The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1908-10-01

ana pork cnOpS IOI Her siecuy sell.
You needn't get any more wine."
said Johnsy. keeping her eyes fixed out
the window There goes another.
No; | don't want any broth That
leaves just four. l want to see the
last one fall before it gets dark: then
I'll go too"
"Johnsy, dear" said Sue, bending
over her. will you promise me to keep
your eyes closed and not look out the
window until | am done working?
must hand those drawings In By tomor-
row. l need the light or would draw
the shade down."
"Couldn't you draw in the other |
room?' asked Johnsy coIdly.
I'D rather be here by you." said
Sue "Besides. don't want you to
keep looking at those silly ivy leaves"
"Tell me as soon as you have fin
ished," said .Johnsy, closing her eyes
and lying white and still as fallen
statue. ''because l want to see the last
one fall. I'm tired of waiting I'm
tired of thinking. l want to turn loose
my hold on everything and go sailing
down. down, just like one of those
poor. tired leaves"
'Try to Sleep" said Sue. II must
call Behrman up to be my model for
| the old hermit miner, I'll not be gone
& minute Don't try to move till
come back"
| Old Behrman was a painter who
lived on the ground floor.leneath item.
He was past sixty and had Michel
angelo's Moses beard curling down
from the head of a satyr along the
body Of an imp. Behrman was a fall
ure in art Forty years he had welded
the brush without getting near enough
to touch the hem of his mistress robe.
He had been always about to paint
masterpiece. but had never yet begun
it. For several years he. had painted
nothing except now and. then daub
in the line OF commerce or advertising.
He earned little by serving as q
model to those young artists in the
colony who could not pay the price Of
professional. He drank gin to ex-
cess and still talked Of his coming
masterpiece. For the rest he was q
HSICc little oiu iullIs p" HU cSOACu NOAAh
bly, at softness in any one and who re-
garded himself as especial mastif In
waiting to protect the two young art
lists in the studio above.
Sue found Behrman smelling strong
ly of juniper berries in his dimly light
ed den below In one corner was a
blank canvas on an easel that had been
waiting there for twenty-five years to
. receive the first line of tho mAsfeR.
piece. She told him of J0hhsy' fancy
and how she feared she would indeed
light and fragile as leaf herself, float
away when her slight hold upon the
world grew weaker.
Old Behrman, with his red eyes plain
" streaming. shouted his contempt and
, derision for such idiotic imagfnings.
"Vassr he cried "Is dere people In
, de world nit der foolishness to die he
cause leafs dey drop off from con
! founded vine? l haf not heard of such
thing No. l viii not bose as model
for your fool hermit dunderhead. Wy
r do you allow dot silly business to come
in der prain Of her? Ach. dot pool
lettle Miss Johnsy"
9 "She is very i'll and weak" said Sue
t .'and the fever has left her mind NOR
y bid and full of strange fancics. Yer,
| we'll. MI Behrman. if you do not cart
r to pose for me. you needn't. But
think YOU are horrid old-old f1ibber
t tigihhet"
: You are just like woman!' yelles
Rehrman ''Who said / will not bose
r Go on | come nit you. For half al
hour haf peen trying to say dot an
q ready to bose Colt, dis is not an
J. blace in which one SO goot as Mis-
: Johnsy shall lie sick Some day l vi
baint a masterpiece. and We shall all 9
q away Gott yesv'
a .!ohnsy was sleeping when the
+ went upstairs. Sue pulled the shad
=, down to the window sill and motione
q Rehrnlan into the other room. In ther
= they reerea out of the window fea
fully ut the ivy vine. Then they locke
a. at each other for a moment withor
, speaking \ persistent cold rain ws
- falling. mingled with snow. Behrmal
a in his old blue shirt. took his seat
~ ~ the hermit miner on an upturned ke
tie for a rock.
- When Sue awoke from an hour
: sleep the next morning she four
Johnsy with dull. wide open eyes sta
or ing at the drawn green shade.
:, "PuIl it up: want to see." she
s+ dered in whisper
Wearily Sue obeyed.
But. 10, after the beating rain al
~ fierce gusts of wind that had endur'
ie through the livelong night there )
pe stood out against the brick wall one i
ch leaf 1t was the last on the vine. St
,io dark green near it's stem. but with
ne serrated edges tinted with the yelle
ck Of dissolution and decay, 1t hung bray
ad lv from branch some twenty Il
I'LL above the ground.
ost at is the last one." said Johnsy.
thought it would surely fall during I
night. heard the wind. 1t will t
'ls- today, and shall die at the sal
wv. time
a "Dear, dear" said Sue. leaning
to .orn face down to the pillow. 'th1
ere ST me if you won't think of yourst
ave What would do?'
But .rohnsy did not answer.
ie." bnesomesI thing in all the world i
the touI when it is making ready to go
I'VE It's mysterious far journey. The fal
the seemed to possess her more stron
as one by one the ties that bound
ION to friendship and to earth were loos
rag The day wore away. and e
ivy through the twilight they could