The Bossier banner., 1907-02-28

me to recognize you SO promptly. 1t
has bten ten years since l saw you.
and time makes great changes, doesn't
it?"
YES | assented and looked at her
with wondering eyes \ problem, deep
and ineXplicable, forced itself upon
me. How about recognition on my
part?''
There was a prompt relief. however.
"Of course YOU she continued, with
all those photographs Tom has
'Why, would have known you any
where'' Interrupted boldly.
There was nothing entangiing in the
conversation thus far, and l am sure
there was nothing i'll it to my credit
in the role of the visiting young gen-
tleman. She was waiting for me to
join her in the trap, but was too OBJ
tuse to see it, and verbal invitation
was necessary.
When the die was cast and, trapped,
l sat down by her side it was with
reckless, Intoxicating feeling. There
was the delicious consciousness of sit
ting by beautiful girl-a stranger
who by her manner, opened to me. as
to an intimate friend, an innocent.
winsome nature | cared not how the
| affair might end, only that might ell
Joy it to the full for brief length of
/ time We drove through the main
| streets of the town; our destination
| was evidently suburban home. It
was not long before l learned that
! was playing the part Of young Mr..
| Gibson, who had heen college mate
/ Of her brother. As to his present oc-
cupation / was rather hazy.
She pointed out all the recent i'm
proyements of Ethelburg and direct
ed my attention to a number of her
friends whom we passed. During a
period Of ten years it is quite natural
for one to forget q great deal, so that
my ignorance and lapse of memory
were not startling. 1t amused her and
made her more charming through her
feeling of superiority in that particil-
lar.
AS we approached the outskirts of
town I was suddenly seized with a
sense Of my perilous situation. A cool
| wave suffused me. l could not dare to
appear at her home. l felt an impulse
to jump and run, which of itself un-
nerved me. I was desperate, and the
girl was talking velubly of her friends,
her home and herself.
My hand wandered to my pocket in
search of a handkerchief, and it was
that small act that saved me. There
ell milling at once upon my arrival al
Ethelburg.
81 beg pardon l said, with q show
of great surprise, ''but l shall have tx
return to the postotfice.' glowe(
with inward triumph.
''Indeedr' she answered "And, dt
you know, / have been thinking fol
some time that l neglected to go By
my dressmaker's. So We'll return ant
perform our missions and then com,
back. The weather is pleasant fo
driving. at any rate" she continued
agreeably, don't you think?''
The observation was one In which
dIHilGSNCu, AOi II " uS a I'LL
balmy spring day and formed quite !;
contrast to the cool days from whicl
I had just come. At the moment ther
was an additional inspiration in on
turning toward town, for in it lay th
hope OF escape.
We made an agreement to meet q
the postoffice within fifteen minutes
and sprang lightly from the traI
travelling bag in hand. | recall vivid
ly the conflict of emotions that welle
within me. They We're deep and eal
nest and now seem all the more anus
ing because of their genuineness.
; was dizzy with delight to be fre
again, and at the same time wa
possessed with mean, skulking sens
I |