San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1886-12-24

thousand of their ever getting another
mouthful to eat in the world.
The tables groaned, and so did those
who sat down to them before they got
up. There was a smart business done
for some time in the way Of eating, and
hungry folks might have looked with a
hesrty relish and envied them.
The party broke up toward early
morning, dancers fiddlers, and all. By
the dull light of the stars that winked
and twinkled so steadily far off in the
sky. they sailed forth from before the
door in their sleighs for home again.
Ethan and Lucy Doane felt consider
ably sleepy on their way back, and, as
a consequence, very little was said by
either during their brisk ride. As for
lilly and the young student, she was
entirely unhappy, and he was-shall
l confess it?-a very little "mashedp
1t was easy enough for everybody to
see now that Ethan Nash and lilly
loved one another, and this show Of in
difference on their part was the greatest
piece Of mere acting-heartless and hol-
low-imaginable.
The rest of us who knew all this and
more, too, from the beginning, deter
mined to put an end to it They had
been living on "stutf" a great while
longer than they ought to have done.
So the next day there was a concert
ed arrangement made among ourselves
to bring them all together.
1t was over at Susan Wilde's house,
and the hour was just before tea.
First came in Ethan. He was going
round to dissipate the day through, and
we knew at about what time he would
be there. Then followed Lucy Doane.
She was all smiles and syllables, for
she felt confident as she ever wanted to
be that she had at last won the heart Of
Ethan Nash.
In her presence, however, he was
rather quiet than otherwise. The mo-
ment she came in he stopped talking.
She saw it. and half stopped, too.
By-and-by, who should run up to the
door, all mufiled up to her pretty eyes,
but lilly Fogg! She had been sent for,
for that was at the bottom Of the ar
rangement 1t could never have sue
ceeded without her.
She came clear into the room before
she knew who was there, and the mo-
ment the startling intelligence revealed
itself through her eyes she made .
movement as if to have retreated with
precipitation, had not Susan stood close
at her back, and crowded her along so
as to shut the door. There they were,
then, all together; not one of the three
unhappy parties had previously thought
of such thing.
Now" said | to all hands, whats
the troubled"
Yes" said Susie Wilde. who was a
real good little girl, what is the matter,
sure enoughP"
"W6yr2 said lilly, refining herself in
proudly. and loo1ilrs, everywhere but
at Ethan. ~
who said anything was the matterp"
blurted out Ethan, who couldn't have
held his tongue to save his life.
"See here" said l. You, lilly, are
very unhappy. You needn't tell me
you are not, for know well enough
you are; could see it last night"
She tried to be indignant. but made
only poor feint of it.
Now, Lucy" | continued, what
made you go so readily to the dance
with Ethan, if he never invited youP"
Lucy was instantly as mad as March
hare.
"He did invite me, I'd have you to
known she exclaimed, fixing her spec
tacles anew upon her nose.
He didn't!' broke in one of the girls
who was in the secret. 1--WE did it. We
got up that invitation ourselvesr'
And I" she hesitated in her con-
fusion.
-. Al