The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1918-02-14

ways popular socially, she had sur
prlsed everybody by refusing the catch
OF the town to marry {, young mining
engineer without penny. Gordon was
in college at the time, but during the
next long vacation he had fraternized
good deal with the Peter Pagets. The
young married people had been very
much in love with each other, but not
too preoccupied to take the college boy
INTO their happiness as a comrade.
Then the Arctic goldfields had claimed
Paget and his bride. That had been
more than ten years ago. and until
today Gordon had not seen them since.
While Elliot was brushing his dinner
coat before the open window of the
room assigned to him at the hotel
somebody came our to the porch below
The voice of woman floated faintly
to him.
'seen DANES Irish beauty yet
Ned?'
Eyes" a man answered.
The woman laughed softly. "Mrs.
Mallory came up on the same boat
with her. The infection suggested
that the words were meant not to tell
fact, but some less obvious infer.
ence.
"She's wonderfully pretty, and OF
course Diane will make the most OF
her. But Mrs. Mallory is woman
among ten thousand"
I'D choose the girl if it were me-
said the man.
"But it isn't you. Wen see what
We'll see."
They We're moving up the street anG
Gordon heard no more. What he haG
heard was not clear to him. Why
should any Importance attach to the
fact that Mrs. Mallory and Sheb:
ONeill had come up the river on The
same boat? Yet he was vaguely dis
turbed by the insinuation that in some
way Diane was entering her cousin a.
rival of the older woman. He re
sented the idea that the fine, yOun:
personality of the Irish girl was bein:
cheapened by management on the par
Of Diane Paget.
Elliot was not the only dinner CUES
at the Paget home that evening. H,
found Colby Macdonald sitting in tn,
living room with Sheba. She cam,
quickly forward to meet the newly ar
rived guest.
"Mr. Macdonald has been telling m
about my father. He knew him OF
Frenchman creek where they bot
worked claims" explained the girl.
The big mining man made no com
ment and added nothing to what sh
said. There were times when his fac
was about as expressive as a ston
wall.
The dinner went off very well. Dian
and Peter had a great many question
to ask Gordon about old friends B
the time these had been answered Mat
donald was chatting easily with Shebs
She listened with glowing eyes to tn
strange tales this man of magnificen
horizons had to tell. Never before ha
she come into contact with anyone lik
him.
Paget was superintendent of til
Lucky Strike, mine owned prime
pally by Macdonald The two talke
business for few minutes over thei
cigars, but Diane interrupted gayly
bring them back into the circle
Adroitly she. started Macdonald on. til
account of rescue of two men los
| in n hl;,1nrd tho x-oor hoforo uo ho
the gift of dramatizing his story, {
selecting only effective details. Thel
was no suggestion of boasting. If h
happened to be the hero of any of h
stories the fact was OF no importan,
to him. 1t was merely detail of tt
picture he was sketching.
ordon interrupted with questie
story he was telling of fight he ha
seen between two bull moose.
did you say that was while "
were on the way over to inspect IL
Kamatlah coal fields for the fir
time?"
The eyes of the young man we
quick with interest.
EYES,"
Sour years ago last spring"
Macdonald looked at him with
wary stead@.ess. Some doubt h.
found Judgment in his mind. Befo
he could voice it, if, indeed, he h:
any such intention, Elliot broke
swiftly
Don't answer that question.
asked it without proper thought. l a
special agent Of the general lal