The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1907-06-13


HE SAW DARK FIGURE nUDDLED on
HIS DOORSTEP.
do the work together night and morn
ing somehow and take our dinners at
the hotel on Sundays"
Not much," replied pretty Nellie
Dinsmore, patting the carpet nervously
with her beaded slipper. I'D be Il
fright in no time trying to work day
and night. AS soon as you get twenty
week, twice what I'm getting now.
I'm ready to give up my job. After
having ten a week to spend just Oh
myself there's no use talking about
the two of us living on $3.50 per. with
taxes and insurance to pay and the cot
tage needing painting. If you really
loved me, you'd sell the place. Tim
Sullivan's dying to buy it. Then we'd
furnish up couple of rooms here in
the hotel and live in style. Mrs. Con-
roy'd give us a special rate
''Of $14 week, leaving $3.50 for
clothes and incidentals."
"Well, there's the money you get for
the place." Graham's face turned
stern, and Nellie added hastily: "Or I'd
stay at the factory until you got your
raise, and then maybe we could find
another place. Anyhow. we'd be put
ting money in bank"
Tom Graham bent over and took
both the girls hands in his.
Nellie, dear. I've some old fashioned
ideas about marriage and-you. don't
want you to live in hotel after we're
married. with nothing to do but listen
to the gossip of Mrs. Conroy and her
sort. l want a home
Nellie flung aside his hands angrily.
'Oh. well. of course, if you want 4
home and not a wife you might hire
one of the Mccarthy sisters-they re
past forty and won't make gossip-to
keep house for you. But as for me,
don't marry until see something be.
sides dishwashing in shabby cottage
before me-"
Graham was very white now. In the
days gone by they had played in that
shabby cottage" oh, how happily. 1t
had been Nellie's one refuge from IN
unhappy. fearful mother, who had first
driven her husband to drink and then
followed him to premature grave.
Something like an illuminating mes
sage flashed through his being. If he
forced Nellie into marriage that ap-
peared distasteful to her, she might be
come as dissatisfied and fearful us hei
mother He rose abruptly. He could
not picture Nellie in tears. but there
were little lines around her mouth Il!
this moment that he did not like. He
loved her, but he did not propose tt
wreck two lives in futile attempt te
try out the love in a cottage plan. Ne
ther would he give up his tiny anccs
trail home. sole legacy of loving par
ents.
Nellie had been happy there only !;
few months before. when she ha(
boarded with his widowed mother, bu
when the latter had died Nellie hat
taken up her quarters, with number
of other girls from the shoe factory, II
second class hotel. Somehow Ton
felt she had changed from the day sht
stepped over the hotels threshold, ant
he glared back at its brightly Lighted
barroom and dimly lighted parlor as III
| stood out in the middle Of the street.
Tom was telegraph operator at tn,
depot, and his cottage was not far from
the tracks The main street of th'
town led past both. SO Tom seldom
missed seeing Nellie each night an,
morning as she went to and from work
Once as she passed the cottage he wa
washing his few dishes, and he say
her toss her head and quicken he
steps. More often. however. he was a
his post in the depot. He hoped agains
hope that she would drop him q forgiy