The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1904-02-04

.wo heroes of whom the vicarage il |
brary contained no record. When we |
talked of things l was happy, when he
spoke of me l was nervous He was |
coming too near, dared not listen, was |
not strong enough for happiness, feared |
1t and him. I loved him most when we |
were apart. But even into cognate |
thought could not put my love. There |
was no future In 1t then, and it had |
no form.
The time came when we must part.
Tomorrow l must return to my father; i
he, I knew, was going to Colorado to
have one more last try for health.
Up to this last evening he had al
ways been the ideal lover of young
girl; the lover who never spoke of love,
whose gentleness always implied what
his lips never uttered. Why or how our
hands had sought each others never
knew; l cannot even now remember
nor even when that involuntary joining
had commenced-I think from the very
first day we had met.
/ never called him Bernard; never,
never. never; and, yet, as Bernard al
ways think of him. B. 2. B. was in
scribed on the umbrella which he al
ways carried; leaning upon it now and
then in his weakness. l asked him
once for what the z. stood; he made me
guess, and teased me, as failed to do
80. In revenge, I insisted it must be
Zeroboam, and ZeroboamI always called
him, even on the last day of our parting.
We had strolled together far up the
beach We were between sandhills and
the sea, with not a soul within eye
sight. My hand rested in his. 1t was
dark, moonless.. still, only an OCCASION
al Whit of air blew us strain OF the
distant music; and always far away In
the light the dark masses of people
surged to and fro.
"This is our good-by," he said, and l
answered nothing.
How he knew, how he understood, has
always been mystery; we never spoke
of love, yet he never doubted mine, nor
his. He went on, always in that hoarse,
sweet voice: Il shall 60 to Colorado
first, California next; then l shall come
back, and we will go to the south Of
France. l cannot live in this climate. 7"
l was trembling; felt wanted him to
| be gone. could not face the sadness,
and did not wish to be sad. was rest
less, nervous and excited.
! Say good-by to me here" he said.
suddenly, and his arm was over my
shoulder and his face near mine.
| "Good-by," I said. hastily drawing
back from him. He held my hand-no.
now both my hands were in his.
els that the way friends say good
by?"
Hot as fire glowed my cheeks in the
darkness, and my heart stilled my
breath withits quick throbbing. His face
was near mine. shrank back and back
'Good-by, good-by," said. with
nervous haste. and then when he would
have come nearer, I felt his breath on my
cheek mo, MOI" I cried. Don't
don't"
He sighed-a short, quick breath rath.
er than a sigh-and then stood up.
Every we'll" he said; perhaps yor
are right. Wait until come back. Bu
mind, If not me, no one else. You prom
ise that?"
tYes," answered. soberly and grave
| ". rising also. Eyes, promise"
1 have longed for that kiss ever since
How have longed for it you will neve
know.
Can you understand? But, yes, some
how l feel you can. That kiss hav'
never had has colored all my life AM
made me what l am. Always I hav'
snatched at momentary qualification
for fear of the hour when should loni
for it. And so | have drunk when tn
cup was offered me-drained it for ever
drop of sweetness, and never misse
but that one kiss which can now neve
have. loved him; yet when we parte
my lips were dry, and laughed Will
he looked sad.
My-cousins had laughed at our friend
| ship; they laughed when we said Good
by" to him at the railroad station, an
| with them. was not sad, nor gloomy
{ had no forebodings.
That summer the trees and grass wer
. greener than they have been before c
since, and I was as gay as the sur
? beams. l never heard from him, and
5 never wrote to him, but dreamed of hill
!, all day and at night. He seemed s
e close to me that did not even miss b
/ presence. That three weeks we had bee
! so constantly together had given hi
( to me absolutely. l could hear his al
!. swer to every question, see his sunke
!, eyes light into consciousness and glea
: with quiet humor, feel his hand in mil
I both when l slept and when l wok
/ Nothing disturbed my memory but tn
longed-for, empty. wasted kiss. Som
I times would feel again his breath {
!. my neck, and his beard would brush n
: cheek. And then l blushed, my hea
a. beat, but held up my lips, and alwa.
he was not there. learned to listen #
i him in every footstep, to look for hi
8 behind every tree.
r One day my uncle came. We went o
h into the garden. We chatted. l W
n very happy. My uncle had come une
n pectedly, just walked up the aven
= while we were at dinner.