San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1889-05-28

photograph at the stereoecopic the other day
Now, your are caught in your own net, for
you know you never admit that women are
foolish"
"But what an to Do about Mrs Vernens
ptsnoq"
MY dear fdgety professor, cannot mag
t,e you climbing up Mrs. Veraons stairs,
knocking at Mrs. Vernens door, and begging
of Mrs. Vernon to give up Chopin because he
interrupts your scientific studies If she hap
pens to be nice l5oking"-
go on" the professor breaks IN. you
have the move"
Then, as he absently followed Mrs. Tees
dale's lead, he muttered half aloud Two
lives were shipwreeked by Mr.. Chopin be-
tore at least mine was"
The game lasted barely ten minutes, and
the professor was beaten. "A poor victory
said Mrs. Teesdale. IL believe you were
thinking all the time of Mrs. Vernon and her
piano"
81 was not thinking Of Mrs. Vernon" He
snapped the'words outtquite viciously, and
presently babe his friends good night.
Standing in the open doorway, half in and
half out, he spoke again. Il shall send you
my new address when move" he said. 81
know it will come to that"
There was work waiting for him when he
got home, but he was not in the mood for
work. He opened some letters which had
come for him by the last pOStg gushing
epistlet, some of them from women who fol-
lowed the fashion in running after the clever
est and most attractive man of his day.
Strange to say, these letters did not make
him angry GentleneSS and liberation for
women seemed to increase and multiply in
him as his fame grew; but not one of the
many fair ones who burnt incense before him
could flatter herself that he was falling
in love. He was charming in every mood
and nearly always pleasant of speech. Now
and then came a crushing rClH!..p or a wither-
ing sarcasm, but Immediately after followed
the old sweet pleasant smile that each woman
tried hard to win for herself. Whether in
good temper or bad, Dr. Gray was fascinat-
ing.
He was not very amiable, however, this
evening, for he was vexed at his inability to
work Events in his life which he had told
himself were dead and buried came crowding
upon his clear and well ordered brain. Mem
DRY played him fantastic tricks Imagination
more capricious than memory, filled his study
with the sweetest, brightest pictures, and
before when-
He took up books one after another and
flung them here and there about the room,
for Just as the mental ricture was fairest and
most adorable, Just 9 IN Imagination he felt
two soft arms rourG his neck and saw two
sweet eyes looking n:D his own, some one
stirred in the room overhead, and immedi-
ately one of Chopin's wild waltzes filed the
- -; 6y,
memory and fancy fn,l, and the professor,
with an indescribahe preston Oh his face,
leaned his elbows on the table and propped
up his head with u Chez OF either hand
Five minutes, ten, p"ssad thus; tI":I he got
up quietly and looked ut lis watch. 1t was
nearly half past 10 -, is rather la TO cell
on Il strange woman" he said, bat | have
no time by day, an,Mf tbs goes Oh | shall so
mad Why il the name OF all that's distract
ing must she play that nlusicf"
lie picked up the books that he had flung
about, touched some articles upon his study
table without knowing that he did SO, then
went to the door, opened it, and stood for
second or two irresOlute, with the sound OF
Mrs Vernou's piano still in his ears The
next moment he was QUO on the public stair
case and had begun the ascent of the third
floor.
To ring Mrs. Vernons bell, to be admitted
and to find himself at her drawing room door
was the work of few seconds. He got rid
of the sleepy looking servant by saying that
her mistress expected him; and as she disap-
peared down the passage he knocked A
voice said Come in,' but the playing did
not cease. He went in, and still Mrs. Vernon
played on.
She did not look round She thought it
was the servant who had come in to fetch
something.
The professor felt exceedingly uncomfort-
able when Mrs. Vernon ted him to come
and ask her himself to arrange her practice
for the hours he was absent, he knew she did
not mean him to come at 1880 p. m.
Madam he began, ''allow me to apollo
gize"-
The lady at the piano-she had her back to
him, and the room was so dimly lighted that
she sat in deep shadow-gave start, but she
did not look round, and she did not stop
playing. Tho professor felt so obviously in
the wrong that courtesy, tact and temper de-
serted him at the same moment. But be-
made fresh start.
Madam" he repeated, Il do not intrude
upon you for pleasure. leone because you
refuse to receive message, and | cannot wait
until tomorrow. Will you allow me to make
my request and to be gomez Your music is
distracting."
With a clashing of chords and a sudden
sweep of her fingers over the keys, Mrs. Yer
non stopped-closed the piano-pressed her
hands for moment to her temples-rose and
faced her visitor.
She was a beautiful woman in the very
fullest bloom of life and loveliness; small Of
rtn,,,r,, La cn,nnn inHnnd thnt "A ,,rnfn--,,,.