San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1888-03-22
GRAY FUR.
BY Z. GERARD.

wuuId ue awKwarG1o De deIayeH -. ...s
way, and l shall not breathe freely again
till / have got rid off, He did not
finish the phrase, which he had spoken
half aloud, for the sound of approaching
bells had arrested his attention.
1.-THE diligence at last!' he exclaimed
with relief, as he distinguished dark
mass advancing toward him.
Fancifully unreal through the fog ap-
peared the figures of three white horses,
looking no more substantial than if
formed Of the floating mists around But
it was not the diligence Hugo Weyprecht
recognized as he stepped aside to let the
phantom equipage pass by, but small
light open carriage in which reclined
single figure.
Hugo could only distinguish vision Of
golden hair, very wide open blue eyes,
and slender youthful figure, which,
like everything else, seemed wrapped in
curling gray mists as she fioated by. She
looked like the queen of the mists herself.
So at least thought Hugo Weyprecht,
as for full two minutes he stood staring
open mouthed at the retreating carriage.
Then he began retracing his steps toward
the post house. in the faint hope of catch
ing another glimpse of the beautiful
vision. Evidently some great lady travel
ing in her own carriage, he thought, a
Russian princess most likely, and he gave
a sigh and then smiled q little at his own
folly. What had he to do with Russian
Processes? The chances were he would
never in his life come across her again,
and it could do him no good even to hear
her name.
No harm either, he reflected moment
later, determined to put the question to
the first person he met.
There was no need of so doing, how
ever, for as he stepped into the untidy
pOsthouse courtyard, to his unbounded
surprise there in the center of the yard
was the lady herself, standing beside
small black trunk. There was no sign of
either carriage or servants, apparently
they had vanished into mist like Cinder-
elias fairy equipage.
Seen there at close quarters, she APP
peared less unreal but quite as lovely as
she had done at first sight, even though
her misty raiment now disclosed itself as
gray merino and Astrakhan fur.
AS Hugo approached she was fumbling
with the lock of her box, which had
sprung open on the way.
"May | be allowed to assist yOu?' he
ventured to ask, in very respectful tone.
The girl glanced quickly at him with
an inquiring look.
~ do not speak Russian" she said in
her native language.
"But | am German Also" cried Hugo,
delighted to have found bond of union
between himself and this exquisite Great
ure.
But mis- eager tone had alarmed her,
and after scanning him for a moment with
naive suspicion, she coldly refused his
offer of assistance.
"Thank you, do not require any help;
can manage it very well alone"
GAS you please" said Hugo discom-
flted Withdrawing k.om her side and re-
turning to tn open street, where in
state Of considerable irritation he paced
up and down, smoking his cigar.
''Hah!' he exclaimed in disgust some
ten minutes later, throwing away his
weed ''Everything is bad in this wretched
county; not even the cigars are pass.
ADLER
He re-entered the courtyard, studiously
refraining from glancing at that slender
figure in the gray fur jacket and was about
toenter the uncongenial barroom, when an
obviously artificial little cough caused him
TO turn ana see her standing IN some
what detected attitude near the still I'M
closed trunk
On her side she had been examining
him furtively and had come to the con-
clusion that he did not look so very dan
gerOus.
r.-Mr-German," she began in
some embarrassment, II find cannot get
the lock to close after all. Perhaps am
not strong enough" she concluded with
a sigh. She said no more, but her blue
eyes were plainly asking him to help her
now and to forgive his former repulse
Il 1t needed 10 more to make his i'll humOr
q, and directly he was at her side,
hg down over the obstreperOus lock,
sitting on the trunk she endeav-
D weigh down the lid.
kim afraid we must change parts, "
a minute later, looking up laugh
SGntO her eyes from his kneeling
Sc. "YOu are not near heavy
H., and taking her place he easily
q Ae Obdurate lid to close, and the lock
r'a~ S--s,Ir- ~a~',~nd