San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1878-06-15

think Of my meeting him halfway II
his consolation little while agop Oh
how bold and contriving he had foun'
me! How in the world was to know
he was widower, and invited down TO
special purposeP
"Oh, why didn't you tell me, JaneP'
cried.
swell, you see, couldn't tell how /
would turn out. John didn't know Their
was a mortgage on Susan's property
Susan!" l repeated.
ayes; you know Susan-my hus
bands sister. She's comm down on {
visit to-day, and John says he dom
care a pin about the mortgage; he's only
afraid he can't care for Susan. You see
his heart was bound up in Belindy."
l began to understand that it was moi
my lonely condition that Jane had in
terested herself to ameliorate, but that
of her husbands sister Susan. 1t took
quite weight of confusion from my
heart, but left it strangely sad and dis.
comfited. 1t was so hard to be alone
and desolate, and have nobody care
whether one lived or died, and Susan
was so much better off than I!
81 thought Susan was quite comfort
ably situated" 1 said.
"Well, there's the mortgage" said
Jane; "she keeps botherin us about that
mortgage all the time, and my husband,
can't undertake to bolster up all his re-
lations. You see, 1 just told John all
about it, and it's a business transaction,
Nelly. If she gets John, we won't hear
any more about that mortgage.
1 began to lose all interest in the con-
versation, and remembered that my
poor dear Howard had told me how
sordid and mercenary all these people
were. 1t was really dreadful to hear
the most sacred sentiments of life de.
graded to the level of mere business
JAMES brother John
didn't look like this kind of person,
but of course he must be. The whole
thing so confused and bewildered me
that 1 went away without my thyme,
after all.
We all know what appalling things
can happen in an incredibly short space
of time, and how our dearest hopes are
blasted when we least look for a calami-
ty. 1 had not expected to be
absent five minutes, and had left
my kitchen window open, as the
was so balmy and sweet.
my dismay when / saw
strange cat actually standing on my
kitchen table and helping himself to the
meat which had already cost me so
much trouble. He was lean and hun
cry animal, with murky green eyes;
and though he fled at my approach,
and had not made much progress in his
meal, of course the damage was irrepar-
able. 1 felt as Byron did about the
little waltzer. "What you've touched,
you may take" said, and flung the
neat after the green-eyed monster.
Then 1 banged down the window,
shut out the balmy air, and looked
lolefully at the miserable materials left
or me. I might have borrowed any
me of them, or all of them, if the meat
lad been there, but 1 couldn't ask Jane
or the meat; it would be like the Irish
nan begging the loan of an egg for his
,inch of salt. No; it was plain to be
cen that little Howard must do without
lis Sunday dinner. I didn't care for
myself, but my poor little fatherless boy
would suffer for my carelessness and
leglect. And, truth to say, he was not
Won't to suffer in silence or uncomplain-
ngly. I should have a terrible day,
nd begun to feel more and
more that life was hideous
nd unbearable burden. 1 saw
through the front window lady 60 by,
wearing seal-skin sacque. could not
hink it possible it was Susan. But it was
-yes,i was Susan. She had the seal-skin |
acque which she had so long coveted.
'ome people were born to good luck.
Ieaven forbid any injustice upon my
art, or useless repining at the ways of
but it did seem hard that
'usan should have every thing. To
rown all, saw somebody else pass my
Tindow. 1t was James brother John,
nth a lovely bunch of violets in his