The San Antonio light. (San Antonio, Tex.) 1883-1886, 1885-03-13
A PHANTOM BRIDE.
By the Author Of "TuE IcE CAR
NIvAL."

d
| Edith FASTENED to impress upon her
brother with such genuine anxiety, lest
/ he should run the fatal risk ut some ill
advised moment, that both the girls
and Dick himself laughed heartily In
chorus at her simplicty-the young
man assuring her he would not be fool
hardy excepting ut prescribed seasons,
when the danger was but nominal.
Soon after that the carriage was an
nounced, the fair trio embraced the in
valid again and yet again. and, charged
with multiplicity of reassuring mes
sages for the vicar and mamma, finally
took their leave Of Dick, their host,
and the dreary precincts of Bleak
| House.
But Dick was not yet destined 10 find
| himself left to the Luxury of solitary
meditation; even as the rustic of the
last retreating skirt died away, a low
| knock at the chamber door was fol-
| lowed by the entrance of no less per-
sonage than the baronet, who, to Dicks
surprise, stirred the rudy embers in
| the CRATE, drew an armchair close up TO
the hearth, and settled himself with
his feet upon the fender in an attitude
of quite unwonted relaxation; for it
was seldom, indeed, Sir Jasper unbent,
at any rate in the presence Of
guest.
Dick sought to beguile the tedium Of
| the hour--having already expressed his
contritiOn at having Occlsioned so
much trouble at Bleak House, and cast
gloom over the long-talked-of torch
| light festivities which the news of his
disaster had. OF course, brought to
summary cOnclusiOn-by retailing the
chatter Of his sisters, and the silly gos-
sip current on the subject Of this second
miraculous escape"
Sir Jasper, however, was chiefly con-
cerned from the landed proprietor s
point of view. II was obviOns, he said.
that some vagrant or Migrants were
skulking about the neighbOrhOOd, and
this was matter requiring immediate
investigation. The grounds about the
lake were private property; anyone
lurking among the underwood or trees
was probably cherishing "felonious in
tent" he should, therefore give instruc-
tons the very next morning to have his
own grounds searched, and advise his
friend, the squire, to follow suit. IL
marauders were about, the sooner they
were discovered the better, if only in
order to put an end to the absurdly fall
lacious notion already freely whispered
abroad. His man, Charles, indeed. but
an hour ago, having ventured to ask
his master, with an awe-stricken eX-
preston of countenance rs he removed
the coffee, whether lit wur true, sir,
that tn young gent upstairs were an
'aunted mani"
The two gentlemen having fully dis
cusseu anu eliJ91eu eils JIM hii oiili
Ious Pauae suu,enll c,iouvu' "iuheii az
ienStn ny tlie paroliel' Wlo slattieu
Dich ny Desinmihs aoi"p''y anu Ill
sVin'isy ioM NY
cNi WIN ~ Jole ~" W iisI i.. w an
uiu i,,''' 'oa, I'm, H., ~ WaI 49,
feiiiaps' ~ P"Ss we vi,nes men' tnyn'
,,io ,o 'aav , uPVl' my LIMA ii,,,I 'o,ltsne'
WHICH J.. seellls W ne snou,u NOV re-
NAN NAM ullsaia one sl,lglc iiour loiigcr, ior
uitcr more III tli'',i uohcii Years, tle SPIT
IL ior tlo iirs' .''he moves nie ho" 10
drop the mask awhile, tear aside the
vel, If cold reserve whercwith | have
thus long decorously covered up my
wounds, and coniide to you the miser-
able secret which, throughout long
years, has robbed my days of happiness,
my nights peace, tranquility. and that
repose which is, after all, the only So
lace declining years may know
Dick was more amazed by this adj
dress than he cared to betray. Sir Jas
per had always appeared to him calf GUS
and impenetrable as the sphinx. less
than any other human being Of his ac-
quaintance. To hear him, therefore,
give expression to a depth of unavail-
ing regret savoring strangely of re-
morse, struck the young man as pitia-
BILE and incongruous, betraying, as it
did, much of the unrecognized anguish
the lonely baronet must have endured
unsupported throughout long years.
1t is needless 70 add that Dick hast
ened to assure hi patron of the ready
sympathy any personal trouble could
not fail to awaken in his own heart,
and begged Sir Jasper to conilde freely
to his ear every detail of the sorrow to
which he had so pathetically alluded.
IF can aid or serve you. sir, " he con-
cluded earnestly; II trust protestations
of eagerness III your cause are unneces-
sary on the part OF one so sincerely at,
tached and deeply indebted To you as
must ever remain"
Aye, there's tie rub. lad; there the
rub!" murmured the baronct vaguely
youth is seldom altogether disinter-
ested, even though less mercenary, per
haps, than age. But have given you
every reason, Dick, toto cherish al
most hmitless eXpectatlons.as the
phrase goes-upon the death OF one who
has ever sought to benefit you in kfe
what II the revelations ana the service
am about to ask of you should appear
calculated toto lnJure your prospects
and damp your hopesr what If"
Say no more, sir, | beg!" Dick inter
rupted warmly. ''llave l, indeed, Civ,
en- you cause to think me the meanes'
Of men, the most ungrateful and unde'
serving of my seXp Can you-"
An, wronged you, BOY wronget
|