San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1888-08-27


does not at present occur to mel should not
be settled by the interested parties. Let me
ask if any one of you three can, by any
chance, strike that nice balance which Is
possible to perfect strangeri You, young
sir, are blindly in love- and, by heavenl
envy you your blindness. You, young lady,
do not know the price of beef or what it
means to be restricted in your laundress bill
You, sir, are a man of affairs, who have
loved so long ago that you have forgotten
the sensation. II am asked if you three are
qualified to pass an opinion worth hearing,
answer, NO"
Delmar could not restrain a smile
40 be told" said he, shat one is not COM
petent to manage his own affairs is not COM
plimentary."
Truth rarely is" retorted the stranger,
with politeness, but touch of sternness
Look we, sir; if you have a pain in your
chest do you consult Tom, Dick and Harry,
or do you go to doctor, who knows you
only as a case, and prescribes accordingly
And you, sir, as a man of business, if you
fall into the meshes of defalcation or pro-
tested notes, do you call a caucus of your
relatives or do you HE to an unsentimental
lawyer who would have taken fee from the
other side if they had gone up the steps ahead
of your
II begin to see your drift" observed Mr.
Baxter.
"Of course you do. But I wander. 1t is
then admitted that the question is left for
me to settle"
No one had admitted anything of the kind,
but no one protested There was a calm
audacity about the stranger which silenced,
if it did not convince. 1--WE will walk along
the sands" continued the stranger, land dis
cuss this matter further. To begin, will
ask if there if any tangible objection to this
young MANI Does he drink, smoke or gamble
to excess? Has he hidden wife or is he, as
the six cent novelists say, under the shadow
of great crimeT
mol" cried Delmar, violently.
II was sure not. To the lady then: Is she
engaged to anotheri Has she dreadful past
or an incurable maladya Is she Of unsound
mind or tickle dispositionp
II am sure am not, a." sobbed Winnie, cling
ing to Delnar in nervous Indignation.
Again l am right" said the stranger. "On
you, sir, them" taking the amazed but inter
ested Baxter by the arm, sis my last re-
source. "Have you destined your daughter
for convent Have you another sutton in
your minds eyel Do you know aught against
this young mans character or your daugh-
ters dispositionp
"No," stammered Mr. Baxter, vainly try
ing to evsds the large and full blue eyes Of
toe stranger, II cannot say that have any
particular reason"
why, look you, sirl" cried the stranger,
dropping Mr.. Baxter's arm, 1T is as plain as
pikestaR. There is no objection to the banns
being published. He doas not object. she
does not object, you do not object; it is q
perfect conjugation of the verb to marry"
Mrs. Baxter" said that lady's husband,
uneasily, 81 fear that she"-
"Ho!" cried the stranger, switching the air
lightly with his cane. you are master in
your own house, if mistake not"
The hattery was not misplaced.
II think I am" returned Mr.. Baxter, with
portentous cough.
"Then there is no more to be said. I see
the hotel within speaking distance, and if l
can be assured that the young folks have
your blessing will retire with the conscious
ness Of duty well performed"
IF you mean that give my consent" said
Mr.. Baxter, still evading the eyes, II GER
tainly do. Perhaps l was hasty, Delmar;
your hand-I was young myself once"
'Thank you, sir" said Delmar, gripping
him firmly. "And you, sir"-
But the stranger merely smote the air again.
This" said he, with gracious smile,
"would be the proper time for me to reveal
myself, but alasl have nothing to reveal
l said l was a perfect stranger and I am.
Good-by"
He raised his hat again with BENEVOLENT
grace and disappeared in the shades Of the
decorated hallway.
Mrs. Baxter was still clutching the opera
glasses in her nerveless hand when the trio
surged in upon her and began to explain in
chorus. 1t took three-quarters of an hour of
the hardest kind of work to bring her around,
but the good soul 5rokedown at last and then
animosity was supplanted by curiosity.
st was ungenerous as well as impoite,
john" she said, sternly. you might at
least have brought him here FOR a brief
period"
twill fetch him here" said Delmar, dough-
tily, passing out and down to the hotel desk,
accompanied by his prospective father-in-
law
STOUT gentleman, with gray hair" re-
peated the austere clerk English lord,
baron or some such rank, l believe. Run
down from Long Branch for two or three
days and leaves on the $50 train"
"a lord!" exclaimed Mr. Baxter, greatly
agitated. How exasperated Jane will be
when she hears that he has gone!"
"Do you mean the stout man, with the red
face, who always carries thin canem asked
Mr.. Devine, who had been concealed in
corner, counting up the days losses. THAT'S
not the English lord; it's comic actor on
his vacation; some sort of name like Wob-