The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1909-05-27

Mary. will get up on the table and
lie down. and then You cover the
sheet over me and lay the wreath on
my breast and scatter the other flow
ers along the sheet Then when be
comes In you tell him that l found
this letter on the floor, and-mind that
I say on the foor-and that gave one
piercing shriek and fell dead"
II will, ma'am," said Mary, taking
the ragged letter.
In the meantime Mrs. Fenton had
pushed chair to the side Of the table
and prepared to mount, while she said
plaintively:
"Oh, Mary, l feel like some Of the
people they write about-the Indian
girls that leap from precipices. singing
their death songs.
"p,ac. mo on sun,ums Died steep,
Where nothing but tfs res and
Can hear their ghostly (1hurs sweep.
| There. swan-like. let me sing and die"
Annie stepped to the table from the
chair preparatory to lying down and
assuming her corpselike position. Mary
gathered her skirts around her feet.
Mrs. Fenton had on a very pretty
white dress with much lace around the
waist. She prepared to 'be Dead" us
Jenny Wren calls it, when George, who
had got nearly all the soap out of his
eyes and OF his face, stepped forward
to surprise his pretty wife, whom he
sincerely loved. But the strange words
and actions caused him to stop, listen
and look through hole In the screen.
At first he thought of rushing out and
surprising her. But he didn't and stood
quite still, awaiting Developments.
At last Mrs. Fenton managed to get
down to the table, and Mary adjusted
her head and the clothes about her
feet. Mrs. Fenton closed her eyes and
folded her hands across her breast;
then she was suddenly struck by a
thought.
MARY, don't cover my face until just
before you go to the door. Oh. for
got to loosen my hair! George likes
to see it so! And, Mary, do hope
and pray he may repent after this"
well, ma'am, he ought to, but l
don't see what he has DONE"
While this was being said and done
George said to himself:
"By Jinks. this Is getting interesting
I'll help carry this thing out In fine
style. 1t is joke that can cut two
ways. I'll slip out the back way and
ring the bell and come In, and I'll bet
stack of little round silver dollars
she'll never play such trick again"
And he took his gripsack and went
out the back way.
Mary continued arranging the corpse
and set all the chairs around the walls
as If for a funeral. Then the bell rang
suddenly and hard. Marr s----ra.
Afrc- E,n..ts.r, ~ntd --zzss+
Hurry, quick; give me the powder
boxw And she put the powder on so
thickly that she did look very white.
She continued hurriedly:
"Now. Mary, cover my face careful
" so l won't sneeze. Now 60 and let
him in.''
As she said this Mrs. .Fenton sud-
denly began to quiver and lift her
knees under the sheet and sneeZed
three times, while Mary was fairly
dancing with fear as the bell rang
again. this time furiously.
At this minute George was at the
door and bounced in. laughing heart
fly. while Mary looked too shocked for
words. He threw the bag down with
q slam as he shouted:
$50 the old hen has kicked the buck.
ct. hoped the twig. passed In heI
checks and gone to kingdom come
Well. I'm not going to cry over it
What was the matter with herr"
Mary remembered her instructions
and with a tragic air handed him the
letter.
"This, sorr'
George took the letter and read 1t
laughing still harder.
"Yis sor; she found 1t on the flure-
on the flure-yis, on the flure-and fel
did on the spot
what spot?" asked George. looking
about him curiously.
"Lor', l don't know, sor." replied th,
girl. who was beginning to be rattlet
with the turn affairs were taking.
"Well. l don't care. Now. Mary. thi!
letter was written to her by a big lum
mux of galoot. and ] wish he hat
married her.
At this studied insult Mrs. FentoI
lifted her head under the sheet. Mar!
only saw 1t and stifled a cry.
II say. Mary" said George. you ar
nice looking girl. and I know yo'
are tidy and good cook. Now, wha
do you say to taking the old hem
place. I've had my eye upon you for
long time"
There was another subdued commO
tion under the sheet
"Just as soon as she Is planted, TO
it would be an awful bother to brea
up housekeeping. and you could hav
all her clothes. her sealskin coat-and-
ah-her table linen. (This last wa
Annie's JOY and PRIDE, Oh. say, T.
s have her cremated! suppose there
J. be coroner's inquest and an autops,
Yes. I'll have the autopsy. for sh
z swallowed a gold dollar once. Ant
6 Mary. get your scissors. Ill cut be
5: hair off. She wont need 1t where she
+. gone. and guess it's worth at leas
y $25. And, Mary, you take out he
r teeth. They cost $35. And then tt
IS sheet quivered again. But he kept b
1 Y 4.