The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1916-07-13

a Whisper Nothing"
That whisper! He was the amateur
highwayman.
We had met again, and l liked the
boy. My impressions are not always
correct, but they are positive, and If
take Il dislike to man at first sight
would distrust him though we were
seated side by side in heaven.
But this lad, this mere youth, this un-
sophisticated child of the east, who
had 10 better sense than to attempt
highway robbery and three hours later
intlict music on his victim, touched MY
sympathy.
"Well"' | spoke half defiantly be-
cause | wanted to make him talk.
I'VE never met before" he STAN
mered, coming toward me with the re-
luctancc Of one approaching a judg-
mcnt seat.
Never" l answered emphatically.
AS he sat down pushed the bottle
toward him, and he grasred it eagerly
Good stuff he lied politely.
"Damnable," 1 rejoined.
But think 1t is good" he insisted
and took another glass of the liquid fire
How long?'
Three weeks he replied, embar-
rassed. II am Il tenderfoot, the rawest
kind and we'll blistered."
How long," / queried again.
God knows. ! don't want to stay
any longer than l can help"
His tongue had been loosened. Three
large jolts Of whisky-sach whisky IA
comes over the bar of the Silver Dollar
would lave loosened the tongue Of the
SphinX-and before | realized what
was happening he was rapidly wills
rcrng into my ears his tale of sorrow.
Il was in Il social set that was too
high for my purse" he said. My fam
lily was proud, my name was an open
sesame to the exclusive set, but my in
come was small. My employer trusted
me. There is a woman in the case.
Heaven. such woman! ! am not
worthy of her. 1t was not her fault
And wish that could get start
over again. but I've hit the trail for
hell, and yet she loves me. l couldn't
let her know that ! was poor, and |
showered her with presents, just as
the other fellows did that wanted her
to love them, but she turned them away.
She loved ME, do you hear? l gave
her everything that money could buy.
and then the crash came.
My own father turned me out of the
7 house. My own mother wouldn't let
me kiss her soodby. My employer-he
| was an old friend of the family-said
he wouldn't prosecute, but l was dis
g-aced. The papers had it.
And then shc-she of all women
said that she loved me and always
would and said that she was as much
| 10 blame as I because she had allowed
me to spend money on flowers and take
| her to the theater-most of the money
| ring.
She told me to go west. to go out
where money was dug from the ground
and fortunes made in day and to get
cncuyh to settle my accounts, and then
we would go to some place else and
| begin lie all over again.
and here | am. But what can
do? How can l dig gold out of the
| ground? | know nothing about it.
There's nothing l can do. I'm bad
bad all the way through. My father
| told me l was. So what's the use?
don't care for myself. but for her-for
her"
Tears rose in his eyes, and he cried:
IF | could only get start again for
her! I'd slave my life away just to
make her happy, for she loves me even
after all that"
pocket, kissed it again and again, then
laid it on the table and gaZed intently
at the sweet. childish face.
l glanced at the picture casually,
rose. gripped the table. then sank Back.
staring into the face Of the boy. who
failed to notice | knew her-oh, how
we'll knew her! And all that he said
was true. l glanced around the saloon.
1t was early. Men were just beginning g
| to drop in. There we sat. the boy and
l, men from the far, far east, and each
had been driven out, he as the result Of
faithlessness to a trust and mo
matter why came.
| There we sat together, be youth
and Il man. and before us lay the pic
turc of woman whom we both loved
The boy had fallen across his arms
OH tAe table. At first he sighed. and
| then his heavy breathing told me that
| he was sleeping. | fell into Il reverie.
| lad no money. All that | could get
hold of went east, passed through the
| hands of a lawyer and then to- But
she never knew whence it came She
| believed what the lawyer told her. and
he didn't know the truth.
Still the boy slept.