San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1888-10-06
FITZHERBERT.


Nv name is John Smith-plaip Smith
without change or addition of vowel-and !
was in no way discoa tented with it until ]
fell in love with Katie Rogers. Katie had
never sneered at it, but her elder sister,
Miranda, had more than once limited that it
was neither romantic nor uncommon, and her
father, in his somewhat lengthy discourse
about the British aristocracy had an aggra
waiting way of looking apologetlcally at me
every time he spoke of "a good name"
In our commercial community Smith was
counted a better name than Rogers, and
young Smith, the rising cotton broker, a
more distinguished member of society than
old Rogers, ex-cGptaln Of dragons, who
could scarcely pay his go rent and never
wore decent hat.
Iquite agreed with my reighbors on these
points till fell in love with Katie and grew
familiar with Miranda's sentiments about
"the ignorance Of Philistine Riverbank'
Capt. Rogers was descended from Fitz-
roger, who came over with the ConGuerOr
and as listened reverently to the history Of
the family progress through eight centuries,
there was total collapse u my once foolish
pride in belonging to what a local paper
bank" For Riverbank was scarcely IS old
as my father, having grown inSo a town
with speed rarely equalcd on tAis side OF
tie Atlantic
In a general way do not undervalue Qly-
self, but it was with deep sense Of humility
that implored the descendant Of Fitrogef
to become my father-in-law. We were alone
together in the dining room Of the thirty
pound house, he sitting in a shabby armchair,
standing on a still sbabbier hearthrug. He
looked up at the Battle Roll of Hastings"
which hung over the mantel piece, and down
at the fire, kept low by economical Miranda.
Then, having weighed the past glories OF
Fitzroger against the present price of coal,
he accepted my proposal with the magniti-
cent condescension of king consentlng, for
certain state reasons, to bestow the hand of
royal princess on an aspiring subject.
So Katie and l were engaged, and for a
time l was supremacy happy. l was not
quite vain enough to share my darling
opinion that l, John Smith, was better worth
worshiping than all Carlyle's Heroes" put
together; but was rather easily convinced
that l was far too fine fellow to fear any
rival So when Katie went on a visit to Lon
don there was no bitterness in my regret, fol-
/ believed in her-and myself.
At first l was not disturbed by Miranda's
boasts about the advantages her sister was
enjoying in "the best society" but when the
London visit extended for weeks and months
beyond its original limit l began to feel
vaguely uneasy. In those days Katie's let
tiers, though loving, were not long, and she
more than once apologized for their brevity
~ I'll % ri C11lg
nature of which she never explained. Ny
confidence sank, my JEALOUSY arose.
At last she came home, and tuc@ ! noticed
a change in her that seriously t;..r.Icl :..u,
She was paler and quic,c:, and q, times tneTc
was w!stful look III To- eyes, suggestive Of
something on her mind. It could not b
anxiety about her fathers pecuaiury GfE4!rs
because about that time he GuyeareI II a IL"
hat and Miranda kept better fires. T@cs(
outward and visible signs Of pro>,r4-..;.
would have given me sincere pIeas-." # .
had not teen for the suspicion "a. -,
Rogers was more than ever dispose =. -
the Norman conquest tone with I.", a....i . .
the certainty that MirandG's s4cc"s {. &C.. .
pie who Gould not count Their :."4...:,.:,.cis
were ali for my benefit.
What did this sort of tLi,.- mean Eat
huIlc Ittl IlpLtu ..-i A.LC ~ u NV [
with longer pedigree! nc..d Rogers tel
me some day, like the fathel IN old fashione,
romance, that he had other views" FOR hi
daughter
One evening 1 called much later thai
usual, having been detained by an importan
business matter in the neighboring city 0
Shipley The outer door of the house wa
open, and |, in my usual way, turned tn
handle Of the vestibule door and walked int
the drawing room, which appeared to b
empty. was just going TO ring the bell 70
the servant ,rEen heard a pleading Httl
voice be...-... lie:
"Oh, say. JACK, don't do that"
Il was tic vo."e Of Bob, the youngest 0
E1Clc's E-aLy yJung brothers, and, turning
sharply round, l saw his scared little fac
peeping between the curtains drawn acrOs
the bow window.