San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1888-06-07
She udS so dlire NTH beauty

She uGS so dtire NTH beauty
warm blooded and happy! She seemed to
come to him like sudden youth or summer in
this last desperate hour. There hung about
her even the faint scent Of roses 1t seemed
so easy to come back to sit down beside mis-
little daughter who loved him with all her
honest heart, and be happy and jolly and
alive as always.
But he knew what he had to do.
How long are You going to stay, MaddyW
Until to-morrow-unIessy you would rather
would go tonight" quickly.
Eyes, would rather. l have some bust
ness-there will be some men here after
awhile-it wouldn't be best for you to stay"
Very well" Maddy nodded, turning her
stockinged feet about before the fire. She
never asked questions, but she gener-
ally fcund out all that she wanted
to know without them. "How long can !
stay, Uncle Dam taking off her hat.
I'm two hours will be time enough. Let
me have you long as | can"
'Isnt that lovely hat'" posing it on her
little fat fist, and looking over it steadily into
his gaunt, changeless face. 1.-THE brown
plume is just the shade of my hair. Been
hard at work on The Camera lately, dear!
They've needed nothing for two weeks. /"
"Oh!" She was quiet minute Just put
that hat carefully away in my room, went
you! and bring me my slippers. They're in
the lower drawer. You have the keys" She
sat motionless until the door closed behind
him, and then like a flash she was in the pan
try cupboard, which was empty, as we know,
and back again by the fire. She took up the
goblet and smelled it. The major, coming
back, glanced at it jealeusly, but it stood
where he left it, and Maddy was leaning
lazily back in her own low chair. She was
pale, and the water stood in her eyes,"
"YOu're not well, childY'
"No. Sit down by me, Uncle Dan. I'm
tired and I'm hungry, that's all l ordered a
miraculous little supper as came along. 1t
will be here presently" She took his big
hand as he sat by her, lingering it over, hold
ing it now and then to her cheek. Some
thing else than hunger had been at work with
him. They were both too old soldiers to be
beaten, as he was today, by little whole
some fasting. But what was the sore? She
did not know where to thrust her probe
They've raised my salary, Uncle Dan, did
you notice.
mo, l did not Pm glad of it, my dar-
ling. You can go through the world alone
plSGOJ "SlL HOhs 4hSiuuS
She made grimace. "If one only cares
for hard work and money-yes But I'm
tired of being alone. l mean to either come
home, or you must come to me. Though
man of your talents would be wasted in
Jersey village like that. They have only one
newspaper. You could not go there"
'Only one newspaper, have theyF'
There was silence, Jack is at home" he
said, at last.
The cheek against which she had pressed
his fingers grew suddenly, fercely hot She
got up and laid some wood on the CRATE, sat
down leisurely, her face turned from him.
"Who did you say had come home2-John?
John Proctor?'
Yes, Jack" The very name of the boy
stabbed him like pain, yet ne could not keep
it off his lips. He did not waver in his re-
solve He would put himself out of the way
to keep the shameful birth of his boy secret
Yet, as the clock licked away the moments
of this last hour, nature grew almost too
strong for him. He could have cried out, so
that all the world might hear, for his son
for his son, whose flesh and blood was the
same as his. He heard the girl speaking to
him as in dream. Her voice trembled in
spite of herself.
Tell me something about him, Uncle Dan
Is he much changedF
II see no change in him. He caught
sight of her face, and through all his dull
absorption, it startled him; it was so
strangely fresh, and dewy, and young.
81 suppose John has been successful, then!n
she said at last, with an effort. He told me
once he would never come back or write
until he could do mans work and make all
his friends proud of him. He thought they
would forget him. He need not have been
very much afraid of that" She was talking
half to herself, stopping as she sat on her
stool, her brown eyes fixed ON the fire. her
hands pressed on her breast. II always
knew he would find some little home in the
west, and then come back; l knew he would
"Maddyr
Eyes, Uncle Dan"
I'm tell you about Jack" in an I'M
naturally loud, harsh voice HE is a man
Of mark nova leadeS in his sect. They've
called him to the first church here. His COM
panionS are not yours or mine, and his ways
are not ours. They would look upon him as
tainted if he made friends Of Shiftless Bohem-
ians ike U.s. He's in a world the door of
which is shut TO you and me. 1t will be the
same way when we are dead. He will be in
side, but when come the door will be shut
shut"