The San Antonio light. (San Antonio, Tex.) 1883-1886, 1885-04-18

under the circumstances. u plunge INTO
a cold river ut siiisct. and "A long walk
aftcrward In wet clothes. Is not likely
10 do him any good. So | ordered what
! thought WAS hest
Sydney did not immed .dtely reply.
She cllspci ,lnr hands tightly together,
with n muWrujuiy pain at tier heart,
and then: IL N,i,Nvry wise ana thought
full, father" she said. 1T is always bet
ter to take too much care than too lit
tie"
Dinner over. she returned ut once TIP
stairs. She felt restless and III ut ease;
and leaving her fat her IN the library,
when size ltad seen linn established ut
his writing table. size opened the door
of communicate ON AMI passing through,
entered the dUsWiug-ruOm. II seemed
to her th.t ia tI.S long empty apart.
mput. with uu uuc Ia speak to her or
watch her, size could bring herself back
tu calm.
The only light fell from shaded
lamp nj the further end Of the room, In
the corner where stood the piano, hut
having closed the door behind her, she
became Immediately aware that she was
not alone, rs she had expected To be
that a mans figure stood by the open
window, looking down on to the dusky
garden.
low int bs hoard h"r md ,,rned hfs
hnnd M once
sYom are here ne said ouickly. 81
whit fnr Won vish murh In sncak
to YOU
"Iiut IL is very FOOLISH" her voice was
still soft and low. and she moved n few
steps nearer Ia him; "and yWl are stand.
ing by the open window. How unwisel
Come away, please"
n. a 4. Al.
pinno. and seating herself nj il pointrd
to n Inv chair hesidr her
aSit down" she s,i% in ,o,es norc
like her ,,s,,nl vn;rr "iL,u vn,, cannot
deceive me- ( can iudfr for mVsclf
how foolish ynu are
"No. / do moi wish to deceive Won "bc
answered II hnyc cnught cola / am
certain lint thai we can sneak of after.
ward First there IL something else. |
wished la snv il Ia ynu ti,is nftrrnnon
and then
yes" she said softly. "tcll me now"
She was mo- Longer excited. The hands
that held The peacock 4 feathers did not
tremble only her eyes aid moi meet his.
ri :" he began. Ife stonped abruptly.
then rose mi and tnok n law stpns and
hack npnin until Inc stood hehind Lcr
chair, and There again pnused. and rest
ed his hands ON the blck ms II 10 steady
himself 81 dnn't kunN why have moi
told YOU before Inc began; lit has moi
been from any wish Ia Keen il Ia mysrlf
hut nm engaged"
The empty room seemed To echo the
words. hold them. and rcpeat them Tor
| full n moments brenthlpss silence. 4
moment. whilst the hold on her fan
ioosened. and She clnsped her hands
| tightly together. and then she spokc.
| All the soItness had gone ont OF her
gray ewes. her voice even had grown
| hard and defiant
"And why should Won tell me now
A man is not called ,lpon To confess his
private affairs unless he is inclined"
| avon usk-but won know. Iook Mt
me. and tell me- it ia So"
| Almost inyoluntarily she turned her
head. and looked an nj him; hut having
done so steadily her ewes wayered n III,
lie from those nboye her. "You must
"a. then She said abrIIplly. hut still NOT
lifting her eyes TO his. If was never n
fault of sydney Lorajne's To avoid n
difficulty: IL was almost impossible for
her TO ignore il. even when PERHAPS
more worldly wisdom would have been
displayed in skirting il by. You have
been here long enough. You must re-
turn"-there was II seconds pause-"to
the woman Won love-
"An. but" the words came quickly
and passionately, "the woman | love in
herel"
"Yoal will not think SO when Won are
at home again; YOU will soon forget. A
fortnight bitterly, us not much out of
a mans life.n
"If Won think that-do yOuY--yes." ms
she did not sneak. "why should YOU mott
then there seems nothing more Il
saw"
lie took his hands off the back of heI
chair, and moved away TO the window
where he had been standing when sht
entered, and there threw himself dow
into chair, covering his face with hi
hands.
She watched him, still in silence. anC
noted, as the dim uncertain twilight
fell upon him, how i'll and haggard h,
looked, noted also how thin the hands
were in which he had'hidden his face.
and impetuOusly, following him ant
standing by his side; Il am cruel.
Then, as he still did not move, of sud
den she knelt down by his side in sof
abandonment, and laid her hand on hi
arm. IL am cruel" she repeated, "bu
1t is because ! am hurt myself, and,
her voice faltering, "you know it, yol
know it."
At the touch on his arm, at the SCUM
of the soft voice, from which had die,
out alike the hardness and the defiance
Count Lindenheim lifted his bent head
and then laid his hand caressingly o
the one which lay upon his coat-sleevt
"Ah," she cried, anXiously, "how fever
ish you are!-yOur hands are burning
| Father said YOU were i'll, How WrOu