San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1886-06-01
y. A. q A. =. X. X.
This story was commenced MAY p
THE LAST OF
T ii E NJ q En- rs.


BY THE AUTHOR OF ''SWEErIEARTS.'
~ don't think you are well da,i.nc" he
said presently, finding her quite silent
and resting her head wcarily against him.
"After all, a winter abroad will be the best
thing possible for you. ] am convinced of
it. Why. Dolly, you are not c"yinr! My
darling. what is it :"
81 cannot hrhit cried Dolly passion
ately. and mrak NJ into i ,,I, Of tears
81 know you will I've angry. Int l cannot
help it. | am So afraid of her! | know
that she has come TO take you away from
me. l feel it is so.''
"Do you mean Miss Fox2 My darling,
don't even ike her. l couldn't fall in
love with her if | tried, or however much
she tried to fascinatc me. Why, my sweet
est, she has been trying her best for the
last three years.
81 hate her." said Dolly, shutting her
teeth with an angry click.
Al wouldn't take the trouble if l were
you," he said, with a laugh, as he dried
her tears-very awkwarlly he did it too.
But, as for being afraid Of her, why,
Dolly, it's absurd In the first place she
is black beauty"
But she is a beauty" said Dolly trag-
ically."
"a regular stunner!" laughed Culver
ton, with which Dolly Caught her breath
with great sob But then, you know,
my darling, think the Venus de- Medici
is beautiful; but can't say that l should
care to marry her"
"what-the Venus de- Medici or Miss
Foxr asked Dolly.
Neither of them" he returned emphat-
ically, though, for preference, give me
the Venus-she is white"
Il do not know why | should feel this
awful foreboding," said Dolly forlornly;
"but do. tried TO shake it off last night
and go TO sleep; but l could not. never
slept the whole night"
my poor little darling" he cried COM
passionately. "Shall | ask the Squire to
let us be married at once-say next wcekl
1t could be managed, you know, quite ca
silly"
mo, mol" she said. They would all
laugh at me; and l could not tell any one
but you that am afraid of her"
"Then will tell you what | will do; l
see you will never rest if this goes on for
a couple of months. If Miss Cave-Fox
makes you uneasy, or makes eyes at me.
I'll just go away and stop until the end of
September"
mo, not" cried Dolly once MORE
"Where will you gol"
mot where there are any ladies to wOr-
ry you,' he answered, with a smile. Ill
go TO the Lodge. where there are no gen
tie folk within fifteen miles, and only few
red-headed Scotch lasSes in the village.
three miles away. Perhaps l might i'll
duce the Squire and the Mistress to bring
you for few weeks; the Squire would
enjoy the change"
do you think he would Z" she asked,
hopeful once more.
II think he generally does what you
and the Mistress ask him." he answered
her.
ayes, he does"-with a sigh not of I'M
happiness this time.
"And you will try not to worry about it
any morer
Yes, I'll try; only, Berthe, last night
you said you were angry. and you said af-
forwards that | hurt yOu; but"
Now, if Bertram Lord Culvcrton was
anything, he was truthful; and. as he
could not conscientiously say he had been
neither angry nor panied. and as he did
not wish to hear anything more on the
subject, he deemed it wiser to stop his
small tender hearted .fdRce6s self-accusa-
tons first by kissing her, and then by lift
ing her on to her feet.
Couldn't you take me for a drive" he
asked. "You know have not been here
for five years, and want to look about
little"
1--WE might have the Norwich cart and
the cob" she answered.
"rhen, if you will go and get hat on,
will order it," he said; land don't be
long"
So they went for a long drive, during
which he petted her and made so much
of her that she almost forgot such per-
son as Hermione Cave-FOx lived, until as
they were returning rapidly through
the village, being rather late for lunch
they passed a strange lady dressed in
delicate cream-colOr from head to foot, to
whom Culverton raised his hat. Dolly
sank back, white and trembling; and Gull
verton laughed.
There's your bug bear. my pet Not
80 formidable, after all. is shei"
"She is the most beautiful woman | ey-
err saw in my life" said Dolly, with quiv-
ering lips.
"You are neither more nor less than a
little fool, Dolly" said Lord Culverton
teasingly.
perhaps 1 am" returned Dolly humbly,
"but l can't help it indeed"
However, after lunch, when Dolly went
with her father to Deane Ella station to
meet Jasper, Culverton took the Mistress
into his confidence.
Mother" he began, "do you consider
that Dolly is very nervousr
mot at ALL" returned Mrs. Nugent
promptly. ''She never knew what fear
was"
"But she seems to have an absolutely
unconquerable apprehension of these PEG
pie who have taken the Villa. She talks
of feeling Of coming i'll and all that; and,
indeed, cannot reason her out of it. We
passed Miss Cave-Fox in the village this
morning, and L was afraid Dolly would
burst into tears before her."
"Well it is rather strange, is it not, Gull
verton, that they should have fixed upon
Deane Ella as dwelling-place7" she said
gravely.
''oh, l know what they've come forr
he answered, reddening little. "But
then. YOU know.mother, don't wish Dolly