The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1910-07-07
SHE WALKED WITH ME TO THE HOUSE OF
Ny FATHER.

MY FATHER.
you properly in this extraordinary sit
uation, but it might have been more
kind to give you bit Of Information
first. My name is Harold Latiner.
am a doctor, a bachelor, a ball player
and an amateur balloonist. like your
self, having just made my first ascen-
sion. am six feet tall and weigh 200
pounds except when fall out of a
balloon as did just now: then weigh
Il ton.
Where is it:" she said, with shul-
der
'''rhc baIIoon?' said l. 1T is gone
wrecked. fear, but that's my fault.
for should have fastened it. will
assume the financial responsibility for
its loss. Who owned it,"
Father said she. 1T was u very
old one. am glad it is gone. don't
want any one care for to go up in
one again"
IF we should become friends" said
I. 80 that might be included in the
suburbs of that wish. so to speak, yo,
have my promise that l will not nsvi.
gate the air. Once is enough for me-
And then ! told her how she had
come sailing across the field and how
the good beech tree which was now
our roof against the storm had stood
in her path so that she might come to
no hurt.
"My name is Lucy Calderwood," sait
| shef
| John Calderwood's daughter" ex
claimed why. l remember him
| say him make an ascent from thi
very field fifteen years ago or more.
would have given the tip Of my Ell
to go up with him then, but prudence
comes to us with age. l have no
heard Of him lately"
He gave up baIlooning for som
years until recently" said she. ''Thcr
Is so much Of It now in the papers tha
hc took it up again. hoping to max
s0n,e money"
She proceeded to tell me that tn
Fourth Of July committee Of Stockto
bad offered her father good sum fu
an ascent and that she had received
/ Just before leaving the earth's surfac
with very little hope Of returning
1t alive. I judged-and that she ha
sent the money home by her sma
brother, who was present. But VIII
she had done this suicidal act sll
WOuId not say. 1t was not for th
mere money.
The rain was now over, and sh
walked with me to the house of IN
father. where l then lived. My fatht
is a rock ribbed Yankee and inpe
vious to surprises, but my mother
southern woman bred in the extren
of cOnventiOnality. Her emotions ;
sight of her son coming home ut
the morning with very beautiful II
whom he had met in a manner SO
regular l leave to the imagination
Now, the rest of this is 4 love stor
and | have no art to tell that sort
tale. Moreover, it ran very smooth
and might seem tame in print. The
is, however. a mystery to be clear
up. and here is the fact about it.
John Calderwood had become
drunkard-- a steady topper. Int
victim of periodical sprees. Under Z
, influence of liquor, on the afternoon
July 3, he had stolen Il sum "f mon
from his employer in an absurdly op
!. manner. For. this Offense lie was /;
rested on the morning of the Fouri
{ or been robbed of it.
There was but one way to ret'i
= that money, and Lucy took that ":
! She gave her life for it. as ! III
fairly declare. She sent it by
e brother to her fathers employer,
kindly person whom have seen tn
!. pale at the mere mention OF this
currence.
John CalderwOOd was released, a
II there Is Il man on earth who can
depended upon to 60 to his grave wi
out touching liquor again l think
recently acquired father-in-law Is Il
man.