The San Antonio light. (San Antonio, Tex.) 1883-1886, 1885-08-10
" HER FRANCIS "


"Many true word Is spoken In Jest" So
nuns the old saying and Mihcl Talbot could
for one have youchci for iis truth, for q
hirnltss jest became her fate. She was one
of 4 large family uf boys and girls had lived
the twenty-five YEARS of her lite Ia u country
village, and hid never stayed more than a
d1y 40 tim' iu Iutu.. WfHt lu cnchant-
eel prospect then ~ivHpi luopru before her
when her friend Helen Keith asked her TO
spend the winter with herself and her moth
et in Flurcncol
As Mabel was starting, one young married
sister said Ia her;
Il wonder if you will meet your Francis
nj last
And another sister, with the superior wis
dom Of one who had just been WOocd aud
won, answered for Mabel:
"Of COURSE she will. only mind, Mabel,
that you look we'll Oh; Ton him"
Your Francis was the jest alluded to.
One day Mabel had, u ihc briTius of eleven
merry brothers and sister. thuurhtrssly
said How dislike tE' un'r,yiatiun of
Francis into Frank! Francis sd fine name,
aud Frank has no more character about II
than Charlie or Harry" 1iIt was enough;
and the latest phase or ihr Joke was the
ludicrnus notion that. us slice Wl, hy far the
prcttirst Of the family, she must Dee waiting
for certain "Frurh." up uuly ~ named
by his godtathcre amt gomHurrs. but one
who lnd never at any tmu Do called by its
abhryiaiiuu. VI lhI Laugh. o., mcfrily rs
any of them, and then tplyu' % about cher
Francis until She rUnhD. lIn Italian from
tier, when tor the inst tm h'r journey bc-
came marked Boy SOM 'i.- ul,-.
On cold, stormy ui 10 co.. train was stop.
peal at thc little station ct c., for the
iloo,- Wrrr ont. \ srcur ui confusion IN.
sued. After the Italian ruJrls had made
the sleepy and alarmed foreigners under.
stand what had occurred. every one natural.
ly lett the train tn seek what accommodation
could Doe found in the village; only, however,
10 return with ycNdlipu added ,o thclr former
alarm. The one solitary inn could only take
In a few Of the passengers. and the remain.
der had To make back agaiuto their carriages
with the difference at being wet through In.
stead of dry.
Mabel Talbot was one of the fortunate
ones. Some kindly arms whose she never
knew carried her and her small luggage
safely over the water and She mpdr her way
tu the inn. She could not speak word Of
Italian. hut quickly conprchcndcd how kind
and sympathetic was her welcome. Neither
gratitude, however, nor vivid Imagination
could help her To feel comfortable. Her mar.
row passageroOm had damp, stone floor,
was lighted by n small wick floating in oil,
and was pctyidcd by smell of garlic. Her
bed WIS a narrow table, her pillow her car
pyt-bag.and her travelling rug had to do duty
for everything else.
Ash. L,y tber. cr.,mu.d and shivcr,,,,
sbn h,,,,,, gradually accustomed IN Tho Him
u',ht and so,, nu nbiprt vl,irh had rsc,,,aJ
her no,ir, and which locked i,rncont IA.
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yorftool, me for nv name and not far nv.
sclfp"
"Your name is Francis" persisted Mabel.
~ am aware Of ii. But Francis or Frank,
am myself"
And yourself Is Francis"
g. a..