The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1907-04-04

back Betsey finished mpressively
"and you see to it that she don't have
unless she'll marry Zed!'
Mrs Willet sat bolt upright. "Why.
Belts you don't mean
"Yes, l do" Interrupted Retsey. 9TH
fetch her if anything Will" And the
friends were cIoseted together in close
conversa ton for an hour longer.
The farsighted Betsey gave Zed full
month in which to think over his pros
poets concerning the meadow lands.
Then she forced him to a decision.
"That man Skinner was here yester-
day. she remarked casually, Ito see
about buyin' the medder lots. | told
him I'd let him know in ten days what
would be done with them medders. |
told him l was thinkin' Of givin' 'em
to my son, but if he didn't want EN-"
significantly. I'D sell 'em to him."
Zed's upper lip twitched, and he took
a firmer hold of the nape of his neck,
| but he made no reply until nine and
one-half days later Then he stopped.
swill pail in hand. and asked gruffiy,
wa. "hCi va sooih " pSSHh thett eASAO
| house on the medders?'
"Just as soon as the frost is out of
| the ground replied Betsey swiftly,
''fer it's got to be used by the last of
September"
She had won. She FASTENED to tell
Eliza The latter was pleased, but she
looked actually pale.
"Aih't my plan with Atulky work
in'?'' asked Betsey anxiously.
Mrs. Willet groaned. "Workin'!" she
calculated. Its workin' me to death.
Why, that girl keeps me all of a-trem-
bic. I don't know where we're comm
out Last Monday she says, says she.
Atulky git me black silk coat, lined
with white satin Listen to that, Bet
sey Agnew! And l give in. Tuesday
she come in and says: Ma, if l marry
Zed you've got to git me bow of
furs. I won't have him without EN-.
Just hear that, Belts! And l give in.
And yesterday she says: MA, I'm gon'
to have one of them long lace fishers.
Aunt Atulky says they're all the rage.
And, Belts, | give in. Now, where am
goin to stop givn' in?'' Mrs. Willet
applied her handkerchief to her eyes
and wept.
Yes. yes, Elizy, know it's hard.
victory in her eyes, 'but it's worth all
that to have our own way where peo-
pie think we can't. Now | must hurry
along and hire the carpenters. BY the
way" with her hand on the doorknob
I'm goin' to send Zed over Sunday
night to set up with Atulk."
Eliza groaned afresh. ''Of course its
got to be done, but it'll mean another
silk dress out Of me, as likely as not
before she'll set up
Zed "set up Sunday night with his
prospective bridethat is, he sat in one
corner of the large parior and blinked
at the lamp He held himself down by
means of his toes hooked around the
hind legs of the straight backed chair
on which he sat. Mrs. Willet, with !;
face full of anxiety, had received hin
and Immediately retired and closed the
door behind her. \ commotion begar
at once upstairs and down. Zed grin
ned appreciatively until the door flew
open and Atulka projected herself into
the room and, without so much as
casting her scornful eyes on Zed
) founced into a chair in the farther
corner, pressed her nose against tht
window pane, stared fixedly out into
} the darkness and chewed gum.
Zed sat patiently until the hands O
the clock designated the hour specified
by Betsey and then took his silent de
partrre. He nearly fell over Mrs. viii
let, whose ear had been applied to th'
keyhole in order that she might repor
. progress to Mrs. Agnew the followin.
day
, There was no word for her to report
nor was there until September, unit
! the house was finished and the weddin!
day set, until Zed's upper lip had beel
: permanently twisted sidewise in dis
gust and Atulka had secured such
trousseau as no one in the county ha,
a report to make one Monday morning
1t was not much, but it excited and de
lighted both mothers.
+ "They talkedr' Mrs Willet ez
!. claimed.
Now the Lord be praised! cried BET
sey. piously sinking into rockin
chair. "WFhatd they say?'
Mrs. Willet shook her head. g
4 couldn't make out a word. they talke
: so low"
Il should like to know" said Betse
: regretfully, ''seein' it's only two week
p to the weddin'''
;. my, amt glad it's only two week
more,'' murmurad Eliza patheticall.
''The clothes that Atulky has got out {
me! They make folks open their eye
3 though, I tell your Eliza found
l. crumb Of comfort there. But l ju:
feel as if was comm on to the town
"Wen." returned Betsey calmly.
I guess that deed | got recorded la!
week up to Auburn will take a trif
: more out of me than Atulk's elothe
\ have out of you, and the new hous
You amt the only loser
. 81 know it, Belts fretfully, but I
be all fired glad when it's over
. Il can't help wonderin',' was Be
e sey's ambiguous response, what the
. saidN
e Unexpectedly zed enlightened h
that very afternoon. Zed had bee
n doing an unprecedented amount I
s thinking for weeks and a little pla
u ming. He was proving himself Il
worthy son of his mother. but had h
4 mother known it she would have bet
IN Cor fro,,, ,,Iaacal IN hn,. movaroan