San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1886-08-24

ment OF the present that had no time to
IL was Lady Caryrs wish that for some few
months she and her son should live in retire
ment-She Thought II due % the memory Of
the old Squire; but in the month Of August
she emerged from her seCluSiOn. She gave
dinner-paTtteS 20 the county magnateS, and
garden-paTties, archeTy-tCtGS, and pie-nics to
the younger folk. She told me that when
any visitors were about was 10 keep to my
own room; so that at first was completely
isolated. Then 1t occurred 10 her that my
music would be Of service.
was not introduced TO any Of the visitors;
but was spoken of as 'My companion, Miss
Gracia." My music gave great pleasure, and
Lady Caryl, when she found that was the
case, made me a present of some pretty
eyening-dreSSes | suppose | had good taste,
for, with a simple dress and few flowers,
could compete with satin and diamonds.
On this August day. when the inst Shock
came TO me, Lady Caryl had given garden
party. She had not expressed any wish for
my appearance, so for some hours l kept my
room At length i was told that / was
wanted for something downstairs, and the
temptation seized me TO go round by the
Kindergarten and see the gaily-dressed
crowd.
saw two young girls, beautifully dressed,
who were amusing themselves by feeding
the peacOcks on the lawn. As l passed on
the other side of the hedge, heard one Of
them say to the other
"How would you like to marry Sir Adrian,
and be mistress of this placer
The words seemed 10 pierce my heart
Marry Sir Adrianl Why, II he married,
what was to become OF me? Marry himl
stood STILL rooted 10 the ground with horror
and dismay Marry Sir Adrian, my idol and
hero who seemed TO me entirely mine be-
cause loved him so! The sun seemed to
grow blOOd-red; the smiling beauty OF the
Ia,~ Loft tod, MT
Then another clear sweet girliSh voice
came TO me over the hedge.
Il would marry Sir Adrian II he had neith-
er money nor land just for love of his bonnie
blue eyes and his handsome face" 1t said.
And the second blow was even more terri
| bic to me than the first.
One speaker would marry him TO be mis-
tress of his broad lands, the other for love OF
| his bonnie blue eyes and his handsome face J
To me, who had wOrshipped him as my
ideal, who had idOliZed him, the matter-Of-
| fact manner in which these girls discussed
their willingness to marry him was revolving.
/ gaZed anXiOusly at them. They were
both young, both pretty; but oh, surely Sir
Adrian would never marry either OF them
II he married, must 90.
no longer found any pleasure in watch
ing the gay crowd, | gave no heed to the
message that had been brought 10 me-my
heart was too sore. | went back u the house,
TO the piCture-gallery. and stood there for
some time looking at the noble pictured face
and the smiling blue eyes. All me, those
girls, well born, well dressed, well bred, could
talk laughingly about marrying him-.one be-
cause he had broad lands, the other because
he had a handsome face! But there was no
love like my love, though he would never
know anything Of it; it must be hidden from
every eye, and die with me.
II the lips that were 50 firm yet gentle
would but unce-Only once open and say TO
me, "Grtcia, love your should be salts
fed. After that, could meet even death
with a smiling face.
But then came to my senses. Who was
|, that | should raise my eyes TO him? / was
without even a name; he was the proud OWN
er OF HerOn's Nest OF course the day would
come when he must marry; and he must
marry, too, in his own sphere.