The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1907-09-12

WALK.
ness of the delicate lips that some
how reminded him of the odd note in
her voice.
She did not look toward him once.
and when the procession had passed
and the sidewalk relaxed its tension
she slipped into the crowd and was
lost Pennington remained by the let
ter box until the sidewalk was clear
and the street almost deserted: ::ic:l
he turned and walked in the opposite
direction from what he had intended.
his head bent thoughtfully.
The next day there was a runlor OF
Pennington's going abroad; his house
keeper had received a note to close
the house, the agent to look after tile
affairs until further instruction.
Down on one of the back streets
a street unknown to Pennington's old
l1fe-were many dingy offices, meager l.,
appointments, but representing Il vas.
accretion of labor At one of them a
line OF men We're seeking employment,
passing in front of a keen eyed fore
man, who accepted or rejected them III
most with glance, but the reflections
We're few. Men were wanted for new
blocks of buildings going up, men of
skill, Of strength, of merely CARRYING
capacity, anything that could add to
the labor force and hasten the work.
So when q white handed man of con-
fessed incapacity stopped i'll front Of
the foreman's desk he was looked at
askance, but finally accepted and set
to carrying brick from the si;iewa...s q
the men who were laying the founda-
ton. 1t was muscle making or muscle
breaking work, and for the first few
days-or weeks event. seemed wholly
of the breaking.
But there was an under element or
dogSedness in Pennington's nature
which had never come to the surface,
and, though his limbs trembe;l Wit;
WEAKNESS long before the days were
half over and at noon he si..k iato
crouching heap upon the nearest board
rather than cross the street 10 IL res
taurant, he struggled on in some way
until the hour of dismissal came. The
second day the boss told him grufily
that he could not afford to pay him
more than half wages, and the third
day that he should pay him nothing at
all. for he was worth nothing
That was tantamount to a discharge,
and SO the boss meant it, but it was
not one Of actual words. Pennington
disregarded it.
The boss looked toward him doubt
fully from time to time, but in the end
concluded to let him remain. Such de
termination promised good work il the
man survived the. breaking in. Be-
sides, he must be in dire need. The
boss could understand why such a
workman might seek employment in
vain. When pay night came he was
given an envelope like the others, and
the boss thought he knew why the now
blistered and bleeding fingers turned
the envelope over and over and finaii..-
slipped 1t into q pocket where hand
was allowed to remain as though to
leel ilS cOitdct. but lie ulO not. kl
was merely the first money that the
new man had ever earned.
Pennington had little room over the
secondhand Jew store where he pur-
chased his coarse suit of working
clothes, but he had not brought money
to pay tho room rent He possessed a
cheap silver watch, however. and this
he left with the Jew as security. With
his first pay envelope he redeemed the
watch.
In his room were a cot, chair and a
rusty little store propned up with
wooden blocks. But 1t was not until
the third week that he started a fire
In the stove and made disastrously in
effectual attempts to cook his break
fast. 1t was a good sign however.
And by this time the blisters ON his
hands had disappeared under rough
Jumps and ridges.
How he had lived before this no one
knew but himself, for until he received