr.
Miggs could look calmly on While his
betrethed firted desperately with an
other and q handsomer man. This was
| well. and, able now to rejoice fully in
the success of his great invention. Ezra
Miggs gave himself up to the gayety
of the occasion and chatted entertain
ingly.
After the tea was over and the last
guest had shaken hands and gone out
into the pleasant balny dusk Mr..
Miggs, by virtue of his presumptive
connection with the family, stayed be-
hind to dinner.
He was enthusiastic over the vir-
tues of his mitigator, and Miss Mabel
was even more flattering than usual.
for she knew that she had neglected
Ezra during the afternoon and felt a
triae guilty.
But for wonder Mr.. Miggs paid
little attention to her kindly speeches
and seemed more interested in convers-
ing with her father and mother.
Miss Mabel was little annoyed at
this; but, still remembering Philip
Boynton. she redoubled her efforts to
be fascinatingly attractive. To nc
avail, however, for, though Ezra an