The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1913-05-22

|
coaching party t" ascend Mount
Mitchell. the highest peak in the land
of the sky. the highest point "f ground
that side the Rockies. She had taken
this trip with Stuart sixteen years b"
fore She was then but fifteen. and
he had Just begun to dangle ut b"r
heels. She did not tell him their des-
tination.
The party consisted of half dozen
boys and girls whom Nan was chap
eroniny. Stuart. the footman and
coachman The start was made ut
sunrise The morning was glorious.
the air rich with the full breath Of
southern spring. i
At the foot of the first hill the
coach suddenly stopped beside the
banks of the Swannanoa river.
Nan leaped to the ground. drew
Stuart with her to the rear OF the
coach. and raised her arms.
Lift me up." she cried. laughing.
He placed his hands under her arms
and with leap and a cry Of laughter
she was in the empty baggage rack.
Now up with you!' she cried.
In moment Stuart was seated snug
ly by her side and the big red coach
was rolling along the old road.
Now, sir" Nan whispered. do you
know where you are going?
Stuart nodded.
ITO certain peak among the clouds.
where YOU and once went IA thousand
| years ago"
Nan nestled little closer. or perhaps
it was the swaying Of the coach that
| made him think she did. and softly
said:
| You remember this road?
| "Tye seen it a hundred times in my
dreams since that wonderful day. 1t
winds along the banks Of the Swan
nanoa for twenty miles, always climb
ing higher and higher until the river
becomes a limpid trout stream. We
! stop at the old roadhOuse. stay all
/ night and next morning take the bride
path with the funny pack horses and
climb to the first mountain top. still
following the little stream.
Fine. Jimmy. fine!" she cried. with
sirlish mockery Your geography les
son was perfect. You can walk home
with me after school"
Stuart looked at her and broke into
n laugh. Again they were boy ana girl.
and the only change he could see was
that she was more splendidly beautiful
at thirty-one than she had ever prom
ised to be at fifteen:
You remember how shocked you
were in this same seat. Jim. that day
in the sweet long ago when the old
coach threw ME into your arms!
"Yes, l felt that was taking mean
advantage of you"
II thought you were an awful fool
not to accept more gracefully ana
thankfully the providence which threw
pretty girl your way.
The coach gave a sudden lHrch and
threw her into Stuart's arms again.
And uow?" he cried iaughingly. as
he held her firmly for moment TO
prevent her falling.
She blushed furiously. threw the ring
lets of dark hair from her face ana
drew back to her position
Now, of course. it's unlawful. she
answered with sober playfulness.
The man watched her slyly for the
; next half mile She was very. very
1uiet
They spent the night at the same
, old roadhouse and slept on feather
) beds. He hadn't felt the touch OF
feather bed in years. He dreamed
, that he was at school again. man
thirty-ive. playing marbles with
,, crowd of towheaded boys. and they
:, were beating him at the game while
+, Nan was standing near, her long plat
of black hair hanging down her back
laughing at him because he was bare
, footed.
|, They started next day at 8 O'Clock
!. with The pack horses to make the triT
along the dim brr.ie trail. fourteen
miles up the sides of frowning cliff:
= and over the tops of balsam crowned
II peaks to the summit of Noun
: Mitchell
ie Nan led the way. mounted on a SUR
- footed young stallion. and Stuart fol
III lowed her on little black mule b.
had selected from the barn for nj
III exact likeness to one he had raiset
III as pet when boy. The younsster
=. came struggling after them, n'ounte'
Is OH an assortment Of shaggy. scrnbb
" lookin. animals that knew the noun
tain path as rabbit knows his tra
!" in the jungle.
'e At ! O'Clock tisey passed through tn
first series of clouds and out into tn
:. sunlight beyond. The next line 9
fieuds was dark and threatening an
- suddenly poured rain. Slowly Du
it. surely the horses picked their way
IN the mountain side through the sterl
II. aud suddenly walked out into tn
al sunlight again; they looked down
er- tli,. smooth flat surface of the cIOut
'ef through which they had passed.
TT 1t was dusk when the party reache
'e the summit The horses were loosent
ter to Craze in the open field and II
guides hurried to build fire in fro
'ni uf the cave made by projecting led;