The Caucasian. (Shreveport, La.) 1900-192?, 1907-12-22
WALKING A
CHALK LINE.

therefore. if you are tn retain youl
position to walk chalk line. 10 you
understand?
Il do"
Six months later the younger boy
Alex. said to her:
"You are trilling!'
'Trfing with whomy'
"Me."
Jauuclinc laughed.
"YcStcrday you were very sweet to
me: this morning | saw you sitting in
the window seat with Tom. and if
looked to me as if he were holding
your hand"
Il love your brother"
"You confess it,
yes and | love you. too. Alex. DO
we not make one family? Sine" cam"
in here as houSekecpcr. after Nnu'
mothers death, | have striyen to MAX"
your home as happy ms possible. Nou
and Tom. instead of thWartng me hv
making love to me. should treat III"
with proper reserve. You must ~
member that living under the sam"
roof with two such susceptible boys. !
must walk chalk line
81 am willing YOU should do 50 pro
vidcd YOU walk that line with me-
with YOU? And what would yoU
have me do with Tom?"
ooh, Tom is not as much in love as
| am. He'll got over it."
q IlI
am three years your senior and am
just Toms age. by this silly contest
you'll spoil everything"
"Wcll, if you insist upon walking =
chalk line. as you call it, you'll find
you'll have to walk it with some ono,
and could never bear to see You walk
it with any one but me.
600 away and behave Yourself"
Alex went away and instead of "be
having himself" went straight TO Tom,
They had been loving brothers until
the appearance of JaGueline. since
when they had been growing in on
nifty. The two were spelling for n
fight. Tom opened fire.
You have been spooning with Jaqns-
line"
Suppose I have. What's that 20
your
ooh, nothing. if Jaqueline cares for
the attention of a mere boy scarcely
out of his teens"
"Huh. you are not so old as she your
selfv'
81 am but ten days her junior. Her
birthday comes on the 18th. mine on
the Gath. Besides. am past twenty
one and man. You are still boy"
Alex could not brook his brother $
superior manner. Alexis age, or. rath-
er. his youth. was a sore point with
him. and Toms holding it up before
him was like shaking a red rag before
mad bull
Il wish you to understand" he said
that | am old enough to know my
own mind. and. take warning. ! vii,
have no more interference from you"
you should consider the position il
which Jaqueline Is placed. Jaquelinc.
I admit. by me and beset by you, must
walk a chalk
$50 she has been talking about that
chalk line to you. has she? told her
that If she must walk it | am the onl
man she shall walk it with"
"You mean the only boy. Women
don't need to walk chalk lines with
boys"
"I'll tell you what I'll do with you.
said Alex, gancing at his brother
"Fll fight you over chalk line"
'Do you suppose I would strike IN.
little brothcr?"
This was pure bluff. for Tom wa,
but five feet five and slender. while
Alex was five feet ten ana muscular.
1.-THE reason ] proposed to fight yo"
over IL line" sncered Alex. "iq Ia g;r,
you chance to get ont of the way
You would have the advantage Of my
not being able to follow you up"
Alex ran off for Il piece of chalk
which he found in the billiard room
and, coming back with it. removing the
then, taking position. he dared hi
brother to stand up and face him
Tom was loath to do SO. both fcaln.
to have Jaqueiine catch him in so I'D
dignified position as fsticuffs with
her youthful lover and knowing thai
Alex was the better man However
after Alex had sncered ut him. called
him coward and threatened to trounc"
him anyway if he didn't stand up ana
fight like Il man he concluded to give
the boy Il chance to work off his wrath
So. taking position on one side of the
line, he began to parry the blows TIA;
raincd from the other While the two
young men were in the thickest of the
fray the portiere WAS Suddenly drawn
back. and their father and JaqueIinp
stood in the doorway. an amused cE
preston on the face of each
Boys" said the father. stop thf
nonsense. Jaquelinc has told me of ~,
persistence of both Of you She h.
told you that her position here betweeI,