The San Antonio light. (San Antonio, Tex.) 1883-1886, 1885-08-11

had known her? Had she not seen that look
Of love on his face before?
When she returned to the sitting-room her
JOY received It's first check. Francis Grant
ley was gone, hut other visitors had come
who seemed To be all talking at once. llelen's
words were the only ones out Of which she
could make any sense
"llow lucky that he left the telegram he
hind, otherwise we should have thought he
had taken leave Of his senses. trust he will
see his friend alive. lie must, I think, have
caught the Rome express lie certainly
wasted no time In good-hycs or explana-
tons" Mabel caught llelcns eyes and the
loving sympathy In them made her hide her
face over the forgotten telegram which had
become common property.
II was ~ Helen had said. Francis Grant
ley had been summoned To Rome Ia the
dcathbcd Of friend, and glance at her
watch told her that lie could no longer be In
Florence.
For some days no news came from him
Helen thought II very strange, but as Mabel
seemed only to think of his trouble she kept
her own thoughts to herself. Mabel, how
ever, was only acting a part As the days
went 10y a small yoicc-a trcacherous one ii
seemed To hcr-kcpt whispering that he
one word To complete those interrupted
spoken ones. Then she would recall that
glance which they had exchanged and her
joy returned In full.
She would have found those days more
difficult Ia pass through had she not been
partly taken out ui herself by the uneNpcct-
ed arrival Of u dear friend on the evening Of
MI Grantlcy's departure. This was Onc
Hugh Sedlcy, young man some years her
senior, who was engaged 10 he married Ia
her layOrtc cousin, Charlotte Burns. lilo
was one nj those sunny faced, bright eyed
people who. when they have troubles, win
the sympathy of others ut once. His trouble
was six months delay Of his marriage, and
he could not have found more sympathetic
recipient ut all his thoughts and feelings
than Mabel was ut that moment. She need
ed distraction, and she felt 50 sorry for any
sort Of disappointment Ia be borne, that by
the time she had done the honors Of Flor
ence to him all day and let him talk cyerlast-
ingly Of Charlotte they both felt their sor-
rows llghtcncd.
Helen Keith, however, who was not In
llugh's confidence, felt trouble grow with
In her the lighter theirs grew, but Mabcl's
natural reserve made 1t impossible for her
even To hint Mt danger which perhaps
might be merely Imagination. She could
only try to keep them apart rs much rs pos
siblc, and she succeeded 50 far well that Ma
bel spent the great part Of Christmas Day
with other friends. Toward evening she re-
turned, and seeing Helen and Hugh Sedley
talking over the fire, she went up to her
room and sat In the dusk, glad of this mo-
ment Of solitude with her own painful
thoughts.
There must be- some mistakel He must
have written, and the letter had never been
posted or In that busy season had miscar-
ricd and 50 perhaps he was blaming her
too. That some news Of him would reach
her that day, she felt sure lie would never
let It pass without a word Of greeting to the
Kcitls.
As this moment Helen entered the room
dressed for dinner. Mabel started up, think
ing II must be late Perhaps she had news
for her.
what are you doing there in the darkg"
The sliSpiciousncsS In her voice made Helen
force u laugh.
"No harm" replied Mabel. II was having
sort of meditation among the tombs.'"
IIclcn's answer was tn put her arm sud.
denly round Mabel.
"Why, Helen, what is itg' she asked.
| startled and uneasy ut her action and then
| ut her silence. There i, no bad news? Moth
| ing from hOmc?'
"No, nothing from your home Indeed,
mamma herself received only one letter this
| morning. II was from Naples"
From Naples" echoed Mabel, a little
| family. "WhO does She know there? Helen,
speak, who is in Naples?' she repeated, a
deadly chill creeping over her at her friends
| 0minOus silence.
"Many people Francis Grantley, for one"
"But he will be here tO-morrOw-Or the
next day?'
"llc said lac did not know when he should
return. Perhaps he might run over to Cairo
| or Algiers.n
| Cairo or AlgierS or the other end of the
world; 1t was all the same Ia Mabel Talbot,
Mabel never willingly recalled the hOuI
which followed llclcns leaving the room
until she started up and dressed herself In
fevcrish haste. In that short time she seem
| ed to have become some other Mabel Talbot
who would soon have tn return to the home
where she had passed more than twenty
years Of tranquil happiness, carrying will
her remembrance which She could ask nI
one To help her to bear. A remembrance,
| that accident had thrown coat in her way
| tlhN INV INl'N lhll Nlll'tl llldl IT'S bNntl
should be named Francis, aud that the said
mlucky Mabel Talbot had scribbled u fcw
words ON the back Of letter And that was
all the story No. Something more. she
had taken talscncss for truth. II was ne
dream, that scene that she had taken part in
and that Helen had been obliged to inter
rupt, and had therefore been witness To-
Yet was II unreal as dream, for II had beer
an acted lie.
And the days went on.
One afternoon she was near the post-oilice
and was oyertaken by a heavy shower
While she stood under the colOnnades, Hugh
Sedley suddenly rushed past her, lie stop
ped short on seeing her
'Oh, Mabel, he said brcathessly, 80 aw
fully sorry you were not In. / read Lotte'i
last letter to Helen Keith. Lottie Is the hes
girl In all the world. You don't half know
what she is"
ITO DO Continued