The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1904-03-31
HOW THE SERGEANT
FELL IN LOVE
BY F. H. MELOON
Copy right, fsos, b. Daily Story Pub. Coz

VOpyTlBnt, AvVS, " O2ly 0tOfy fuDs SOl
nOLICE SERGEANT JAMES BRY-
AN, with the humorous twinkle OF
the ancient O'Briens in his eye, sat fac
ing me in restaurant stall.
II was younger once than am now"
remarked the sergeant, suddenly.
This was truth l could not deny,
though anyone who saw the sergeant at
Is would have placed his age score of
years behind what it really was. With
half laugh the sergeant, who never
hesitated at telling a story on himself,
proceeded.
'The days when first got accustomed
to life on the force were full of fun and
frolic Some hardship, of course, but
for the most part l was about as light
hearted chap as could be picked out
In any county in New Hampshire. was
the same sort of fool that many young
man had been before me and has been
since, and when | looked up to the sec
ond story window Of house on Essex
street and saw Blanche Stirling smiling
down at me my heart went faster than
ever and walked giddily for quarter
of a mile thereafter. l should have
stopped stock still right on the spot, but
as soon as | caught glimpse of her
biack-brown hair combed up in a great
wave over her forehead and saw her pret-
ty lips part in one of the most taking
smiles of pearl I've ever seen the vision
vanished behind curtain and saw it no
more for three or four days.
In the meantime wore my back col
lar stud in front, mixed up my cuff but
tons, went without my suppers and all
that sort of thing trying to get on to
catch another glimpse of Blanche. Ihad
learned her name within an hour Of the
time l first saw her looking down at
me and learned, too, that she lived alone
tenement. AS pretty as picture didn't
express anything in speaking of her un-
less you added that it was a picture by
one of the old masters, sir"
But, sir, if you could see her to-day as
she was then, you would understand. AS
it is can hardly tell you any more of
how she looked to me, and not to me
alone, sir, but to others as well, who
gazed upon her in the old days.
IN the next week passed her on the
street two or three times and she did
not so much as deign to glance at me.
began to think I must have been mis-
taken in believing l was the object of
her smile the week before. But one
night as she was walking home unescort-
ed, Blanche Stirling was accosted by q
half-drunken fellow. In an instant, as it
were. had him by the collar and he was
thrown into the street with no gentle
hand. can be tolerable rough at times,
sir" And Sergeant Bryan smiled as he
bent his right arm in the manner pecu-
liar to youngsters who show on their
muscle"
Then came another of those entranc-
ing smiles, and tell you. sir, actu.
ally felt faint all over Just the way
Elijah must have felt when they lifted
him UP to heaven in golden chariot
Branche thanked me very prettily an6
invited me to call at the house the fol.
lowing day, if l were off duty, in order
to allow her mother the opportunity ol
thanking me more fully. You may be.
lieve that l accepted the invitation with
an eagerness that she saw was too real tc
be assumed.
This man who wouldn't have yielded te
that invitation under the same circum
stances would have had to have harde,
heart than the folks in Seabury of whom
it's current rumor that they stone the
funerals that pass their doors so tha
in that place no undertaken can be hire(
to use an ordinary sort of hearse, sir.
THE next day the Widow Stirling re-
ceived me pleasantly and might say al.
most overwhelmed me with her effusiv,
thanks for what l had done for he
daughter, which was mere nothing, sir
and all in the way of my duty as an OH
Ger, not to add as man, sir.
The days passed on and met Blanch,
frequently going with her to theater.
and dances and such like and all tn,
while getting deeper and deeper in low,
calf love, mind you, for d never lovet
before-and | felt just like a rat in
feather mattress that can't tell wher
he's at till he's come out of it, sir.
"One night when passed the hous
and saw Ned Remich in the sitting room
beside Blanche grew nearly franti
with jealousy. / had not counted on
rival and the appearance of Ned on tn
street after that always acted on me lik
red rag on a goose, sir. Don't look a
IL Id made slip; use the word ad
visedly, sir.
Ned, can say now, was good look