The San Antonio light. (San Antonio, Tex.) 1883-1886, 1885-08-06

h'hlnp ne WIS. lituIuplNu VI WIN MAJ one
evening after choir-mccting, and ! told my
wife he'd turn out bad. | can look straight
through fellow like him."
The fact was, rs Mrs. Frost distinctly re-
mcmbcrcd, that when Mr.. Harris first came
To the house her husband had pronounced
him fine young fellow whom IL was a
shame to spoil by markings minister Of; but
She would as soon have thought Of applying
match To her kcruscnc-can ~ of attracting
the attention Of the cholcfic Captain 10 any
discrepancies In the opinions he expressed,
so she remained discrcctly silent, her patient
face looking shade mccker than before.
| Matte came In with the bite mincc-pie,
apples bread and milk, aud a hologna-sau-
sage.
81 used 20 keep u chuu Of Bologna In my
| pocket when ! was boy up In the pilot
house learning the river with old Tom Cor.
win, and like the taste Of IL yet, said the
Captain, filling his capacious mouth. yes,
sir, ! followed the river q good many years
and no boat made better time than the CITY
OF Columbus while was her Captain: hut
/ got sick Ut IL, it's m uneasy life W settled
down here In the lumber business. That's
my lumber piled up opposite the church, and
| you won't ind a ucatcr stock In that line this
side Of Chicago, sir"
lie always monopolizcd the conversation.
even when people called expressly IN see his
wife or daughter, and he continued Dragging
about himself and even about Matte. who
sat quietly hy until MI iiscombc rose. shook
hands all round. and departed.
The days and weeks passed Mr.. l.iscombc
drew his pay regularly. and kept the children
In the school-housc the allotted hour, of the
session, but there his usefulness Us an In.
structor seemed To come Ia an end
"llc doesn't know whether he's hearing
Latin ur geography" complained the rector.
The school is going Ia pieces. A man In
love is good tor nothing else; wasn't my.
self, he added with q smile.
"Doyou think Matte really cares for himPr
asked his wife
81 don't know; she gives him encourage
mcnt enough Ross Arnold is home from
Philadelphia for visit heard him ask To
see her home last night, but she declined,
saying she had an engagement with Lis
combe."
Mr.. Li,c0mbe had heard her, too; aud II
almost gave him courage to ask the question
that for two months had tremblcd In his
heart and on his lips but his tongue al
ways refused to du rs office, and 81, tonight,
although he intended tutcll her he loved her,
he found himself saying: Were you much
acquainted with Harris, Miss Matte? used
to see him at the divinity schooL"
Miss Matte removed her hand from his
arm for an instant, but only Ia take her
handkerchief from her POCKET, and replied,
with sweet emphasis, "llc was very diff.
fercnt person from you, Mr.. Liscombc."
The tender infection Of her voice gave him
the long-Sought courage. 30, Miss Matte"
he cried, determined Ia say 1t now II hcchok-
ed III the attempt, III you only knew what
you have become"
"llarkW Matte turned her head. Isn't
that Kate st. John calling mc?'
Yes, It was she, hurrymg brcathlcssly To
oyertakr them. Mr.. Liscombc did not like
Kate ST. John. She was Mattic's very init.
mate friend, and had interrupted 50 many
precious tetc-a-tctcs that he dreaded the
sound OF her voice. She was telegraph
operator and boarded one door above Capt.
Frusts. Matte often went Ia the Office To
be company for her In the evening, sitting
out Of sight behind the wire screen until 5
o'clock, when Kate was relieved from duty
by the night operator.
The days grew warmer and the lee went
out Of the river, but II was still heapcd up in
great, broken sheets In the lake, and II might
be several days before a boat would venture
through.
Tomorrow Is my 18th birthday" said
Matte rs they walked home from church
Mr. Lsconbc had been telling her important
news; he had just received an appointment
to parish In the eastern part Of the State,
but would not take his departure until Easter.
Only one thought was In hi. mlnd-that he
would take her with him to his new home.
lie had never yet declared his passion-but
her birthday! lie would present her with
volume of Tennyson with such tender pas
sages marked that she could not help but
understand him.
Capt. Frost was out 1f town, he had gone
up to the pineries to see about some timber,
and his wife taking advantage OF his alb
sence, had driven over to Plain View, viii
lage six miles distant, to spend few days
with an old friend, leaving Matte tO keep
the house and sleep with her old friend Kate
1t did not look like a very brilliant cclebra-
ton of her birthday, but she seemed unusu-
ally animated as she saw that everything
about the house was orderly and then went
to the schOOl-house door To speak to Mr.. Lis
combe. She frequently stopped To see II he
had the list of hymns or to tell him that
chor-mecting would be a half hour earlier
or later than usual to oblige one Of tine girls.
iPAN nv VI llllh lldlult DlONEilt HtI tp-
day. lie thought she seemed ngitated rs he
stepped into the vestibule and, without
waiting for him to speak, she said:
'Mr. Liscombe, will you do me great IA
vorP"
81 will do anything in the world for you"
| he replied earnestly, for once forgetting his
| bashfulness.
"Then will you meet me In the church to-
| night at o'clock and not tell a single soulT'
I'm the church at o'clock Yes will be
there" he said.
"Be sure" she cried almost breathlessly;
"don't make any mistake" and moved away,
but turned back to add Remember, you
must not tell any one at ALL"
What could 1t be-? Was she made desper-
ate by the news of his approaching depart
ure and would tell him that she could not
bear him to leave her? His gentle heart was
| filled with dismay at the thought of causing
her pain, but II she only would take the in
itiative and say she loved him. how mex
pressibly relieved Mr.. Liscombe would be.
lie was promptly In the church at the hour
she had designated, and, lighting one small
lamp, waited quite happy and confident for
her TO come and bring his fate.
A long, deep steam-whistlc broke the quiet
OF the evening, "a boat has gotten through
the lake" said Mr. LscOmbe. Immediately
| there was din Of shouts and huTTahs. The
first boat through was great event, and al
most the entire pOpulacc rushed from their
| houses and down "a the leycc Ia welcome the
first break In their long, monOtonous winter.
But all the boats on the Mississippi would
not have drawn Nj, liscombc from his sta.
tion In the church, watching To see the dooI
open and the mistress OF his heart appear II