The San Antonio light. (San Antonio, Tex.) 1883-1886, 1885-04-02
HER REVENGE.


composedly, If not coldly.
"Mr. Hope, you honor me greatly but
IL cannot be. Please never mention ii
again"
His face was very pale; and when an
expression of positive pain left IL. grew
stern, almost hard. MY manner must
have convinced him was in earnest.
No doubt, had wished to do so, could
have made him fall at my feet and plead
passionately. But then, unless one is
an utter savage, vindictiveness must be
limited. had done enough.
Perhaps, under such trying circum-
stances. no man could have behaved in
q more digniiied manner than did Mr..
Hope.
Il am to understand" he said calmly
but with look in his eyes which l
dared not meet-"I am TO understand
you do not love meY
| bowed.
please let me hear you say So" he
said.
IL do not. Let us say no more about
it. | think will 90 back to the house
now"
We walked in silence until we were
close to the gates. Then he said:
unless my presumption to-day makes
my presence unbearable TO you, shall
stay two days longer, as promised Mr..
Lighton. It is not worth while to set
people .inquiring as to the reason for u
hasty departure"
Certainly not" answered. stay as
long as you wish; or, If you prefer it, |
will leave"
"That is out of the question:" he re-
piled, as we crossed the threshold and
parted.
| went to my room-to exult, of
course, in my revenge. II was so full,
so complete, so exactly as | planned IL.
And writers and poets say that revenge
is sweet. Oh yes, it was very, very
sweet-so sweet, that | double-locked
the door, that no one might see how
much / enjoyed it-so sweet that |
my heart must break as ] sobbed and
wept for the truth must be told
loved Vincent Hope even rs he said,
and as hoped he loved me. Yet, for
the sake of vanity, had to-day rejected
the love of man, the best, the nOblest,
the cleverest in the world | had hurled
my boarded stone, and right well 1t had
fulfilled its mission; but its rebound had
crushed me. Oh yes; revenge is very
sweet
| rose, and walking up to the Heritage
Rivers in the cheval-glass, shook my
fist at her violently. you fool" | said
life! Revenge, indeed Call IL by its
right name-folly! Go and clothe your
self in sackclOth-cOver your head with
ashes, and cry youreyes out for tO-day's
work" Then Mabens words about
wrecked life came 10 my mind; and al
though could not believe that the hap
piness of such man as Vincent Hope
could be dependent upon an idiot like
myself, thought OF that strange look
had seen in his eyes-that look which
no resolution of mine could make me
meet. 50 went back To bed once more,
and cried ana abused myself. Ay, re-
venpe is sweet,
In spite of MI. | determined to 90
down To dinner. | would do that much
| for his sake. IL should not be suspected
| that ANYTHING had gone wrong between
us: and knew that, if stayed away,
| Mabel. for one. would certainly guess
what had occurred. This. If / could
prevent il. should he known to no one.
| smiled grimly ms Thought how my
revenge must fail in this; that the world
| would never know what | had scorned
and refused. | made a great effort, dab
bed my ewes with rose-water, and went
| downstairs in passable trim.
Tonight we were not side-by-side,
but sat directly opposite to one another.
Mabel was right-Nincent Hone was a
proud man. Ills discontinue was no
concern of the worlds, so he showed no
traces of il. All save one at the table
would have said that his heart was CAV
and light. No one would have dreamed
that, a few hours before. his love had
been refused by an idiot of a girl. lie
laughed and tested: anecdote and witty
repartee fell increasingly from his lips.
He held the whole talk. or every unit of
the party talked TO him. Yet, woman
like. | noticed that he drank more wine
than was his usual custom and Mt times
there was a sharper, harder ring in his
voice. Had il not been for this. and the
remembrance of the look which still
haunted me, could have believed he
had forgotten or brushed away from his
mind the events of the day, Vincent
Hone was n proud man. and Heritage
Rivers fool
Would rather saw nothing about the
next two DAYS. hated myself so much,
that | wonder have ever forgiven nv
self-perhaps never have. All | care
to saw is, that none even suspected what
had happened. even Mabel began Ia
mink that the accusation of flirting
should lie mt Vincent Hopes door, moi
mt mine: for although he talked to me
when needful, il was easy TO see that
his manner was changed.
The morning of the third day came
and I knew that in n few hours we
should shake hands, part. and there
would he fine end of everything.
Blaize is fifteen miles from a railway.
station. and that station is so unimpor-
tant that very few trains stop at it.
Vincent Hone to reach town that even,