San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1888-09-05

Young man at her side before her well
framed announcement had been delivered at
proper time and place, was thing she could
not contemplate with equanimity. So, in
stead of looking at the shops and harbor,
they went along the coast little way.
The heat of the morning was by this time
intense They clambered up on some cliffs,
and, while sitting there looking around at
st. Michael's mount and other objects,
Charles said to her that he thought he would
run down to the beach at their feet and take
just one plunge into the sea
Baptista did not mWh like the idea Of
being left alone; it was gloomy, she said; but
he assured her he would not be gone more
than quarter of an hour at the outside, and
she passively assented.
Down he went, disappeared, appeared
again and looked back. Then he again pro-
ceeded and vanished, till as a small waxen
object she saw him emerge from the nook
that had screened him, cross the white fringe
of foam and walk into the undulating mass
Of blue Once in the water he seemed less
inclined to hurry than before; he remained
a long time; and, unable either to appreciate
his skill or crticise his want of it at that dis
and gazed at the still outline of st. Michael's
now beautifully toned in gray.
Her anxiety for the hour of departure, and
to cope at once with the approaching Incl
dents that she would have to manipulate as
best she could, sent her into a reverie II
was now Tuesday; she would reach home in
the evening-a very late time, they would
say; but, as the delay was a pure accident.
they would deem her marriage tomorrow TO
Mr. Heddegan still practicable. Then Charles
would have TO be produced from the back
ground. 1t was a terrible undertaking to
think of, and she almost regretted her temer-
ity in wedding so hastily that morning. The
rage of her father would be so crushing: the
reproaches of her mother so bitter: and, per-
haps, Charles would answer holly, and, per-
haps, cause arrangement till death. There
had obviously been no alarm about her at
st. Mary's, or somebody would have sailed
across TO inquire for her. She had, in let
ter written at the beginning of the week,
spoken of the hour at which she intended to
leave her country school house: and from this
her friends had probably perceived that by
such timing she would run a risk of losing
the Saturday boat She had missed it, and
as q consequence SdJ mere on the SnOre as
Mrs Charles Stow.
This brought her to the present, and she
turned from the outlines of st. Michaels
mount to look up for her husbands form
He was, so far as she could discover, no
longer in the sea- Then he was dressing. By
moving few steps she could see where his
clothes lay. But Charles was not beside
them.
Baptista looked back again at the water in
bewilderment, as if her senses were the vic
tim of some sleight of hand. Not a speck or
spot resembling mans head or face showed
anywhere. BY this time she was alarmed.
and her alarm intensified when she perceived
little beyond the scene of her husbands
bathing a small area of water the quality of
whose surface differed from that of the sur
rounding expanse as the coarse vegetation of
some foul patch in mead differs from the
fine green of the remainder. Elsewhere it
looked fexuous, here it looked vermicuated
and lumpy, and her marine experiences Sug-
gested to her in moment that two currents
met and caused turmoil at this place
She descended as hastily as her trembling
limbs would allow. The way down was
terribly long, and before reaching the heap
of clothes it occurred to her that, after all.
it would be best to run first for help.
Fastening along in lateral direction, she
proceeded inland till she met a man, and
soon afterward two others, to whom she
exclaimed: II think gentleman who was
bathing is in some danger. cannot see him
as could. Will you please run and help
him at once, if you will be so kindi"
She did not think of turning to show them
the exact spot, indicating it vaguely by the
direction of her hand, and still going on her
way with the idea of gaining more assist
ance. When she deemed, in her faintness,
that she hsL carried the alarm far enough,
she faced bout and dragged herself back
again. Before reaching the now dreaded
spot she met one of the men.
I'VE can see nothing at all, miss" he de
clared
Having gained the beach. she found the
tide in, and no sign Of Charley'S clothes
The other men whom she had besouCht to
come had disappeared, IT must have been in
some other direction, for she had not met
them going away They, finding nothing
had probably thought her alarm a mere con-
lecture and given up the quest.
Baptista sunk down upon the stones near
at hand. Where Charley had undresSed was
now sea. There could not be the least doubt
that be was drowned and his body sucked up
by the current. while his clothes, lying within
high water mark had. probably been carried
away by the rising tide.
She remained in a stupor for some minutes,
tie a strange sensation succeeded the afOre-
said perceptions, mystifying her Intelligence
and leaving her physically almost inert
With his personal disappearance, the last
three days of her life with him seemed to be
swallowed up; also his image, in her minds
eye, waned curiously, receded far away,
grew stranger and stranger, less and less
rCkn;.. mott nj Id