San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1886-08-10

awful accident; but she packs her trunk, de-
clining all offers of assistance. And, after
all, the people are very kind.
And so next day, according to their old
plan, she leaves Sea View" with its sand
and dashing waves and starts for home.
Fitzgerald goes with her: very quiet and
calm is she, and he, he marvels at her. lie
has never seen woman like this before.
Ten miles from the city they take the train.
1t is eight O'Clock; the rain Is falling with
depressing steadneSs. Here her escort is
obliged 10 leave her; she bids him go, for
her husbands uncle will be at the station TO
meet her. She Is not at all ayerse to travel
ing those ten miles alone, so Fitzgerald
leaves her, and the train whrls on through
the inky blackness of the night
The door behind her opens suddenly and
slams to; the noise makes her start but she
does not turn her head. A tall man in long
ulster. with travelling cap well pulled down
over his keen, dark eyes has entered. He
scans the various occupants as they sit or lie
uncOmfOrtably, dusty, peeviSh, under the
swaying lamps. His eyes rest on the dark
ROBBED figure sitting just in 'front.' her head
resting YEARLY against the window pane-a
figure he knows as well as his own right
hand. One might fancy he starts; certainly
he puts out hand to steady himself, but
then the car is running very heavily.
After moment he comes over and takes
his seat behind her; she does not turn her
head. The train crashes on and the man in
the dark ulster, on which the rain drops
stand, sits quite still behind her. Perhaps
he is asleep? A stranger he is doubtless;
only once, when he takes off his cap, one
might fancy there was something very IA
miliar in the wave of the bright brown
hair. Home at last! how thankful she is
She thinks, half wOnderingly, how kind the
conductor is for her carriage is waiting her
luggage all attended To, but when she thanks
him he does not seem to understand. Then,
too, someone lit cannot be the conductor
ha 10 will nj har
to her. She has never been very fond OF
her husbands uncle, but truly glad is she TO
see him now. So they drive through the
crowded streets up to her home.
Her room is all ready for her. The old
housekeeper is most kind; there is no one
else there save some of her uncle's friends
But next day and after she has no lack of
company. People whom curiosity has made
bold come to see her, and she sees them one
and all. She receives all their condolences,
all their OStentatiOuS tears with the same
calm indifference, and they go away and, for
want OF another fault, say that she is heart
less.
For those few days before the funeral she
is like one in a trance. She goes about the
house. doing all that there is to be done.
She eats well, she goes over the particulars
of the accident with her uncle when he de-
sreS ii, but she never sleeps. And even in
these few days her cheeks grow pale and
wan, and great, dark circles come about her
eyes. And the day of the funeral comes.
They (her friends) do not wish her to 90.
1t will be too much for her. for she seems
i'll already, but she resistS with gentle firm
ness and has her way So there she stands,
cold as any marble statue, and the people
wonder at her more and more. She listens
to the solemn words of the beautiful burial
service, but she does not seem to compre-
bend.
She looks about her. Black-robed people
all around her-SOme are crying? Why are
they crying? And who is it they are bury
ing in the cold, damp earth? Somehow she
can not remember. YeSterday-nO, not yes
terday, either-when was it? She was going
to drown herself! Did she do it. and are
they burying her? No; for some hand held
her back, someone proved stronger than the
sea. But the sea IS calling to her, IL is
stretching out its great, white arms to her, 1t
is promising her rest!
The people draw back; someone touches
her arm to come, She starts and looks up
with wild, frightened eyes. And then q tall
man comes from out the crowd and lays q
white flower cross upon the grave.
Eleanor looks at him; she has seen him
somewhere before. Where was it? this tall
young man with the brown eyes and wavy
hair? Someone is telling her to cOme-she
must go.
She makes a step forward and then, some
how, the world seems to grow dark the peO-
pie, the clouds, the sky, seem Keeling before
her. She puts out her hands with little
gasping cry and falls heavily back upon the
hOwer-cOvered mound OF her dead husbandI