The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1914-12-10
dreary spinsters that make you want
to cry for their lost youthr'

othy. AS if you did not act as you see
fit, whatever your mother or your poor
bullyragged guardian may suggest
She shook her head petulantly.
Fancy mother suggesting! She al
ways acts as if society and propriety |
and financial solidity were omnipotent |
gods and she their high priestess! My |
religion is knowing how to love and
how to be happy! And I'm going to
marry Jack. permission or no permis- |
sion. money or no money. the very day |
| come of age. Then Wen have my
| thousand a year. anyhow-we can't |
| starve-and Mary Hart will give us
supper Sunday nights. and Wen do
| without a maid or even a general
| houseworkerp'
| Faulkner gave a fatherly grunt-
| quite conscious that, unobserved by
the girl. he was flushing hotly at the
| name of the lady of his dreams.
| What would Miss Hart say to such
rebelious sentiments and such a mad
plan of campaign?" he asked, trying to
make his tone severe and meeting with
Indifferent success.
"Oh. Mary would scold, of course
at the things l say. but she will ap-
prove of the things do. She believes
there is nothing in the world so awful
as doing what mamma would like
marrying for things. She's had plenty
of chances herself. but she would
rather stay an old maid forever and
everr
Il thought said Faulkner. that un-
married women nowadays were not
old maids but bachelor girls"
MARY says bachelor girl has Gu
reer or fortune and that she. having
neither. is just plain old maid. But
think that playing big sister to Jack
and making splendid college bred
man of him so that he is now real
lawyer in your office is career enough
for any woman! She's only eight years
older than Jack. too-and I've told her
that he is just to go on loving her more
and more. even after he has me-"
Faulkner chuckled at the youngsters
air of matronly comprehension and
. generosity; he patted the little hand
; lying on his arm.
| "I'n do what can for your Jack.
my dear And | have been consider
ing the advisab biity of taking some
/ young blood into the law f1rm-possibly
D | little arrangement like that might
help resign your mother to the inevi,
q | table,
4 The girl turned her shining eyes upon
/ him. and they swan suddenly in tears
E Despite the childish face. she suddenly
seemed woman. passionate, com
I petent. exquisitely full of promise.
a ''Guardy, you are plumb arch
!, angel! And you will make Mary al
most as happy as you make us. But
can't wait-I must get on the sub ane
s rush home"
a Faulkner retained her arm for mo
s ment. He looked absurdly shy. bu
n be asked his question as boldly as b,
could:
l. "Child-you're young, to be so con
g fident! How do you know you hav'
r found the real thing? How can 70,
be so sure. not only Of yourself. bu
of Jack?"
She turned an astUnished face to his
then her young vision seemed to pierc
the cause of his middle aged perpiex
ity; she had heard the tragedy of hi
marriage to woman selfish. hard. IN
trustworthy-a woman at the time o
her marriage in love with another man
81 see what you mean, guardy. Whe
lawyers are always being asked t
| unite matrimonial tangles-when pee
| Pile are wanting every day to get vi
| married. don't believe | was sur
| of Jack, anyway. until one day NOR
| than two years ago. You Know
| guardy, how men hate to make spet
| tacles of themselves. guess all peopl
| as reserved as Jack and Mary loath
! being made conspicuous. 1t was at tn
] football game: Jack got hurt; ! sa'
them carrying him off on stretche
and ! was horribly frightened "
were just engaGed-and | made
! idiot Of myself | ran down throus
the crowd and insisted upon being q
lowed to go to him: of course. all tt
boys understood When he came
| there | was. crying like mad. an
there were lot of the men and tt
I doctor. The instant he had his ey'
/ open, of course. he saw what ho
I show | had made of myself-and
not a bit dead! But be just laught
up at me, kind of snapped his finge
| at the whole gang. and ignored Il
doctor He said out loud:
I'm all right. darling'-just as
l A darling were my Christian name"
Faulkner did not smile. Someho
,id be saw. as the girl had recognized
as. the time. how very much this lit
of. speech had meant, coming from tn
r,v big. unsentimental virile youth. Ja
ing Hart.
elt For an instant the girl snuggled
of bare hand against Faulkner's. a.
m. words seemed to hover on her lips. b
inc were not spoken.
Then she left him with one qui
m. glance and "Goodby, guardy-go
uto luck to yon.' as she sprinted boyisf
18th for the nearest subway station. Fau
pod ner understood that she meant 10 te
her phone her tidings to Jack at the eal
md est possible moment
Half an hour later Faulkner pass
if the great bronze figures of the
II | Gaudens group in the park with OF
ov cursory glance. though he loved
ack us he loved all things which seem
,rk to him at once virile and beautiful.
IRIS What he wanted was an insight Il
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