The Bossier banner., 1918-01-31
"What is she going to do in Kusiak7"

they all do-the goodlooking onesY"
"Get married. you mean?"
"Surest thing you know. Girls COM
ing up ask me what to bring by way
of outfit. I used to make out long
list. Now l tell them to bring clothes
enough for six weeks and their favor
lite wedding march,"
SIS this girl engagedT
"Can't prove it by me-" said the Of
of Alaska spinster-not that girl.
She may be going in to teach, or to run
millinery store, or to keep books for
a trading company. She'll stay to
bring up kiddies of her own. They all
do"
Three children came up the stair
way, caught sight of Miss O'Neill, and
raced pell-mell across the deck to her.
The young wOman's Ace was trans
formed 1t was bubbling with tender
, ness, with gay and happy laughter.
Flinging her arms wide, she waited for
them. With incoherent cries of de-
light, they flung themselves upon her.
| The two oldest were girls. The
youngest was fat, cuddly little boy
with dimples in his soft cheeks.
81 dwessed myself, Aunt Sheba.
Didn't /, Gwen?"
Sheba stopped and held him off to
admire. "All by yourself-just think
of that"
1--WE helped just the teeniest bit on
the buttons" confessed Janet, the old
est of the small family.
"And tied his Shoes" added Gwen
dolen, "after he had laced them"
Gwendolen snuggled close to Miss
O'Neill. "You always smell so sweet
and clean and violety. Aunt Sheba,"
she whispered in confidence.
"You're spelling me. Gwen." laughed
the young woman. you've kissed the
blarney stone. It's good thing you're
leaving the boat today"
Miss Gwen had one more confidence
to make in the ear of her friend. II
wish you'd come too and be our new
mamma" she begged.
A shell-pink tinge crept into the
milky skin of the Irish girl. She was
less sure of herself, more easily en-
barrassed, than the average American
Of her age and sex.
! "Are your things gathered ready for
packing, Janet?" she asked quietly.
! The purser gave information to Ell.
!, liot. "They call her Aunt Sheba, but
: she's no relative of theirs. The kids
7 are on their way in to their father
who is an engineer on one Of the
: creeks back Of Katma. Their mother
/ died two months ago. Miss O'Neill me-
E them first aboard the Skagit on the
way up and she has mOthered then
!, ever since"
J The eyes Of Elliot rested on Mis-
e O'Neill. ''She loves children"
r 'She sure does-nO bluff about that
1 An imp of mischief sparkled in the ey'
r of the supercargo. "Not married your
e self, are you, Mr.. Elliott"
e "No."
d "Hmp!"
That was all he said, but Gordon fel
: the blood creep into his face. Thi
8 annoyed him, SO he added brusquely
d "And not likely to be-"
:. When the call for breakfast cam
v Miss O'Neill took her retinue of young
f sters with her to the dining room
Looking across from his seat ut al
: adjoining table, Elliot could see he
v waiting upon them with fine at
sorption in their needs.
$ Before they had been long In tn
e dining room Macdonald came in carry
d ing a sheaf Of business papers. Fl
!. glanced around, recognized Elliot, an
= made instantly for the seat across tn
table from him. On his face and hea
n were many marks of the recent battl,
'aTrade you q cauliflower ear for
J. pair Of black eyes, Mr.. Elliot" h
% laughed as he shook hands with tn
o. man whose name he had just learne
a from the purser.
The grip Of his brown, muscula
D. hand was strong. 1t was In charactt
1t with the steady, cool eyes set deep b.
c. meath the jutting forehead, with tf
r confident carriage of the deep, broa
l. shoulders.
"You might throw in several oths
ID little souvenirs to boot and not mi'
Of them," suggested Elliot with a smil
IS Macdonald nodded indifferently.
)" gave and took, which was as 1t shou
be. But it's different with you, NJ
l. Elliot. This wasn't your row."
II hadn't been In good mix-up sim
roEA 1n< nfC
n ''Much obliged, anyhow" He turn'
his attention to a lady entering Il
dining room. 'MOrnin', Mrs. Sci
d. ridge. How's WallyY'
ed She threw up her hands in despaI
H. "Hes on his second bottle of linime
I'd already. I expect those rufians ha
N. ruined his singing voice. When thiI
n of how close you both came to dea
n last night"
ne II don't know about Wally, but
nd had no notion of dying, Mrs. Sc
ridge. They mussed us up bit. Th
cd was ALL"
We 'But they meant to kill you, t
ed towards. And they almost did it t.
Look Mt Wally-confined to his b
lis and speaking in whisper. Look
Is. you-a wreck, horribly beaten up,
he most drowned. We must drive the Y
lains out Of the country or send th'
IN to prison"
lit, "Am q wreckT the big Scotsm
en wanted to know. II feel as husky
q well-fed malamute."
"Oh, you talk. But we all kn
- o., 49,, h,orc or6 c+rcncy yO,, a