The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1917-12-13
[e lighted a cigar with hxHr;nn. &C

He lighted a cigar with luxnr;nn. &C
liberation.
Geraldine took up his words briskly |
''Oh, If You can't-if you don't want to
he serious" she flashed, T.
"Well:" he objected. with half
laugh. IF anything could be more
serious
THAT isn't the point at all" she in
terrupted. with little inpatient ges-
ture. land you know it. You are ut
terly aggravating and ridiculous. Bill
ly!" she declared, with pink cheeks.
Little pale gold wisps of hair had been
loosened by the drive home in the wind
and now blew about her soft, throb-
bing neck in bewitching restlessness.
The fine veins III her temples pulsed
with excitement. and her eyes. awhile
ago gray, had deepened to black. Her
lips, red and moist and vaguely tremu-
lous, lost nothing by their sudden ac-
cess of gravity as she went on:
"Waiving preliminaries, the subject
! Is just this, Is love-rOmantic love,
that is-a possible thing without jeal-
ousyy
Mainwaring stared at his wife oddly
for an instant before he spoke. Ger
tainly not" he delivered authoritative
ly After seconds silence he leaned
over and imprisoned one Of her hands
In both his.
Mrs. Mainwaring pulled away from
IL. III ID
you," she remarked, with abrupt cold
ness.
"Oh, it is possible, of course, where
no cause exists" he commented, with
masculine complacence.
"That point necessitates definition
Of the word cause
"As matter Of fact, what would be
ample and sufficient reason with one
person might amount to so much wind
with another"
Jealousy is merely an acknowledge
ment of superiority in some one else.
she submitted positively.
''In which event-a tribute to the de-
linquent ones good judgment, an es-
sential tribute. rather think your
point of view is somewhat QuixOtic.
There's no accounting for peoples
tastes. you know. I have seen them
walk over pearls and take the stones y
II don't see"-
LET me illustrate. once knew q
man whose wife was beautiful and
clever and good. He openly abandoned
her society for that of another who
was neither attractive, interesting nor
', in any way good"
Possibly his wife bored him with
her very perfections."
''She did not bore other men,"
"And was she jealous!"
"In proud. silent way presume
) she was.'
did she exert herself to hold he,
. husbands lover"
!. Most women who love men do. dom
they?'
several minutes afterward was silent
!. Presently she suggested, perhaps, aft
: er all. If she was, as you say, cleye
she was not jealous Of her husband''
attachment"
"Geraldiner'
:. "YesY"
Just suppose now, for instance. tina
4 THAT l were-to"-
a Don't be absurd, Billy. We are no
! trying to get personal, are we?'
g "That Is the only way to arrive a
= correct conclusions"
Personal applications are blasting,
\ remarked Geraldine, with sage look.
"They are vital, and they tell"
: She laughed deliciously and tosse
!, her head into one of its ravishin
= poises. 'eThen am still determined
disagree with you on the original que
- tion," she said. There Is nothin
that could make me jealous Of yo'
Billy"
Mainwaring contemplated her wit
shadowed eyes, "Then I am veI
= much afraid" he returned, in dejec
- ed tone, "that you do not care for n
in the right way, the real way"
\ ION the other hand, my dear, yo
| ought to consider this the very highe
compliment I could pay you'-a rad
NJ ant smile broke across her face-'tl
Y sincerest evidence Of my absolute lo'
n and trust" she added earnestly.
But my dear GIRL" he protested In
= surprised tone, women like to fe
that their husbands ara jealously i
Fl clined: men like to think that the
/ wives are-'cause' counted out"
E Geraldine bridled. THAT l consid
Ri most vulgar statement" she fare
a1 land it does not in the least alter n
views, to which I mean to adhe
strictly, whatever comes-or goes"
Aiainwaring rose. stretched himse
II resignedly and stalked to the end
zI the veranda. When he came back &c
al(line had fed. He pOndered m
u ment, during which his face underwe
a succession Of panoramic chang
81 Finally he drew from his pocket
" small memorandum book and founta
81 pen. This is what he wrote:
MY Dearest Daphne (the name sound
Fl we'll he thought-I am longing fierce
III for q sight of your sweet face. Excu
IN haste and drop me a line by return M
saying when. Ever your own
BILLY BOY
- He reread the lines with an inspir
Il expression, then turned the leaf 0,
Il and scribbled something across
n back Of it. Afterward he took
carnful inventory of surroundings al