San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1888-06-20

IL ez dld. Ever see that niece O.
Mis- Bylands thets visitin' her from
Breathitt county?"
Little low gyurl-fair complected?"
"Yes-hez yeller hair"
81 b'lieve I've seen her a'passin'; don't
her nose do somethin funny" said Gene,
In delicate compliment to Miss Beasley,
who said the nose in question was ''sorter
curyus.
Most folks think she's mighty pretty,
though. Well, ez wuz tellin', she wuz
at the social, an it would a tickled yeh
to death to a watched Juke Runyan set
tin up to her. Yeh know them old baches
genrully do fancy right young fool Of
gyurl. He gallavanted her the hull even.
ing, an his nav, old lady Runyan, wuz
pleased ez punkins, she passed the re-
mark tibet she whisht to goodness luke d
marry, an she lowed eff he settled to suit
her, she'd give him her house, an build
new shed kitchen on. fer wedding pres.
ent. Fur ez I'm colsairned, amt a-bid-
din fer the position o darter in law to
her; they say she can smell dust on the
chimbley pots, an I've seen her with my
own eyes ascrubbiu toe inside of her
kitchen table, hev So"
S'Beth had begun to put down her
sleeves when she heard Miss Beasleys
voice; still stood in the kitchen, the light
rattle of gossip falling hotly on her ears,
her arms still barred, the knuckles show.
ing whitley &C her shut hands. While
her shaken mind strove to a comprehen
sion of it's pain, she was oddly conscious
of observing the delicate flushing of her
hard set finger nails, bleached at each tip
in a white crescent that held bv a space Of
vivid rose color from the smaller arc at
the base. Her larger emotions were
Gained and held by this little sensation,
as running waters by dam of clay.
Presently she began to see that her
tranquil happiness during the long years
had been result less of her slavish devo
ton to Gene than of her perfect trust in
Duke Runyan's unspoken fathfulness
1t came in upon her that he was right
to give over a woman who could sacrifice
him as well as herself. and who cared more
for breaking her box of nard at the feet
of fancied duty than for HIM ami his
welfare.
Once there came an impetuous desire to
ding off her bondage, but it was throttled
at the first gasp by the thought of Mrs.
Byland's niece She had seen the girl
often, and that flower of face In it's web
of bright hair Knocked at her She raised
a quick hand to her cheek, and as she felt
the 6abby laxness of the flesh, she real
lied with q qualm of physical sickness
that she was young no more.
"S'Beth. I'm goin' out on little arrant
Don't yeh go to sweep in yonder er tech
a thing on my table, mind yehl Thet
wheel don't want to get the first smitcb
O dust on it."
Gene was passing through the kitchen
he had on a soft hat. and carried staff
His face was paler than its wont. and wore
a stern expression
AS the bent form went by her, and she
saw the writhed fingers shut over the
knotty stick. any hard thoughts she had
felt for him went out of sBeth's mind
forever
Don't yeh go too fur. bro Gene" she
said. She called him brother only in mo,
ments of tenderness, while he rarely spoke
her name without the sibilant that stood
for sister She thought he used it merely
from habit I'm goin' to bake an apple
roll fer dinner, an yeh mustn't be too out,
done to enjoy it.
IN hev my mouth fixed fer it., he said
as he went out.
She set to work. hard driven by her
ASSiiiiGS' anu IhO tcdAlI1 Vi pOIS
and pans relieved her nightly The ia
BILE was set forth, and she was watching
two eggs frying in the skillet, their golden
spheres quivering in shoals of white,
when Gene came back.
set right down to the table, Gene, an
I'll slap one of these eggs onter your plate
while it's rale hot. I'll pass my word
yeh're feelin kind O. gone after tibet walk
Whar at wuz yeh2'
Il didn't git so awful fur-jes down to
whar Jeems Higgins is goin to put up
his house, faint no good half mile, but |
felt like I'd been drawed through knot
hole back ards bout the time got thar;
spring o the year, reckon" He sighed
"Yeh oughtnt a went tibet fur ways
nohow." demonstrated s'Beth. as she
poured the coffee
ii didn't walk back; | couldn't of
Juke Runyan wuz jest putin out with q
load o dirt. so | got aboard, an KEN up
the street with him
There was a pause.
Il reckon he's pretty square man, tibet
luke Runyan-humphl s'Beth7"
"WhO-Juke Runyan3 Oh yes, reckon
So"
well, sh'd jedge yeh ought to know
fer dead n certain by this time asst
him whynt he never come in TO see me no
more. an he lowed yeh never give him no
favor to come; he said he'd been wantin'
go oct mo far aovna TINA bo,r ,......- -