San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1888-03-31
NIL DESPERANDUM.
BY EDWARD STAPLETON.
CONTINUED from yesterdays issue.

CONTINUED from yesterdays issue.l
49," he said to himself, 81 did right;
had our marriage be en- genuine should
now be encountered with wife; as 1t Is,
have an easy way out Of my difficulty.
She, l know will never give me any
trouble about 1t; she is too silly, al d -
loves me, know, too we'll to drag me
before the public. My business Ia not so
hourishing, my account Ia small, am
greatly in debt to the firm Of Clayton &
Lawson, unknown to Clayton of course"
he smiled sardonically, land there is
only one way out of 1t, and that Is, to
marry old Clayton's daughter; then he
house whatever l may do. Hang 1t ~ he
went on. frowning, had l backed the
horse first intended, why, things might
have been different. l somehow hate to
leave the girl, but must sooner or later,
for this internal paper contains news
that have been expecting, but the old
man has fooled me. 1 don't see how a
father could cut his daughter of without
q shilling and leave his money to
an asylum, II he had left 1t to Lucy, |
certainly should never leave her, she
must blame him, not me. the best thing
1 can do Is to write note carefully
worded, lest 1t come against me at q
time most announcement" he smiled as
he turned to pen the lying effusion, in
which he told her, he had-quite by &C
cident-found they had been living in
ain, the man at the registry office having
been an imposter, who could not be
found, and in saying goodbye, hoped
she would find somebody worthy OF her
Do not seek me, he said, 1t cannot alter
the past. | shall leave England, then
added as an afterthought, a pos tscript in
which he told her of her fathers death,
he placed the newspaper. and letter on
the table in the center of the room, &C.
eompanied with a small roll of bank
notes, and quietly stole to his dressing
rsom adjoining Luoy's bedroom, to
gather few things he desired should
not pass into other hands.
Lucy, who had gone to bed, lay listen.
ing for his step, she heard the rustic Of
paper, and waited, anxiOusly, expecting
him to enter; che listened till all was
quiet, then rose, not exactly knowing
what she was doing. hastily slipping
into her dressing gown, she went into
the dressing room, it was dark, and had
a sense of loneliness, a feeling of dread
came over her, she went tremblingly
back to her room and returned with 8
night lamp, half expecting to see Law
son stretched at her feet, or that SEINE
thing had happened to him. but the
room was empty; she left the apart
meDt and descended with nervous steI
to the sitting room, cast a hasty glance
around, to find herself again alone. In ,
moment her eyes rested on the letter
she felt relieved, placing the lamp OF
the table, she sat In the chair Lawson
had so lately occupied, and tearing oper
the envelope read, "My dear Lucy :" sh,
turned over the page to look at the end
seeing the postscript, read it first
her face turned to a deadlieI
paleDess, and taking the paper sh,
saw the account of her fathers death
leaving his whole fortune to an asylum
for idiots, even the old hall was to b,
sold, or used as an asylum. As to tn,
disposition of his property, she cared
not, twas the loss Of her father and al
most only friend, and that he should di,