San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1888-01-06

a gay or two afterward would make erich.
ard himself again. though OF course, she
could not walk any distance for fortnight
OF more.
In the morning nothing was done but
general pottering, Of which Valerie was the
| center; and Mrs. Langley waited patiently
for an opportunity Of seeing her niece
alone. IL came at last, Just after luncheon,
when the girl had gone to her dressing
room TO change her dress, and was resting
her foot a little before going down again.
Valerie looked up, vaguely apprehensive,
as her aunt entered the room, but she said
nothing. Mrs. Langley sat down by the
couch, facing her niece.
81 hope yOur foot will be quite well by
Saturday" she said-this was Tuesday
las we have to leave on that day"
"Oh, 1t will be all right before that' said
Valerie, carelessly.
"Well enough. at any rate, to travel.
We are due at the MOrton's ON Saturday
evening, you see"
Yes"
Mrs. Langley drew from her pocket an
envelope.
81 received these l.tters," she said. ives
terday, while You were out. Read this"
She placed an enclosure in Valerie's
hands, and, rising, walked to the other
side of the room.
Valerie looked at the address on the en-
velope, and the blood rushed holly to her
brow. Aston Lawford!
She opened the letter hastily, her fingers
trembling, bright scorn in her eyes.
Not many words-asking her, begging
no m hanilinn--Cba
still free-to give him some hope of win
ming her.
If Valerie had been the coquette she was
believed to be, here was triumph indeed
to make her heart swell; without an effort
on her part, this man whom she had cast
aside so cOolly for higher prize, came back
to her feet again-abased himself to the
very dust before her.
But Valerie clenched the letter In her
hand, setting her teeth hard to keep back
from her lips the scorn that blazed in her
dark eyes, that made her bosom heave, her
whole frame tremble.
Mrs. Langley seeing that her niece had
read the letter, came back to the couch.
"Well," she said, nothing of the girls
aspect lost upon her, nor yet the crumpled
letter still held in the little hand. "He is
constant lover, Is he nOt?"
'Loverr'
Valerie proved, by the manner in which
she uttered the word, how much contempt
can be thrown into single word.
"What then, my dcarr"
"What them" Valerie laughed, and tear
ing the letter up, scattered it on the ground.
"Infatuated slave! Don't call such slavery
love. This man bclievcs-told me-that |
befooled, tricked him, led him on-then
threw him over for n more brilliant prize
and now he thinks | have failed to grasp
that prize he comes back and grovels at
my feet; spaniel would have more spirit
"a whipped hound might have more
prider'
Heaven pity the man of whom woman
spoke with such ineffable scorn!
Mrs. Langley grew white, and rose.
81 hardly thought, Valerie" she said,
almost sternly, that You would regard a
mans devotion in this light! You are not
just to Lawfordr
Don't talk of him, please, " returned the
girl, flInging back her head on the cushion.
"lf he wants an answer, you can tell him
what did with his letter"
Mrs. Langley rose once more, paced twice
slowly through the ROOM and came back
TO Yalerie's side; but this time she did not
sit down.
The girl raised her head, and looked
steadily in her aunt's face She knew per-
fectly well what was coming, but she did
not speak.