The San Antonio light. (San Antonio, Tex.) 1883-1886, 1885-08-05
A Strange Love-Letter.

Many years earlier than the date OF TINS
story, Courtney then Young man Of small
independent mcans-had been bcirothcd to
certain Mary Bartholomew, whom hc loVed
with all the arlur NJ an Intensely earnest ma.
turc True love started on It's course smooth-
~ enough. But the waters were souu truul,-
Led. Courtney invited tu his home q Young
college friend. Tom Kenyon. who was q mcf-
~, guod-lonking young man. uf fair abilities,
fascinating uHuurr~. and infinite assurance,
n man on guui terms with himself and Ml
the world. Mary Bartholomew had known
Courtney All her life. and had deluded her
self Into looking upon 10 friendly liking for
him ~ a warmer and ;pudcrcr feeling with
The appearance" of Tom Kenyon on the scene
the def sion vanished Tom foll head over
ears u low" with Mary. and his love was
returned Slowly but surely, the true state
Of the ease revealed itself to Courtney lie
uttered no rcproachcs li'ptoachcs he told
himself would he out at place. lie held that
Kenyon was man IN every respect calcu-
lated tO win u wOmau's affection, while he
himself was dull, stupid fellow. with moth
Ing to recommend him but his honesty and
his love. lie roliuquishcd all claim Ia his
dnrliug's hand; hc said u few WORKS NJ good
Will very hard to spcak-tn the friend who
had taken her from him, and he turned his
back for while on England and the scene
Of his sorrow. Cuuriucy's sclt-ban.hmcut
was long one. When he had been abroad
y couple Of years, hc heard that Mary. then
Mrs Kenyon, had died IN giving birth Ia
daughter After that news reached him, he
cared less than ever To return home lie
wandered hlthcr and thithcr now In one con-
tinental city and now In another. When, ut
last, he went back Ia his own country, hcr r.
utft Nt..,V.. ..
resumed q life Ot restless travel, broken only
by occasional flying visits Ia England. with
Kenyon his relations were most amicablc;
his sorrow had always been free from Jealous
bitterness, and he had spoken In simple
truthlulncss when he called the man who
had gained the love denied to himself his
best and oldest friend Whenever he was
In England he looked up Kenyon and Mary's
little daughter made fricnds-aftcr the fash
ion of all children when Courtney was con-
ccrnCd-wth him Mt once. Years went ON
50 fast that Courtney, like the lawyers I'm
vacation" referred Ia In AS Nuu Like It,"
"pcrccivCd not how time moved" and when,
In the autumn, when our story opens, he en-
countcrcd the KcnyOns in Venice the fact
that Mary's child had grown out Of child-
hood came upon him asa great SURPRISE His
heart seemed for n moment 10 stand still,
when a young woman with Mary's eyes laid
her hand coniidingly In his, and babe him
welcome in Mary's voice Then and there
his fate was sealed. An absorbing love-a
love, In which was great element Of pathos
for Mary Kenyon, took possession Of his
heart. lie realized, sadly enough, the dis
parity NJ years between Mary and himself;
he had small circumstances had shak-
On his faith-ln his power 10 inspire aiIcc-
ton; and yet, side by side with his fears,
new hope had entered his life, and In its
light Nil his future seemed TRANSPORTED. But
the hope was destined soon a. fade. Court
nry had scarcely discovered how eager n
sutton he was for Mnry's hand when he
found himself confronted, In the person OF
young Edwardcs, with formidable rival
claimant for its possession. lie gave up the
game rs lost. What was he an uurterest-
ing elderly sutton, Ia pit himself against
lover armed with the inyinciblc weapons Of
youth. high spirits, and good looks? Court
ney, learning that EdwardCs was frequently
at the Knnyuns', kept designcdly out OF the
way, not caring u witness the triumph Of
his rival lie bore his disappointment In
characteristic silence and he had no friend
l<solictOusly uo,rr,aut enough To remark how
worn and weary Il look had become the
habitual expression Ut his face, or how slow
and pathetic were his movements. At last,
he suddenly determined To leave Venice Mt
once lie appraised the ptirOnC of his lOdg-
Ing of his Intention and paid small sum In
lieu of giving longer notice; then he packed
pOrtmancau and went ont To order Angelo,
WHOSE gundOla stand was Just under his win
dow, to take him bctimcs the next morning
To the station, 10 catch the first train for
Milan. II was u Tuesday evening when his
Il. l..U t....
Miss Kenyon was 'at home" to her friends;
II occurred to Courtney that it would be i'm
polite To 20 away without calling at Casa
Kenyon" To say good-byc. He looked at his
watch; there was plenty of time. Sohe don
ned his littlc-wOln evening suit-sOmcwhat
antiquatcd in cut and set out on foot. Con
dOlas were not to his liking; wherever in
Venice he could walk, he chose Ia walk, In
energetic British fashion. Courtney crossed
the Grand Canal IN u ferry, in company with
n fat priest and two peasant women, and att
or making his way down a dimly-lighted
cdlic or two, and crossing small CdInpO
with an uilprciCnding cdtG and u sOmbcr old
church, arrived at a back door OF the Ken
yOns' palace. To his "E In casa Ia SiJnOr-
thur Pictro and Luigi responded with
bows and smiles, and they handed him on To
Marie, who ushrred him up the broad stair
ease and through long stone corridor taste
fully Ornamcnicd with plants, flowers, md
statues, and with misses Of Towering thistlcs
from the Lido. Courtney entered huge
lofty room, almost chilling In the magnih-
cencc of Its dimensions. The walls were
covered with portraits Of old Venetians, in
scarlet robes OF SENSATIONAL dignity.
Guests Of many natiOnaltics-Ovcr which
English observation-disclosures dispersed about
It.. ttVa .tyln