The San Antonio light. (San Antonio, Tex.) 1883-1886, 1885-08-01
Miss Pricilla's Folly.

his old ngcP'
Becoming suddenly conscious Of the pas
sage ot tine, Mr. Tom m1dc his exit hastily.
aud his wife WAS lett alone 10 ponder
The rector was widowcr aud childlcss,
his parish was good one, aud ~ he had al
ways lived economically, he must have u
gp"ily store uf nccumulatiuus now. Mrs.
Tom liked MONEY, and Mrs. Tom had man
aged tu make many iudiruci streams tricklc
into her own pockets ere this through man
0g,mcnt Mrs. Tom would not have been
guilty ~ q criminal action for the world.
neither would she permit herself any course
INT nisht seem like schcming; but In her
time Mrs. Tom had known the value NJ
muny aufully simple little dodgcs and the
chief Of these was IA remove temptation
when she know II might be- formidable.
Mr,. Thumns llnrnby had H. many annual
thousands ia her husbands brother had hum.
du,is, hut what dbl that natter business
WAS uncertain, said prudence who could tell
what u gUds,iid the rcctor's savings might
prove one day tO her poor children? II She
cuu help II, she would moi permit this
second marriage.
Mrs Tom discussed the matter with her
self, pnndtr,d on the possibility Of circum-
stances playing into her hands. aud finally
decided that 1t WIS safest to rrly only on
herself She sat quite still iot half an hour,
and then SHE rusc " ith rustic expressive NJ
decision, and took her way up the wide ,oit-
| ly carpctcd stairs.
Fine rooms opened OF either hand line
pictures SMILED down On her from the walls;
hut MrS. Tom went on To her room at the end
Of the corridor, and opened the door
A pale woman who stood buttunlng her
gloves by the window, started and lookcl up
tmidly rs Mrs. Tom sailed In.
"Afryr 'a. ""'. Miss spence
Eyes: the children have asked Tor an early
walk since the weather has grown 50 hot,
and so | have taken them To the park for the
last week after breakfast"
"You should have consulted me about IT,"
Mrs. Tom snd codly.
81 did not think It mnttcrcd," the govern
ess answered, shrinking little. "Thcy are
to have n walk and when they get 1t Mt the
| best time"
"rhe best time is qucstlonablc; in any
case, you should have consulted me"
Miss Spence did not answer that Address
ing this large, prosperous, sclf-asscrtivc wo-
man was nm ordeal from which she shrank.
"lndccd have often thought lately that
| you assume too much,' Mrs Tom went on.
you are too independent In your ways, too
Spence looked up Mt her with tie soft plead
ing eyes that were the sole beauty In her
pale plain little face. Mrs. Tom did not
care Ia meet them as she continues "And
So have decided that 1t would be- better for
Us both Ia make change"
VERY well, Mrs. llonby"
The little gOVcrtCss accepted the fiat calm
/ ~, Tor the absence Of hope teaches Cndur-
| uncC; and then she went out with her pupils
and paced the park, where the glory Of the
sunlight was falling like q bcncdiction and
wondered Why she had ever had the burden
ui life cast ON her.
| Meantime Mrs. Tom, Indifferent IN the fact
that she had pushed heaven further into the
background Of a dcsoatc life WAS writing
gushing letter tO her dear brother ut Fair
view
II was a hot afternoon In early July; there
was not II cloud In the lofty dome of the sky,
and the few trees dotted along the dusty
| highway Hung dense shadows here and there,
| while In the distance the heat seemed 10 set
the landscape dancing Ia u measure of Its
own. Mr.. llnrnhy sighed several times as
he went down the ,faiNicw street, and more
than once he frownrd, rs people do to whom,
| either In suggestion ur In reality, something
unpalatablc has been offered Perhaps the
heat oppressed him, perhaps the dust annoy
cd him. For surely there could he nothing
in the CHEEKY letter folded In his brcastpOck-
1t that could ycN any one.
as Miss Priscilla ut homer" lie had stop
| ped by the little oak door over which the
roses and hOncysuckC clustered 81 lovingly,
yes sir" Jane had appeared In asswer
| to his knock, and he noticed that she had
| lost the brisk. cOmplaccnt bearing Of former
days.
Then tell her am here, please"
| Mr.. llOrnby entered and seated himself on
one of the pretty, chintz-coyered chairs in
Miss Prisclla's cool fresh little drawing
room. How pretty everything was, from the
| handful of roses and ferns In the glass dish
Ia the light curtains swaying In the breeze
But how could any adjunct of Miss Pris-
| elias ownership be- other than prcttyP And
| to fancy her tuiling for q pittancc In his
brother Toms household! Again the dis
giistcd look spread itself over his countc-
nance, and this time 1t could not bcduc either
to the dust or Ia the sun.
"llavc you heard Of anythmgY he said,
anxiously, as Miss Priscilla cnterel.
mo: but YOU have" She wore snowy
cap and gown of some soft stun, and she
was smiling at him. although there were
troubled lines about brow and eyes.
~! Oh, no; II IL worth nothing; only let
ter from Toms wife,
"And is she like all the rest, anxious to
| help and 50 sOrry-sO very sorry, that she
knows of nothing suitable just now"
There was little anger In the smile that
played over Miss Priscilla's lips rs she put
her question.
No; she does not write that exactly" lie
rose hurriedly, and went to the window, and
stood looking out AT the huneyswect bios
SONS of the woOdbinc that pressed against
the pancs
"Thcn what does she write? II is very i'm
portant to me-"
Mr. Horribly groancd
"You will believe that have done my very
best for your he said anXiously.
YES, yes; but what is it?'
Mrs. Tom Ilomby wants govcrncss for
her five children, and because | know you
and recommend you she will engage you II
you wish"
"Oh, how good you arc-how grateful
amW Her lips quiycrcd as she spoke but
she could not let the tears fall, though they
nearly blinded her.
"And you would think OF IT," looking ut
her mOumfully.
"Of course would; bcggars must not be
chnuScrS. T.,rc are not likely to be many
people eager Ia engage an uld Wumm brought
up " no employment Besides, want u
teach, and am very glad that | can make
A....