The St. Mary banner. (Franklin, Parish of St. Mary, La.) 1889-1931, 1907-04-27

...ckled cheerily on the hearth,
the baby, peach-cheeked little
az .,rre of a year Old, lay in its
icl q. sound asleep, with one pink
Cd ID. aouhled up on The connterpane
b. cther nestled against its face.
p "a Mrs Liscombe had just brought
9 Der mending basket for pleas
evenings work.
o. a. vas rosy brunette, with very
l1 80 hair, jetty. wellarched eye
a. - and a nose just a little in
a. 80 70 the retrousse type. George
81 l.rombe had been nadly in love
e. - her before he married her; she
ny VERY dear to him still, but some
IN the first bloom was OF their hap
q - And Janet felt it, although,
iax inv one had ask I'd her, she would
g. - been r-solute in denying that
81 Inst change had come over the
= II Of her dream.
W ne looked up from her wo:k IS
nfss came in from an opposite
~ 1Oh. George! you are not going
= topight?" she cried, involurtar-
6 he no, ced tina. he had his
= and cvercoat on.
~ sJtst for little while, Net"
~ You said that last nigh., aad you
HIT come until twelve O'clock"
- .Nov, darling, don't be goose. -
shed Liscomb, airily pinch ;,s her
u. "A man can't always bu:row
q slone, like mole in his tracks,"
y and, George" added Janet, nerv-
herself to the point Il remon-
- asee, with visible effort. when
- did come home, you-you had
= drinking!"
:. Ihcombe frowned darklv.
). What fools women are" he eiac-
=. IA. "As If glass OF ale ever
! nd any one"
Don't 60 out tonight, George"
I'D Janet, with wistfu!. appraised
!, y Stay and finish reading aloud
I very Oh, you dc..'t know,
y ne, how lonesome l ar. all these
y, ~ evenings when you are gone"
~ . won't be long tonight. Net.
= my word coayed Liscombe.
p ] promised Sherwood and the
+ > boys I'd just come around, and
\ pnlI of tho ~,
= = ef poker
| ~ he effected his escape before
m uscombe could urge him any
+ ~.
y na looked after him with eyes
ning with tears.
n - beginning of the end" she
~ red = "the entering wedge.
20! II l thought l should live
ia = my husband a drunkar.l, I
! almost be tempted to take my
b Me-"
at ~ one the big drops FLASHED
Al = her work as she mechanical
n lfaed on. Poor little Janet,
hc - becoming disenchanted from
~ IAN Of welded happiness that
y q cast such glamor around
il Nslg life.
nj z ANXIOUS eyes she watched the
~ Perhaps. after all, he meant
n "a early-perhaps he did not
. g leave her all alone through
I hours. But as the hand
we figures, first of ten and
ven, the dim hope died out
= Asr breast.
n past twelve when at last he
q Janet sprang to meet him.
Seorge. l thought you never
mel" cried she. Bessie has
aeupy. and"
"" retorted Liscombe, in a
!. = husky voice, you women
imagining things. What
tlng up for? Why aren't
Nd no more; but her heart
mass Of lead within her
I, az oil that night she scarce
combe had been a drunk
= yer. All the first years Of
= =. oeen spent in daily wit
-. terrible details of the
q snnk. She had seen her
NY ned IN tears, convulsed
=. day after day; she had
1 and Disgrace steal con-
isrther and further across
acld, until at last a merci-
- came in the shape Of
~ she had stood, without
tear. beside her fathers
~ able to realize the bless
ssath would be to his house
sae asked herself, clasp
haads in a sort OF mute de-
kss.e ! got to live all this
IN my own house? Oh,
ather die first, if only it
\ fof Bessie"
alie! Wha, bueIe-can ever
%H8 mnfhn..c -. -, =,