The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1905-01-05
How It Began
lOriginai ]

were bosom friends. Lane was ten
years older than Gray and a widower.
Gray was a bachelor. Lane had one
child. girl Of nineteen.
Howard" he said one day, I'm 60
ing away fer few weeks Would you
mind staying at my house during my
absence? The housekeeper will run it
she's good Old souI-and your bach
clor habits need not be interfered with.
Rosie's still child and associates with
those Of her own age. They won't
trouble you"
"Certaiuls." said Gray. Anything
to oblige YOU
Lane departed and Gray took up his
luarters in his friends house.
The first evening at dinner, after a
few civil words to the housekeeper and
some remarks to Rose about her school,
which he was surprised to learn she
had finished, he devoted himself to the
evening paper After dinner he went
out.
The second evening Miss Rose asked
him if lie would mind playing a game
Of dominoes with her. Gyay was just
putting on his hat to go out and looked
at the girl in astonishment. The idea
of expecting a middle aged man to
play such an uninteresting game with
chit, Then it occurred to him that
it was only civil for him to sacrifice
trifie Of his time While in his friends
house for the welfare of the occupants
and he consented> Miss Rose seemed
more intent on looking up at him now
/ and again with a pair of black eyes
| than On the game. She chatted the
while, rambling from one topic to an
| other, sometimes indicating that she
\ had not long left the nursery, at 9TH
4 ers, conycrsing quite like woman.
/ The next two evenings Mr.. Gray left
the house Immediately after dinner and
4 did not return until late.
! On the fifth evening Miss Rose in
! formed Mr. Gray that there were tick.
| cts i'll the house for concert, and Id
mented that she had no one TO take
her Mr.. Gray hemmed and hdweti;
then, in a tone Indicating that he would
be pleased to sacrifice his evening to
his friends daughter, he Informed Ter
that he would escort her she kept
him waiting long while, then GANG
down, in toilet that made Gcr ioH
as pretty as d picture Of ,Spriigtlme
Mr. Gray felt i delightful responsi-
biIity Indeed when tile concert was
over and he went 70 his fganI for the
m1l4t he was accompanied Ly q charm
ing vision that would n3t be left out
in the cold III consisted Of Il Epry
large hat a perfect flower garden viii
a very small face under ii lie was fc-
customed to read himself to sleep. buf
or the face or 4 dainty figure, aboi!t
which there was d suspicion Of tie
perfume of violets. got between his
eyes and the lines. He closed bis book
and put out the light
The sixth evening Mr. Gray asked
Miss Rose If she would like 10 play a
game Of doninos She Was sorry 70 de-
cline since she eXpeGtcd q gentleman
caller Gray Went out and played
whist at d quarter a corner and lost
S4 for himself and 81 for his partner.
who abused him souad!F for continued
bad play, Gray was thinking Of the
gentleman caller When Lc went lsoiue
the gentleman caller WAS there, lie
was beuitliess boy of eighteen, Gray
was disgustcd wtl himself
The seventh evening was Sunday
On Sunday evenings there was no one
Of Gray's bachelor friends available
they all seemed TO disappear, Gray
never could tell where SO he stayed at
home. Miss Rose asked him if he liked
to sing hymns on Sunday evenings. and
he said lie did not, but would smoke in
} the library. Would she come in and
have q chat?
That was the first Sunday evening il
years that Gray had not felt l8rad.
There was something in tile girls fresh
young prattie. like song from a bird.
that took the ennui right ont Of him.
Suddenly it occurred to him: What IL
, he We're ten or fifteen years younger
and could spend ali his Sunday even
: ings this way?
The next day Gray found himself
speculating as TO the proper difference
, /, of age between man ana woman in the
, matrimonial state. He was more than
. twice as old as this girl, but when he
| was fifty she would be nearly thirty.
That would not be SO bai And when
he was sixty she would be forty Bet
ter yet When he was seventy she
would be an old woman of fifty Bet
ter get 1t did not occur to lin that
1t would really be worse
: During the next week several gentle
men callers monopoIIzed Miss Rose
they were all boys-and Mr. Gray was
: driven out He wished lie could put
them all on huge spit and broil them
for spring chickens. Instead Of being
bored at'staying at home he was bored
when he went out. The salt of his
former pleasures had lost its SAVIOR
Lane stayed away three weeks. then
wrote that he would be detained three
weeks longer. Gray had maintained
an outward fatherly bearing toward
+: Rose. but once or twice she had as
, tonfshed him by referring to their com
: panionship ms something Of moment
J something more than aH intimacy be
! tween an elderly man and a girl still