The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1913-10-02

A man around whom a battle had
been fought leaned on a rail fence,
gaZing off at the unduatlng line where
the green Of hills. He had been there
most Of the afternoon, In fight from
the kindly but obtrusive interest Of
his neghbors
4 state was accluiminy him. and he
was not uplifted. He had read the
news 1T the morning and knew that at
that very hour several hundred of his
fellow citizens In convention assem-
bled were naming him to Il high honor,
and he took no joy in It For the ac-
clamation was but the schooled chorus
of tractable stage mob. And the
victory was not for him. nor for the
principle he had served, but for Il man
whom he had condemned. for an in
stitution he believed to be wrong He
was big enough-or small enough IL
you prefer-to resent being catapulted
into power by the strength of anothers
arm, and he was honest enough to
hate the means he knew must have
been used. He could not exult The
advancement had come too rate. The
fiery eagerness of youth was gone.
He longed not for sword. but for
peace-the peace Of the hills. of the
growing things. of the commonplace
from which once he had fed
A sound. strange for that hour and
nj r,ise 10 he fra,
He raised his head. startled. listening.
1t was the courthouse bell, Another
Joined In. and another. until all the
bells of the town were ringing The
iron choral was for him:
He walked slowly on
As he rounded the foot OF the knob.
he heard another sound rising to uin
gle with the ciamor Of the bells
cheering voices. He had Il stron. de-
sire to turn back and flee to some hid
ing place In the hills. but he forced
himself to march forward
At the northernmost edge Of the
town he perceived rapidly lmping
figure. 1t was Jeremy Applegate
Heard you came ont this way"
Jeremy gasped. AN I wanted to be
first to tell you. Nominated by accia-
nation at 3:45 this afternoon. |
hain't felt so good since Appomattox."
John. beholdinS the tears shining ID
honest Jeremy's eyes. felt the moisture
rise to his own. His heart leaped
sharply: it was something to receive.
even IL one has not earned. sncr
loyalty!
Down Main street came team
drawing double seated spring wagon
From the wagon descended n si!en
trio whose handclasp eloqucntly toit
what awkward lips could not phrase
"Druv into town to git the news o
the convention" Ri explained. "ThcN
said ye'd gone ont the pike. so W.
druv out to fetch We in. They're wait
in for yc. considerable excited
They've found out" said Dan Crls
we'll dryly. "all at oncct that ye're +;
great man"
Low | damned the Amurrican peo
pie mite too sOon." confessed Sykes
which caused Crapshawe and Criswal
to laugh
Git in" commanded ri. Conn
right along. Jeremy"
They all climbed into the wagon
| John with lips compressed rs If n
faced an ordeal. And indeed he did
RI was quick to perceive what Iercm,
in the hysteria of his JOY had over
looked. His great. hairy hand fell nl
Johns knee in tight grip.
Il want to say something while go
the cbancet ] guess there's more t
this than appears to he. Bnt I hav
faith in yc. John Dunmeade hav
faith TINT yell govern this state j
the fear Of God and the love Of yon
fellow men"
Whatever ye do supplemeute,
Sykes. I'm believe that
An so long as we got faith in y
We needn't lose faith in yourself" Cris
well concluded
John did not answer. He was pas
speaking jnst then and later when hi
| townsfoik acclaimed him
At home took place wonder Judr
Dnnmeade. almost forgetting the jnd'
ciai dignity. slapped John on the ha"
and exclaimed: MY son. this is 4 har
py hnnr. ] always knew yon w"'''
make your mark"