San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1886-01-23

| us ma you weeping again! why u thIN,
my precious? What has haupcnedg'
ut is nothing, says Mau@ eyasiyely. a
| foolish fancy: and. besides. my head aches.
| Or your heart, prrrhancr. Yet why? lie
has come back to you, that Young Prnrud-
dock, safe and sound. Your conscience,
| therefore, must bp free Of OtfenSP. SaumaTcL
| has been true to his word, and has spared
him; yet in spite of al this, you are openly
| unhappy. The boy is alive. 1t Is should
weep for that, not your
Esther" says the gITl, suddenly, sitting
up, and confronting her with flushed cheeks
| and angry eyes. you must not speak thus
| you shall not: and if you persist in hating
him, | shall learn 10 hate yOn!'
"Ay, that will bc my reward, no dOubt'
mutterS Esther bitterly.
Her tone smites her listener 10 the heart
Il was wrong" she says, with cOntritiOn.
"llOw could | speak To you like that?' She
slips warm, soft arm round the woman
neck as she speaks and Esther, turning,
kisses her little hand with passionate love.
How could hate one who has taken care
OF me all my life, and even saved me from
death once, as you have told me? But Of
what kind you have not said. Death from
starvation, was it?'
No; from sudden DEATH
why have you never told me about that
"Whatw
You know what mcan-that rcscur|'
II shall some day"
''Why not nOw?'
II shall wait till they are more sensible"
Il do not understand YOU
II mean till you have learned to forget
PenruddOck, and to love another
Then | think | shall never hear that
story" says the girl, very simply.
Tut! Does love, think you, last forever?
Time will teach you more than that
IT would take very long time indeed to
teach me to forget Dick"
so you think now; but when a year has
hNs n1nI "A
fresh idol, then you will believe in my
words, and then you shall hear the story of
your dcliverance from DEATH
II don't want to hear it, says Maud, will
fully, drawing back from Esther.
She was silent for few moments, and
then asked, in an anxious tone. Are men
really 80 tickle as you say, nurse
Pickle and worse. Cod and Crupl''
But not Dick, | am very sure says
Maud, with tears in her eyes and voice.
lie Is his fathers son. and will 10 doubt
follow in his father footsteps. nOtwitIstand.
ing that his mother was, really and truly,
saint upon earth.
WAS sheY' eagerly. Then | think he
must be like his mother
After which she ia Is to weeping again Bit
terry, with the little CrmpiCd note. 50 pre-
ciOuS to her, hidden in her Smll,. fcycIish
hand
Her tears seem to drop like molten lead up
on the wOman's heart
She gets up impatiently, and PAGES the
room in a restless fashion, stopping at last
close to the chair wherr her daring sits la
menting.
DO not cry" she says, tapping thc back
of the chair with nervous nng,Is. "Why
will YOU spoil your eyes and wear away your
heart-strings? " hat is it tllt ais you nov?
Tell your old Esther
1T is hopeless wish, says the girl,
mOunfully; But l want to be as other girls
are want to have father and a mother of
whom | need not be ashamed. want Ia he
born In the same society aS-aS Dicks, and
TO be his equal. don't want money: only
want To be raised above tn" finger of ScOrn.
Oh, Esther, come near to me! | must tell it
all to you. | never knew until tO-day. when
he seemed given back t0 me from the grave,
how fOndly. how truly ! love him..
"AaS-alaS. that things should have gone
50 fart mutters Esther, re-retfUllv
when saw him again, and felt his hands
in mine, a great well OF joy sprWg up with
in my heart. 1t was as IEoIIh h" belonged
to me. was mine f0revtT-aS il nothing could
ever part lis again; yet it i al in vain
All SYanity,' repeats the womI.l, dreami-
Her thoughts seem faraway. in,t in dreams
that belong to curious past
Tomorrow" goes on Maud, sadly,
smoothing out the crushed not with tender
fingers, he is coming to ask ne To be his
wife, and Tor the last time | shall say no.
After that We shall ne Slrau GERS forever, and
how shall bear it? o., low bear it and
liyeT'
"Then marry him, if your heart is 50 set
upon it," says Esther sulenly.
DO YOU think | would do him such in
justice? And, besides, | would not marry
him against his fathers will. have still,
scOrnfully -'SOmc pride left.
'IlOw can you possibly know that Penrud-
dock would seriously Object
l.t oil
disguised, and by many Oth'r things
so, still prOudr says the woman, ScOrn-
fully. Yet the day is fast approaching
when he will be compelled To lower his
toner
What do you say, Esther hastily cried
Maud, wondering at those words.
Nothing. Never mind me. Yet i kills
you"
Help me! Oh, nurse, if you only coudr'
says the girl, in deep agitation, knccling
down before Esther, and leaning her arms
on her knees while gazing with intense earn
eStneSS into the dark vsagC above her
sometimes your manner is 50 strange it
makes me believe you are SURPRISING some
thing. Dear nurSe-deareSt Esther, help me
in this matter if you can! Mr. PenruddOck
is coming here tomorrow with Dick. Help
Inc to meet them. Oh, do, pray do! You
could not endure to see me miserable, know;
help me, then, dear Esther, If only for the
sake of your own peace. help mcr'
There is a whole world of eutTCIty in the
large blue eyes, that gaze upward through
veil Of tears
Esther, after Il moments hesitation and
fearful struggle with herself, makes a gest-
urc as though rcsignng something that for
years had bren sweet 10 her, and. STOPPING,
presses her lips fOndly to Maud'o white brow.
Is she not her own child-dearrT tO her than
anything the world can offer? Shall she not,
for her darling, relinquish her pet scheme?
Perhaps the time is come" she says, slow
ly. Tell me, child, is Gilbert Saumarez in
town.
II don't know: but You could find out.
Why do you want that dreadful man. hurst
with blush and q shudder, as she remem-
beers that last meeting with him, in which
Esther had borne part.
Now lie down again, and try to sleep, or
you will be in a high state of fever tO-mOr-
row, and unfit TO encounter any one says
Esther, with authority, not answering her
question. "Amd'-meanmgly--" is
much before yOu-mOTe than you form any
idea Off
Ito DO C0lstnuedl