The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1917-02-22

a,t Overland Red at all. but Jack Sum
ners. the range rider OF the old red
Abilene days He was clean shaved.
rigorous, splendidly strong and conf
dent In the saddle bedecked In his
.howy trapplngs. surrounded b. his
friends, Jack Summers had found his
youth again. and the past was as
closed book for the nonce.
I'm the boss envy extraordinary"
said Overland by way OF greeting
walt said something else. too. about
bein' potentiary, but l reckon that
was a joke"
Good morning! Don't get down!
Glad to see you again.
But Overland was In the road. hat In
hand and Yuma's bride reins over one
arm
"Mornin', Billy! Mornin', doctor!
You run right up to the house. lett
the gate open."
Then Overland rode back. following
them. Later he reappeared. minus
spurs and chaps. but still clad In the
garb OF the range rider. He was rs
proud and happy ss boy. He seemed
to have dropped ten years from his
shoulders, and he was strangely un'
like his old boisterous self withaL
The noon sun crept through the
moon vine. Out on the wide veranda
was the long table. They were hap.
py group at luncheon there. Even the
tacitprn Brand Williams had been per
suaded to come. His native ptctur
esaueness was rather effaced by
black, characterless suit Of "stor'
| clothes
Walter Stone at the conclusion of th'
luncheon asked Overland to make
speech. Nothing daunted. Overland
rose briskly.
Il expect you're lookin' for me Z
tall of the roof Of the cannery iut'
the tomato vat and make large re-
splash. Not me. got somethin' t
say. Now, the difference In droppiI
a egg on the kitchen floor and brea XII
It calmlike in n saucer amt only tn
muss on the floor: you save the eg,
Just recent | come nigh to losin' m
whole basket. You all know who save
'em. Not namin' any names, the sam
person. by jest bein' herself and kin
to everybody, put me wise to the fat
that money and clothes amt all tks
goes to make q man. And, ut the sam
time. speakin' kind Of OrthodOxica
money and clothes has whole lot
do with maxim a man. just got he
to that idea recent
. "Speakin' Of clothes leads me to r
mark that got a new outfit up at IL
: bunk house. It's automobilin' outfi
Billy says it's the correc' thing. e
helped me pick 1t out. which leads b
~ into this here thing too. He sa
to break the news gentle and not sea
!: anybody to death and not get 'em
thinkin' that somebody was hurt
, anything like that. so I'm breakin'
to you easy. Me an Billy is goi
away. We're goin' in the Guzzuh
God save the mush.' as the pOte say
We are the Overland Red Toweri
, and Observation company, unlimite
i We are goin'
"Round the world and back again:
Heel and toe in sun and rain
as another pote says. Only we rid
I amt got nothin' to say about gett1
married or happy days or any Of til
ordinary kind Of stuff. want to dril
the health of my friends. | got
= many and such good ones that d.
: sent to incriminate any particular OF
: SO say, lookin' at your faces II
= roses and lilies and-and faces. l sa!
Here's to California. the darling Of
- west,
ID blessing on those living here
l. And God help all the rest"
j Overland sat down amid applau
= He located his tobacco and pape
!, rolled cigarette with one hand a
d gazed across the hills. Glancing !
q, he saw Louise looking at him.
ell smiled. Il was settin' on a crs
ID bronc' holdin' his head up so he could
s. go to buckin' outside little old ado
or down in Yuma, Ariz.. then. Did ,
n ever drift away like that just n
At some little old trick to make J
dreamw
Sc At nod from Aunt Eleanor they
Sc rose.
nj Louise stepped from her end Of
~ table to where Overland stood gaz
out across the hills. She touched b
d. lightly on the arm. He turned q
VS. looked at her unseeingly. His e,
be were filed with the dreams Of
iii youth, dreams that had not come t
IN and yet He gazed down into
face. His expression changed.
ng eyes grew misty with happiness.
dc realized how many friends he
ok and how loyal and excellent they WI
er- And Of all that be had gained
nv greatest treasure was his love
Louise-for Louise Lacharme. the u
Rose Girl OF his dreams. That
I'M lay buried deep In his rugged he
She would never know of 1t. No
, should ever know-not even COLL
on Louise in an ecstasy Of affection
oh pity that she could not understand {
'ev denly flung her arms around OVERLAP
,ev neck and kissed him full on the lip
y. More than he had ever dared
+ho dream had come true.
mo THE END
or Beans.