The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1914-02-26

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go ON living this way any longer Ruth
Chester has made me see that ii want
Alfred it will be now or never and
quick I now know that she loves him. |
and she ought 10 have her show II |
don't want him. The way she idolizes |
and idealizes him is marvel Of wom-
anly stupidity.
Some women like to collect mems
hearts and hide them away from other
women on cold storage. and the help-
less things cant help themselves
have contempt for that sort OF
butcher, and | love Ruth.
It's my duty to look the matter in
the face before / look in Aifred's- and
decide. Ii not Alfred. what then?
First, no husband That's out of the
question, I'm not strong minded
enough to crank my own motorcar and
study woman suffrage. prefer to
suffer at the hands of some cruel man
and trust to beguiling him into doing
just as say. like men. can't help
1t. and want one for my own. don't
count poor Mr. Carter.
Second, if not Alfred. who? Judge
Wade is so delightful that | tlutter at
the thought. but his mother is Aunt
AdeIine's own best friend. and they
have ideas in common, She is so re
iigious thai living with her would be
like having the sacrament for daily
bread Still. living with him might
have adventures. l never saw such
eyes. The girl he wanted to marry
died OF tuberculosis. and he wears
locket with her in it yet, Id like to
| reward him for such faithfulness with
| nice husky wife to wear instead OF
! the locket But. then. Alfred's been
| faithful too. | look at Ruth Chester
and realize bow faithful. and my heart
melts to him in my breast My hips
| have almost all melted away. too SO
had better keep the heart cold enough
to handle if | want anything left at all
| for him to come home to-
In some ways Tom Pollard is the
/ most congenial man ever knew. You
have to say don't" to him all the
j time. but what woman doesn't like u
little impertinence once in awhileg |
| favor all TOMS daredevil kisses with
| kinShip when feed them TO my con.
science and truly try to make him be
serious about the important things in
I life. like going to church with his
mother and working all day even If he
is rich. | wish he wasn't SO near kin
to me. Now. there. feel in Ruth
Chester's way again. One of the things
that KEEPS the devil SO busy is taking
helpless widows TO the heights of
knowledge and showing them king
| doms of men that girls never dream
even exist. 1t all women could have
been born with widow eyes things
would run much more smoothly along
the marriage and giving in marriage
line. And the poor men are most of
to do
suppose really would be doing a
righteous thing TO marry Mr.. Graves.
and | would adore all those children
: to start with. tut | know Billy would
not get Oh with them at all | can't
even consider it on his account. but Ill
let the nice old chap come on for a
: few times more to see me. for he really
Is interesting and we have suffered
things in common. Mrs. Graves lacked
the kind of temperament poor Mr..
Carter did. Id like to make it all up
! to him. but if Billy wouldn't be happy
that settles it. and don't know how
: good his boys are ] couldn't have
! Billy corrupted.
And SO as there is nobody else ex.
actly suitable in town. it all SINNERS
] down to one or the other of these OF
!. Alfred In my heart knew that
E couldn't hesitate a minute. and in the
:. fash of second | decided OF course
. love Alfred and I'll take him gladly
and be the wife he has waited for al
: these six lonely years I'll make ev
I erything up to him if have to die
] to keep thin for him the rest of my
life | likely will have that very thing
{ to do. and get weak at the idea. Be
fore burn this book I'll have to copy
e it all cut and he chained to it for life
!. At the thought my heart dropped iil,
I sinker to my toes. but ] hauled it NJ
to its normal place with picturing Il
II myself how Alfred would look wheI
he saw ME III that old blue muslin
d done over into d Rene wonder How
It ever. old heart would show a strang'
o propensity for sinking down into m.
s slippers without any reason at all
y Tears were even coming into my eye
% when Tom suddenly came over tn
u fence and picked me and the heart ul
r together and put US into an adventur
r. of the first water.
c. - --
IN Continued in nert aceeE's Banner.