The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1917-11-08

living. So I'm going home, and shaa'I
come back until you do something -
support me-
He listened silently 1t was al! 20
true he could say nothing in reply.
Martha hoped he would. If he had an
swered her sharply and made her an
cry 1t would not be half SO hard to
leave him. He watched her with look
Of hopeless misery on his face as he
meant to go away and not come back.
In all the seven years Of their married
life. she had never been away from
home longer than two weeks, and he
still looked back to it as the longest,
loneliest fortnight he ever spent. How
he could ever manage to drag out the
dreary, hopeless years that lay before
him lie did not know.
He was SO stunned by the blow that
he made no effort to dissuade her from
her purpose In the days that followed.
He only said:
'You will wait until after the pun
kins are sold, won't you, Martyr
And she answered with fash Of the
old spirit that made her again the Mar
tina of his counting days:
NO, Peter Halsey; shan't I'm go
ing as soon as get the house cleaned
up"
Al the close Of q long hard days
work he came home to silent house.
There was no fire in the kitchen stove,
but a tempting supper was arranged
on the table. He tried to cheat himself
into thinking that she was tired and
had lain down to rest, SO he went
through the deserted rooms, calling
softly.
[ "Oh, Marthy, you ain't- really gone,
are your
She. had taken nothing save the rem
nants OF her wedding finery and the
poor clothes she had bought with her
own hard earned money. A little work
basket he had given her ON their first
anniversary lay ON the table and be-
side 1t curl OF golden hair clipped
from the head Of their only child and a
worn little shoe. showing yet the
creases made by the baby feet that
long ago found out the pathway to the
home land. Il.
Martha had kept these treasures with
sacred care; but, knowing that she
could give Peter no better proof OF her
lasting love. she had divided with him.
He took them In his big rough hands
| and touched them with tender fingers
Then he sat down in her empty chair
and sobbed aloud.
20 Lord" he whispered brokenly, II
thought 1t was hard enough when baby
died, but now Marthy's gone it seems
like Jest can't live without her!''
That night and the day that followed
| were like wretched nightmare to
| him. On the next his mind, made clear
by suffering and loss of sleep, aroused
from the torpor of grief and began to
reassert itself. He surveyed the farm
| with the critical eyes Of a stranger,
realizing for the first time how badly
everything about the place needed re-
pairing He noted the rickety fehces,
| the tumhling outbuildings and the ruin.
otls condition OF the house and admit.
ted the truth Of Marthas accusatiols.
u have been shiftless,' be said to
himself. Days when ought to have
been at work in the fields I've fooled
away my time reading or trying 10
hatch up some scheme to make money
out O. nothing.
| Its good land, tOo,' he went on
after a pause ..It ought to make a
decent living for us two and give Mar
| thy all the fxings she wants, but this
year 1t amt raised nothing but punlkins
and experiments
His eyes twinkled and IN spite OF
the gravity Of the situation he laughed
as he counted up all the will-o'-the-
wisps he had followed for seven years.
There were the orchard. where he ruin
ed the apple trees by grating them
with varieties which were not adapted
to the climate, and the row OF hardy
peach trees that never even leaved
ont Beyond them was the garden
/ plot where he had tried to grow ever
bearing strawberries, with tangled
i thicket of wineberries fourishing In
one corner.
Darn things.' Peter muttered. Il
paid SO for them bushes, and hain't
never ct berry from 'em yet. And
there's them white blackberries OF
mine and the orange favored rhubarb
wish could get shet Of the pesky
stuff
Last Of all were the pumpkins, All
the other experiments were wretched
failures. hut these had amply reward.
ed him for the time he had spent in
cultivatlng them. He well remem.
bered the ssultry afternoon in July that
he devoted to cross fertilizing the bios
SONS OF the two varieties. The result
was the new strain, larger, sweeter and
firmer Of flesh than either Of its par
ents.
II ought to make something out OF
those punkins.' he said thoughtfully
And II don't I'll quit fooling with
experiments and tend to farming.
VIII anyway and show Aarthy I near
business:
/ He watched the pumpkins with jeal
Gus care, turning them to get oil ths
sun and guarding them SO vigilantl,
that the neighbors began to think hi
trouble had turned his head. He fonnG
time to do great deal Of cleaning vi
about the farm. He mended the fences
and burned up the unsightly piles q
rubbish until the place began to l0Ol
| tidy and well kept. It is trne tina
there were days when he relapsetl Int