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

times ere she knew or had heard Of Charley
Stow. She went upstairs to take off her
things, her mother remaining below to COM
plete the disposition of the supper and at
tend TO the preparation of to-morrow's meal,
altogether composing such an array of pies
from pies of fish TO pies of turnips-as was
never heard of outside the Cornish duchy.
Baptista, once alone, sat down and did moth
ing, and was called before she had taken of
her bonnet.
"rm coming" she cried jumping up and
speedS disappearing herself, brushed her
hair with few touches and went down.
Two or three of Mr.. Heddegan's and her
fathers friends'drupped in, and expressed
their sympathy for the delay she had been
subjected to- The meal was a most merry
one, except to Baptista She desired privacy.
and there was none, and to break the news
was already greater difficulty than it had
been at first. Everything around her. ami
mate and inanimate, great and small, in
sisted that she had come home to be married,
and she could not get chance to say nay.
One or two people sang songs, as overtures
to the melody of the morrow, till at length
bedtime came, and they all withdrew, her
mother having retired little earlier. When
BaptIsta found herself alone in her bedroom
the case stood as before; she had come home
with much to say and she had said nothing.
1t was now growing clear, even to herself,
that Charles being dead she had not deter
minatiou sufficient within her to break It'd
ings which, had he been alive, would have
imperatvey announced themselves. Ard
thus, with the stroke of midnight, came the
turning of the scale; her story should remain
untold. 1t was not that upon the whole she
Thought it best not to attempt to tell it, but
that she could not undertake so explosive
matter To stop the wedding now would
cause a CONFUSION in Hugh Town little short
of volcanic Weakened, tired and terrified
as she had been by the days adventures, she
could not make herself the author of such a
catastrophe. But how refuse Heddegan
without telling' 1t really seemed to her as
if her marriage with Mr.. Heddegan We're
about to take place as if nothing had inter
vened.
Morning came. The events of the previous
days were cut off from her present existence
by scene and sentiment more completely
than ever Charles Stow had grown TO be a
special being of whom, owing to his charac-
ter, she entertained rather fearful than low
ing memory. Baptista could hear when she
awoke that her parents were already moving
downstairs. But she did not rise till her
mothers rather rough voice resounded up
the staircase as it had done on the preceding
evening.
"Baptista! Come, time to be stirringl
The man will be here, by heavens blessing,
in three quarters Of an hour. He has looked
in already for minute or two-and says he's
going to the church to see if things be we'll
forward"
Baptsta arose, looked cut of the window
and took the easy course. When she emerged
from the regions above she was arrayed in
her new silk frock and best stockings, wear
ing linen jacket over the former for break
fasting. and her common slippers over the
latter, not TO spoil the new ones on the rough
precincts of the dwelling.
1t is unnecessary to dwell at any great
length on this part Of the mornings proceed
ingS She revealed nothing and married
Heddegan, as she had given her word to do,
on that appointed August day.