San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1889-03-13

brushes and sponges, and going into the shop
| he brought thence what was best and newest
Do not laugh at him. Have we not all at
some time in our lives met with what seemed
| the embodiment of our ideal; have wenot
set aside for the time our petty economies
and reserves, and brought forth whatever we
| had that was best of thought or smiles or
| vesturel
"Ah, mademoiselle," he said, Ito take care
| of such hair forever-that would be heaven.
| am Frenchman; | have a soul; can
feel"
"Should you be afraid to die a sudden
death, Mr.. Saintou~ said the quick voice from
the depths of shower of water.
| "Ciell We do not speak of such things,
| mademoiselle. There will come a time
know when my hair will turn gray; then for
the sake Of my profession l shall be obliged
to dye it. There will come time after that
| when | shall die; but we do not even think of
these things, it is better not"
| but should you be afraid to die nowf
persisted the girl.
Every much afraid" said the hair dresser
candidly.
Then don't feel, Mr.. Saintou / never
feel. make it the business of my life not to
| feel. They tell me there is something wrong
| at my heart, and that if | ever feel either
| glad or sorry shall go off, pop, like a crow
| from tree when you have shot it, like a
| spark that falls into water"
| The hair dresser medit.ted upon this for
| some time. He did not believe it. He had
| drawn the bright hair back now from the
| water and was fondling it with his whitest
| and softeSt towels.
"Who was it that said to mademoiselle
| that her heart was bsdF'
GOOD gracious, Mr.. Saintou, my heart is
| not bad. | know my catechism and go to
church, and cook my fathers dinner every
lay, and very good dinner it is, too. What
put it into your head that | had bad heart"
"PardonI mademolselle; | mistake. Who
told mademoiselle that she was sick at
heartF
Good gracious heavensl am not sick at
heart. To be sure my mother is dead and my
sister is i'll and my father is as cross as two
sticks, but for all that | am not heartsick.
like this world very well, and when feel sad
| put more onions into the soup"
Saintou went on with his work for some
time in silence then he tried a'rain. you
say | speak good English, aid | Gatter my
self have the accent very WELL but what
avails if l cannot make you understand
sele's heart was affected; touched, might
sayr'
There was shout of laughter from under
the shower of gold.
my heart touchedl One would think
was in love No, my heart is not touched
yet; least of all by you, Mr.. Saintou
Least of all by you,
Mr. Saintou."
,bo e.; rb-
with quaint musical information, as though
it was the refrain of a song, and after her
voice and laughter had died away she went
on noddng her head in time to the brushing
as if she were singing it over softly to herself
This distressed the hair dresser not a little
and he remained silent.
What shall | pay you, Mr.. SaintouF' said
the little lady, when the large hat was once
more on the head
''If mademoiSele would but come again."
said the hair dresser, putting both hands reso-
lutely behind his back
when | come again | shall pay you both
for that time and this" she said, with per
haps more tact than could have been ex-
pected of her And if you want to live
long, Mr.. SaintOu, don't feel If | should
feel | should die Off quick, sharp, like moth
that flies into the candle" She made Z little
gesture with her hand, as it to indicate the
ease and suddenness with which the supposed
catastrophe was to take place, and hobbled
down the street. Saintou stood in the door
way looking after her. and his heart went
from him
He sent her flowers-fowers that duchess
might have been proud to receive He sent
them more than once, and they were ac-
copied He argued much from that He
made friends with the baker in order that he
might bow to him morning and evening
Then he waited He said to himself: She is
English. If go to see her, if put my hand
on my heart and weep, she will jeer at me;
but if / wait and work for her in silence, then
she will believe" He made parlor for her
in the room above his shop, and every week,
as he had time and money, he went out to
choose some ornament for it. His maiden
sister watched these actions with suspicion,
threw scOrnful looks at him when he observed
her watchfulness, and lent kindly helping
hand when he was out of sight. The parlor
grew into a shrine ready for its divinity, and
the hair dresser worked and waited in silence.
All, how many another lover has made his
mistakeI AS if love unexpreSSed and I'M
known had power to bless any but the heart
of the lover.
Meanwhile the girl also waited She could
not go back to the hair dresser's shop lest she
should seem to invite a renewal of those at
tentions which had given her the sweet sur
prise of the JOY of love- The law of her
woman's nature stood like lion in the path
She waited through the months of the dreary
winter till the one CLEAN of sunshine which
had come into her sad Young life had faded,