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

SoiuLuCACc SIOSSluS tite street 10 the
restaurant for noon lunch. When he
sat down for a few minutes at the
noon hour he did not double ovel. in a
tremulous heap as he had done 1T first,
and, though his face was whittier and
thinner, it's flesh was firmer than when
he first came, and his eyes were clearer.
The boss looked at him with more
approval now and was beginning to
see that the man knew things outside
the working Of his hands and that even
their inefficiency would be overcome in
time by his determination For the
most part the men were illiterate, and
many of them among the foreigners
could not even read or write. AS Pen
ningtOn's hands acquired a working
knowledge Of the materials and his
mind began to more thoroughly grasp
the details the boss gave him occa-
sional jobs of oversight or authority,
for he seemed the best man at hand
for them. At first it was an hour or
two of keeping the mems time, the
stock taking of some of the materials
or perhaps commission downtown to
purchase things that required inspec-
ton and could not be ordered by orli
nary messenger or phone; then. after
year or SO, he began to be left in
temporary. charge during the enforced
absences of both foreman and boss
And by that time Pennington's hands
were as firm and hard as the average
ouI., ~ -. =
row shoulders were filling out with
good, solid flesh.
At the end of three years the fore
man started out as an independent
contractor. and the boss took his
place. Pennington would then have
become boss. but the new contractor
asked that he go with him as fore
man. and Pennington, with an odd
feeling of exultation and wonder, con-
sented.
All this time the agent had heard
nothing. and an expression Of specula-
tion was beginning to appear Oil his
face. Of course Pennington must be
dead, for he was a man who required
great deal of money, and being in
Europe made the money more impera-
tive. The agent was in half mind to
communicate with the nearest reia-
tive. but hesitated and concluded to
wait little longer.
small portion of Esther kiltons
property consisted of downtown tene-
ments. and in the last few years ..he
IN fn1
movement and was remodeling them
with more regard for the inmates vel
fare than her rent roll. Several blocks
had already been rebuilt and occupied.
and recently to hasten the work she
had given block to new contractor.
When the old buildings were demol-
ished and the new walls up dozen
or more feet she went down to look
at the work.
Men were sprfnging up to the cross
timbers, dropping back and walking
about on the narrow beams carrying
heavy loads, and all with such uncon-
Germ and fearlessness that she stood
looking at them, fearful and yet fasci-
nated
Poised on the very end of a timber
almost above her was an alert. COM
pactly built man who seemed to be
directing the work Something about
him drew her gaze back again and
again, yet even while her eyes kindled
they filled mistily. He was so like and
yet so unlike, so what the other might
have been and was not
Presently the man sprang lightly
across to another timber, seven or
eight feet away, explained something
about the work to a new man, then
crouched and dropped to the ground
twelve feet below.
AS he turned he stood facing the
owner, and they gazed for some min