San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1888-06-07

DE did take IL on. de entered the boy
under the name of Proctor at a fashionable
boarding school, setting aside the entire sum
he had saved with which to start a paper in
Philadelphia II can scratch for myself" he
| said
''Let the lad have everything he wants" he
urged his governess one day His father
had the best blood in Virginia in his veins,
madam. And teach him religion. His
mother but he broke down her "She's
yonder," he said quietly at last. CHANGING up
| The governess nodded, and understood him.
SO the feint succeeded. OF what it cost
himself, he said nothing; it had lifted the boy
at once, he thought, into a pure region of
fashion, and refinement, and salvation. The
glories of the Proctors, in the course of years,
| grew and multiplied readily in the majors
handling. There were times when he became
confused himself, so real had Jacks illustri-
Gus family grown Remember your father
the general, lad" he would cry, when urging
the boy to manliness or courage. "Noblesse
| oblige"
Damned if l know whether there was
| Gen. Proctor or not" he would mutter per-
| picked to himself afterward
| Well there was the end of it all now. The
lie had been played successfully for years,
! yet now all Jacks world was to know it was
a lie. Sitting by the fire in his shirt sleeves
tapping his knees with his clumsy fingers
| the ma jOr went over it this afternoon.
| There's nobody who knew me in Virginia.
and knows my name is Richard and not Dan,
that can't tell about the boy" He saw no
way of escape "If to call himself my friend
was ruin to the lad, what will become Of him
as my SON." And to-day, Jacks fate stood
in the balance, as McMurray had said.
Again and again the major reasoned round
| the dreary circle.
| "On one side the charge of great church,
| wealth, and the woman he loves; ON the
other-me." There was nothing beyond
that. Tonight must end it one way or the
other. The drumming of his fingers grew
slower on his knees, till he sat like block
staring in the fire. The gnawing hunger
tearing at his flesh made his brain clearer.
He was to be hung on his boy like mill
stone to drag him down, till one or other of
them died! What if he were dead now!
Great gain would follow; and as for loss
The major rose mechanically, the eyes I'M
| der his grizzly brOws growing strangely keen
and glittering. II don't know that I'm of
much account-if one took stock Of me-" He
| passed his hand with queer chuckle over his
| big, hungry, rheumatic body; then glanced
| hastily toward the pile of MSS. on which
no publisher had drawn for months, proudly
| conscious for moment of the genius which
had been his birthright. Il never made my
mark, though" he muttered. He repeated
| that once or twice
| The stock was taken.
| He stood quiet moment and then sopped
his face with his ragged white handkerchief
| 1t was strangely composed and grave. He
went to a closet and took down from the or
| derby shelves a bottle full of dark brown
liquid, from which he half filled a goblet,
which he placed ready on the mantel shelf;
! then, as though doubling its efficacy, he took
out tiny vial full of white powder, and hid
! it in his pocket. Unlocking a desk he took
out an old leather covered Bible, yellow with
age, and began turning over the leaves, to
find the family record"
Born, JAN 81, John, only child of Richard
| and Mary Standish."
He read it over, as he had done every day
since he gave the boy up He fancied God
came as near to him in those words as he
| could in any others in that book 1t
was the only page which he ever read. She
had written them there.
"She knows whether I've loved her and
you, Jack" STOPPING to kiss the faded writing
| Your old father shall never be a weight on
| you, boy" He opened a knife and cut the
| leaf. 1t was loose now: he held it in his
hand and stopped over the fire irresolute
| After all, his real hold on life for good
many years had been through that page; as
| it began to crisp, he glanced up quickly at
the goblet, then out of the square dormer
| window. Lights were beginning to CLEAN in
| the houses beyond the Schuylkill, the sky
warmed red as cinnabar in the frosty sun
| SET while wisps of feathery smoke from some
| passing steamer wavered across it. The
world gave him friendly look-for the last
He threw the paper in the fire, put out his
| hand for the goblet-when there was a sud
den soft furry behind him, and two nervous
| little hands were clapped over his eyes. The
next thing was a hearty kiss right on his
mouth.
why, Madeline! child! is it your
''Of course it is not me! there are so many
pretty girls stealing in to kiss you without
| leave! Oh dear, I'm quite frozen, Uncle
| Danr
She looked as if she were; her chubby,
dimpled face was blue, and the rimy drops
stood in her eyes. She perched herself up on
| the majors chair, beating her hands in their
wooden gloves together. IF you only could
unlace my bootsa My feet haven't had bit
of feeling for an hour Five miles did they
| tramp. didn't want to break the note for
car fare. It's the half yearly pay day, you
know. Just look at it," fumbling in her
bosom under her sack and bringing out warm
and crisp bright new note II couldn't
sleep until we'd both seen it and-gone
halves!" winking with both eyes and laugh
| ing all over in the most ridiculous, lovable