San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1889-04-24
THE ROCK BY THE SEA.


going to keep me up to abuse meT and Ruby
laughed aloud in her usual saucy, tantalizing
manner Jack looked at her, his face as black
as a thunder cloud on which was written
a stern determination, but she was in no way
appalled, by it On the contrary, she looked
at him gayly and carelessly, as if she were
perfectly Indifferent to him or his moods.
Miss Howard" he began, Miss How
ard, she mimicked mockingly; since when,
prayG How ceremonious we grow, to be
sure"
He resumed, as if she had not interrupted
him; Il will not detain you but moment
longer. While am convinced that at the
present time you are perfectly heartless,
owing more to the unhappy way of your
bringing up and to the influences and fash
ions of society than to natural hardness OF
heart oh! thanks, thanks awfully,
you are too good" she broke in again, laugh
ingly. 1t was all as good as a burlesque to
her accustomed as she was to lovers rant
ings Il am as firmly convinced" he went
on, in so calm a tone that it should have
warned her that this meant more than an or
binary tiff; that you love me, but, with
your natural perverseness, will neither ac
knowledge it to yourself nor me-"
AS he said this-with an air of judge
pronouncing sentence on some unhappy pris
oner-with his gray eyes fixed on her face
with the sternest gaze they were capable Of
in spite of herself the bloom on her soft,
round cheek deepened to a bright red, and
for an instant her saucy, hooking eyes fell
before his. \ transient smile passed over his
gloomy face at this evidence Of his power and
left it even gloomier than before. As he re
garded the lovely, half shy face before him
he commenced again bitterly: And why
will you not yield to that love and make us
both happy | will tell you. You do not
wish to be tied to one; to receive the love and
homage of one is not to your taste. Oh, no.
not for years to come. If would wait pa
tiently, and in the meantime be always ready
to dance attendance on your whims, not no
ticing any one else, and always keeping in
the background when a desirable Irritation
came up, then, perhaps, if you didn't meet
some one you preferred to me, after keeping
me in suspense all that time, you might gra'
ciously condescend to marry me. But | de
cline to become the slave of any woman,
and as much as love you, l am going to
leave you forever"
"Ha, har' and her sweet, low laugh rang
out like a chime of silvery bells. The plot
thickens. Ple,.se 60 on; it is as lovely as a
play"
Il know and feel" said Jack, earnestly,
that we are especially suited to each other
and believe that in time you will realize the
truth of what say and will regret me, even
as regret you now-but no more. I've al
ready said too much-more than intended
Good-by," and with deep bow he turned
and left.
well of all things! she murmured
"Foreverl Fudge I'll see him tomorrow
on the promenade the same as usual He is
delicious do like him the best when he as
serts himself He is grand when he gets en-
ragged He looks so stern and glares So and
is so unapproachable that am almost afraid
of him-the darling. If don't look out he
will end in making me marry him before the
season is over OF course | shan't marry
any one else, but I'm not going to hurry my
self; there's plenty time" After which sage
| spirits, thinking of the good time she would
have in making up with Jack as she had done
a number of times before
The next day Miss Ruby failed to meet
Jack as usual In fact week passed, and in
all that time he had not called She had
missed his presence from ball and opera and
every place that she had graced with her
bright presence. At last, making a few in
quiries, she found that Jack was out some
where on the broad ocean on his way to
China to join his brother, q tea merchant
and was likely to be absent term of years.
Although outwardly Ruby managed tc
conceal the shock she had received, she could
not conceal from her own heart that some
thing had gone from her that she missed and
longed for with an indescribable longing and
a wild regret. 1t was all the more madden
ing chat no one was to blame for her sorrow
but herself The old places had lost theh
charm. Everything end everybody was in
sipid, fat and monotonous Ali if he would
only return, how gladly would she acknowl
edge her love, and how gladly would she
marry him at the earliest date he might men
ton Had she known his address at that
time she would have written to tell him On
| her love and penite9ce,
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