San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1886-10-05

lie managed TO give II To me under
cover of another bunch of berries.
Charlotte was standing with us then.
And |, unlucky that was, dropped it.
And though let my pocket-handkeI-
chief fall at once, as if by accident, and
thought | could pick them both up to-
gether. | cOuldn I find it, | dared not
say too much about having lost any
thing. for fear of CharIOttc'S sharp
eyes. Imagine, dear, if someone should
have picked it up, if the wind blew it
into the road"
1T would have your name on it,"
said Miriam steadily. mo doubt who
ever found it would bring it to you"
Il thought it might have been blown
into the hedge somewhere: have been
looking about. Miriam"
"Lucyp
"DO you think Roger is so very much
nicer than Tom? | know mamma
would be apt to like him better, but
oh, Miriam, do wish you'd advise mel
Don't you think it is very unreasOna-
BILE in mamma to object to poor Tom?
I'd give anything if you would tell me
what to do, only | suppose you are so
wise and cool, you would be taking
mammals side?o
Miriam laughed.
I'll gle We my bonnie black hen,
If ye will advise me to marry
The lad | lO'c dearly Sam Glen.
Be as honest as Burns lassie, Lucy, my
dear, and then will know how to an
swer you"
But Lucy shook her head dOubtfully.
1T isn't want of honesty, dear; it is
that l can't make up my mind, and l
can't make up my mind toilet mamma
make it up for me-"
did Roger say anything to Aunt
Gresham" asked Miriam, so quietly
that her cousin could not guess that
the matter was painful to her.
"Oh no. And mamma Once-SOme
time agO-fanCied Roger was in love
with you, Miriam"
Lucy said this with touch of amuse-
ment in her tone, as she glanced up at
her cousin. Miriam was certainly
handsome enough as she stood in the
glow of sunshine, but so white and
cold. As well fall in love with a snow
drift, Lucy had heard Tom say.
Miriam had turned as if to walk on,
but Lucy did not move. 1t seemed this
spot set her thinking of Roger.
"Don't you think it rather odd, Miri-
am, that haven't heard word from
him since? Ought to have told him i
was the note that | lost? | could no
manage it with Charlotte standing by,
and fancied he would understand"
Perhaps there was something to be
answered in the note" said Miriam;
and she climbed up the bank under the
hedge-row. Are you sure you looked
well for it Lucy! Among the dead
leaves"
She stopped short. She had set her
1ittIa foot in tha hiCr Tlrint of Pnuar-
Winthrop's, and the glazed surface
had cracked under her weight. And
in the crack as she stepped back she
saw something that was not iCe-a cor
ner of folded bit of paper.
She stepped back, and in that one in
slant of silence was fought the hardest
battle of Miriam's life.
For why should she be the one to give
her lover to Lucy?
One instant, then she stopped and
broke away the thin ice from about the
folded paper.
Here is your letter, Lucy. Roger
must have stepped on it when you
dropped it and crushed it into the snow
that was why you could not find it,"
Lucy took it with cry of delight.
"Yes, Miss Lucy Gresham Oh,
don't go, Miriam; I've fancy for read
ing it just here"
"But you don't want me-" said Miri-
am.
She was moving away when her cous-
in caught her, putting her arm
through hers and holding her fast
while she opened her note.
Dear Lucy"
Then with a little cry she dropped
the paper: she set her foot on it, and
half-laughing, half-crying, she execut-
ed war-dance upon it.
That ever should have been
such an idiOt-such a miserable dupe
of my own vanity! Oh, and now shall
marry Tom out of hand, and have the
honeymoon over before there is ever a
Mrs. Roger Winthrop"
Lucy! What is it you mean|
81 am not going to tell you. Roger
may tell you himself; the note says he
is coming. All, and this is the very
day-three weeks from the very day he
went away. Listen, Miriam"
She stopped suddenly, lifting her
hand. The sound of a horses hoofs
was heard approaching rapidly along
the road.
"He always rides that way Don't
let him guess my folly, Miriam. There's
the nOte-yOu may read it. I'm off.
Mono, you are not to come with me-"
She had squeezed herself through
gap in the hedge-such tiny gap that
only such little creature could have
done it-and Miriam could not hope to
follow her. Indeed, she did not think
of it-she was looking at the note Lucy
had thrust upon her.
Perhaps she did not know how close
the rider was to the turn in the road
behind her. Certainly she started and
colored deeply when he flung himself
from his horse, and, with the bride
over his arm, walked beside her.
Miss Miriam" Then he started
in his turn, as his glance fell on the pa
per in her hand. "YOu are reading my
letter to Lucy" he said.
him, putting such cOnstraint upon her
self that one might have thought her
Indifferent,
as it true" she said, "that you could
write such a letter as this to Lucyp
ITO Lucyl Surely you are not angry2
She is your cousin, and sort Of cousin
of mine too. She is always kind and
good, and she loves you. Was there
any harm in telling her that you had
refused me, but that | was coming
back in three weeks time, when Car
ringtOn should have left the neighbor-
hood, unless Lucy wrote me that you
had, meanwhile, accepted him2 She did
not write, and"
"Did you ever tell Lucy before that
that
Il am in love with you?" supplied
Roger. well, not in so many words,
perhaps; but am sure she understood
it. Her mother found out my secret
one day, coming upon me unawares. L
sunnoSe IL is an omen secrat ha said