San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1886-04-14
THE WHITE LADY.
BY THE AUTHOR OF 'TIs Welded WIFE,
"A FATAL DOVER SIR PHILIPS
WARDS 81.
PART I.-BY JEAN TEEDEGAR.

PART I.--BY JEAN THEDEGAR.
you look Urea, MIS-. LeOnnaTdJ," Guy
said, at last. at is unreasonable to kecpyOu
up so late; and BERTHE is half asleep. Don't
protest madem0sielle; your eyes ale not half
their usual size
Mrs. IeOnhardt laughed as she said good
night.
1T is not yet very late she said; but we
have travelled much to-day
Il owe you debt of gratitude for the pleas
ure you gave my guests and myself tonight.
BOnSOir ct bon TCpOsV
Then Guy kissed me, and, turning to BERTHE,
put his arm round her regardless of our pres
ence; we looked away diScreetly.
A few whispered words, a long kiss left on
the white brow, and then Guy opened the
door for us, and we separated for the night.
The next morning BERTHE begged to see the
picture-galleries, and so too did several of
our guests. The great hall at Tredegar was
fanked by two broad Oaken staircases, the
one leading to the billiard and smoking rooms
and that part of the house especially given
up to Guys cOllege-friends, where his own
rooms were, the other to the picture-galleries.
They were always favOrite resort, the dark
velvet lounges being generally in request, and
the pictures, some of them ClICfS-d TltUre of
art, formed an excuse for many filtration,
many compliment, and many a pretty
speech.
BERTHE, standing by Guys side, was gazing
at our mothers picture.
"YOu are like her, Guy, when you are
pleased; when you are angry, you are your
father himself"
Have you ever seen me angry, MOusie?"
Sometimes
She was looking very lovely this morning.
Her hair, which was very luXmiant, and of
that lovely blond Cendre the old painters
loved, was falling down her back in two
broad plaits tied with ribbon; her dress was
of gray, with a bright mauve knot at her
throat; her face was flushed, her eyes, lovely
velvet-brOwn eyes, We're cleaning. Her step
mother, looking superbly handsome in a
moming-drcsS of purple, fastened at her waist
with a curiOuSly-wrOught band and gold taS-
sells, was strolling on with Lord Oldham,
talking of art and artists like cOnnOiSseur.
We had been halfway down the line of de-
funct Tredegars, gallant-lOOking men in
dOublet and corselet pretty women in various
costumes, handsome Cavaliers and dainty
Court ladies, when Guy was summoned to re-
ceive some rather important information
from his steward.
"Bertie, will you excuse me for short
time? Mr.. Paliser, will you take my place
and show Miss Leonhardt our lions? You
are almost as well acquainted with them as
am"
As he went off, BERTHE looked after him,
with her radiant face nOdding and smiling
lit was the last time we saw it so bright :
then, as he disappeared, she turned to Mr..
Paliser and addressed him with a graceful
4. 1.
winning to the old clergyman, who had held
the living of Iredegar during two genera
TONS They went on together, stopping short
before one of the pictures to examine it more
closely, Ii represented the interior of bed
chamber furnished in dark oak richly and
deliberately carved, which, with the heavy
velvet hangings, made rather gloomy back
ground. A handsome man In the prime of
life, wearing Cavalier dress, his long love
locks falling round his handsome deDOnair
face, was sitting In careless attitude on the
side of the heavy fOW-poSt bedstead, his eyes
fixed on a shadowy figure standing just with
I'm the closed door, the figure of a woman
with long falling hair, and one hand raised
as if In reprOof or warning, while at the
painted window small white bird was beat
ing its snowy plumage against the glass.
This picture represented legend which
had been handed down for some generations
In our family. II was stated that our ances-
tor Rene Tredegar had just retired on the
night of his twenty-ninth birthday. Gallant
Cavalier though he was, report said that Rene
was a TOuG, renowned even among the TOues
who were by no means rare in Charles IL
Court 1t was whispered that a fair young
girl, Cicely Wadman, the daughter of awOod-
man on the estate, had owed her ruin to him,
and had hidden her shame in death; that on
the night on which the GarvOr's waters had
closed over the erring, loving, broken heart
white figure had appeared TO Rene and had
sOlemnly cursed him, telling him that no
male Tredegar would reach his thirtieth year,
and that three nights before the death of each
she would appear and warn him Of his APP
preaching end. 1t was rumOred also that
Rene had spoken, asking her if she were
Cicely Wadman, and that white figure had
sOlemnly shaken her head, pointing with her
hand TO the bird beating its snowy breast
against the glass, and which, as she pointed,
flew upwards with moumful cry.
SO ran the legend. BY series of strange
condolences, no male Tredegar had during
the last four generations reached his thiTtieth
year, and all but one had met death by ac-
cident or violence. My own father had died
at twenty-seven, his elder brother meeting his
death OF TWENTY-FIVE by the laundering of his