The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1905-06-15

him or MS lameneSS.
The lawyers curiosity was revived,
and he inquired the cause of the young
mans affliction.
"He was hurt in a railroad accident"
replied Mrs. O'Hara. Its likely you
may have heard Of tat Berkeley last
summer
The accident In question had been NO
great disaster, but it happened that Mr..
Ualloran remembered having read Of
1t.
''IIas your son recovered damages for
the iniury!' he asked. And at that
momeih he perceived that young
O'Mara and the pretty girl had ap-
preached within hearing.
1t was O'Alara himself who answered
Mr.. Halloran's question, and within
half minute the lawyer was repent
ing deeply of the sin Of curiosity.
O'NIara backed him against the mass
i've masonry Of the arched portal and
proceeded to tell him the story Of the
accident, with infinite attention to de-
tail. The pretty girl was on one side
and the fragile, sweet faced woman
upon the other, and there was no es-
cape.
The worst Of 1t was that O'Mara had
no sooner got fairly started upon his
story than the shrewd lawyer per-
ceived that there was something wrong.
O'Mara Immediately began to speak of
injuries and sufferings which were
wholly inconsistent with his attitude Mt
the moment 1t was his feet which had
sustained the damage. They had been
touched by fire while he was pinned
down by wrcckage; they had never got
well; in fact, they became worse every
day, and the doctors could do nothing.
Yet O'AIara stood upon those very feet
as sturdily as any man ever did. Only
when he referred directly to his pres
ent sufferings did O'Niara vince and
lift his feet, first the right and then
the left, with a peculiarly distressing
affcctation of agony.
Out of the corners Of his eyes Halo
ran could see now and then the pretty
girl and Mrs. O'AIara The mothers
expression was tenderly, yearningly
/ sympathetic, but the girl was asham-
| ed Her face grew redder and redder;
she clinched her hands nervOusly.
From time to time she tried to break
Off the story or to remedy some OBJ
yious absurdity.
I'VE can't get hold Of an honest doc
tor" said O'Mara.s That's what's the
matter. They're afraid, every mothers $
son of 'em-afraid of the big corpora
ton. And my lawyers no better; he's
done nothing for MONTHS
You see,' said Mrs. O'Mara timidly.
I'VE haven't much money
Money! echoed the son. "Why,
Wen have plenty Of that if this case
ever comes to court Don't you wor'
ry, little mother. You'll live In ease
and comfort the rest of your days OF
I'm greatly mistaken"
II think we ought to go now" said
the pretty girl.
Halloran was thinking hard. He un
derstood the case well enough. 1t was
only q little worse than some others
that he had seen. This young man, wht
had doubtless been the support OF hi:
mother had become utterly WORTHLESS.
as the result of his dream of gold. III
had perceived the opportunity of ex
torting damages from the railroad com
pany, and this vision of "easy money
had destroyed his appetite for hart
work, If indeed he had ever had any
Upon this latter point the lawyer hat
considerable doubt For O'AIara him
self Halloran would have done moth
ing, but Mrs. O'Aiara had somehow
won his sympathy. He doubted th
; possibility of doing anything with tn
suit for damages because 1t SCENE,
I certain that, even IL the young maj
= had sustained any real injury, he ha'
entirely recovered from 1t SO that II
l reputable doctor would testify for him
Probably the best that could be don
: for him was to drive the dishonest d.
lusion out Of him by proving that hi
case was hopeless.
Who's your lawyerT' he demande
: suddenly, interrupting fiow OF ON:
u ra's eloquence.
= "Well, It's John NJ. Dolan," sal
i O'Mara, "and I'm good deal in dout
A about him.
I He was going on to state the whol
| case over again when Halloran asser
! ed himself
II II haven't another minute" he d.
\ clared. Here's my card. Come to Sc
4 me-"
A The pretty girl stepped aside to Il
4 him out. and under the influence Of h
i nervous Irritation he thrust himse
4 through the crowd, cut the processio
\ like knife and made his way to IL
| club, where he Immediately began ,
be remorseful because he had taken /,
| churlish leave of Mrs. O'AIara.
| "O'Mara's fakir and fraud" sa
he to himself. II suppose that girl
| engaged to him. Well, he's lost her;
1 can see that. He's lost her love, su
/ enough: but he'll never lose his mot
| er's, confound him.
1 The matter was still upon his mil
next day, and one Of the first thin
| that he did after reaching his Off
| was to call up Ills learned friend JOl
| NJ. Dolan by telephone. Mr.. Dolan W
| not In the front rank of the professio
= and he felt f1attered that so great
's man as Edmund Halloran should ha
as deigned to look up his number In t
he telephone book.
o. "This fellow O'Mara," said
he wasn't really hurt much SO far as
ra can find out. though I believe that
,e was unconscious when they found hi
-. ovCho hIv frovo FRIGHT IVic foot we