The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1905-02-16


| dresses for the children with black rib
| bons and sashes. 1t may be Il great
comfort to Mrs. Green to feel that she
and the family are so neatly garbed
for the funeral"
Just So said Tom, pulling out his
wallet.
The next fifteen minutes We're busy
| ones for Grace Patterson. She had
| considerable difficulty in steering him
away from lace trimmed lawn frocks
to some simple little piques Tom pick
ed up the bundles as if he were proud
of them.
Where next" be said checrfully.
Il must leave this package at the
| Lressmakers, and then-well, there's
really nothing else you can do, thank
you"
You are goi--g 20 sea HRS. Green?
Well, I'm going too
From the dresSmaker's they walked
down the beach road to the humble
house of mourning. Excited voices
welcomed them. Frowzy neighbors
We're gathered on the front porch. Mrs
Green was bordering on hysteria. Tom
| watched in interested fashion while
Grace brought order out of chaos.
One by one the useless neighbors took
| their departure. The children were
coaXed into the shadow of an upturn
ed boat to play store with real cookies,
candies and raisinS which Grace pro-
duced from the depths of her Boston
a bandage around lier aching head and
many kind words, was induced to lie
| down. Then Grace picked up the baby
and carried him around to the shady
side of the house. Tom followed. drag
| ging Il big rocking chair ins which he
| insisted she should sit. while lie sprawl
ed in the sand at her feet In the little
room whose shutters We're closed just
behind them lay the man who had of
| ten risked his life that they might
| make merry in the water. \ sorrow
| that was not personal fell upon them,
and the man lay quite still looking out
| across the dancing water and thinking
of many things.
| Suddenly above his head sounded
| voice Without shifting his position,
lest he should break the charm. Tom
| took in the picture. The laughing
| eyes of the girl We're li,Iuid and ten
| der as she watched the baby on her
knees. The dimples had disappeared
| and the lips were curved in Il serious
| sweetness. This was not the girl who
| hoI toll IL,
on fishing and sailing jaunts. This
was the woman he hak been looking
| for all these years. And to think that
he had not recognized her at once!
| Her slender white hand was so
close to his that he could hardly keep
from clasping it. He pulled himself
| together and asked in a voice that
| sounded rather harsh by reason of his
| effort at self control
IF you will do all this, why won't
you help with the benefit up at the
hotel?"
Grace started. She had been Won
| dering whether the little mite in her
lap would some day grow up and fight
| against the sea for human lives.
"Oh. they're such silly things, you
know! Everybody hates you for ask
| ing them to pay two or three times
what a things worth. and by the time
! you have paid all the expenses the
| beneficiary doesn't get very much: be-
sides it would be two weeks before
the thing came off and Mrs Green
! needed the clothes and the money now.
/ suppose a great many people think
| it's very queer, but father has always
| insisted on my keeping inside my al
| lowance. and-Well-I couldn't help
with the benefit and help Mrs. Green
today" She was founderng along al
most blindly under the fierce light that
glowed in Toms eyes. And so-and
| So
Tom had utterly forgotten what she
was talking about. Her hand was ca
ressing tie baby's face. The man rose
on one knee and drew her hand away
from the chubby cheek, holding it firm
| ly in his own.
'Grace, dear, I'm not half good
enough for you, but do you think you
could love me just little?'
She looked at him tenderly. Il think
/ could love. you great DEAL And
the baby "cooed' and dimpled as he
| looked at the two heads SO close to-
/ getEer above his own.