San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1889-07-12

being alone she could more easily
hide. After the first day she tried
no more among the stores and work.
rooms, but resolved on an entire
change in her effort. She would find
q servants place in some family.
She knew she had ability, she knew
she could make herself treasure as
superintendent in large household,
or in home where there were child
rem or where needlework was done,
but how to find such place.
She knew that credent ials for good
character would be required. Where
could she get them? Well she must
try and see what she could do. She
knew that to tell her story truthfully
would be fatal to her success. "The
story was improbable" the ordinary
good, untried woman said: "They
had never been persued with such
order, and Mrs. Roberts was not so
very handsome-O no! it was not
reasonable.n So she shrank from
saying anything about herself. Yet
poor Elsa knew from bitter experience
how impossible it would be to find
situation without apparently dis
covering her whole past history, since
she could give no references.
"Well, I must try and see what 1
can do" she sighed over and over
again, sitting alone in her own small
room that first night after failing to
get work, for she determined not to
enter the common parlor again when
the other ladies were at home, and
was also determined to make her stay
with them as short as possible.
The next day she commenced her
task. Up and down the great busy
city she went, from one house to
another, but as she feard, she could
find none who could give her the
position she wanted, unless she would
bring certificate of respectability.
Not her lovely suffering face that
might have melted heart of stone,
not all the evidence of refinement,
not her grace or gentle manners could
win a servants place from among
the careful and eminently proper
mothers and houskeepers of the
eminently proper city.
A week passed in this futile effort
and the hopeless creature gave it up
as worse than useless. She had seen
very little of her companions during
the time, but had told them without
asking an explanation of their changed
manner, that she should go away
within few days. Her evident in
difference to their opinions seemed
to them convincing proof of her hard
ness and wickedness, when really,
what seemed to them Indifference was
hopelessness, perhaps little disdain
mingl with it. 1t seemed incredible
to her-who had lived so long in an
atmosphere of deceit, weakness, and
murderous cunning yet remained
untouched by these passions-that
mature women should stand back
affrighted at the shadow of sin. Elsa
knew as we all know, that acting,
scheming, vicious sin is all around
us, and that alone, should be feared
and punished, not its shadow.
"Why would not fear contamination
from one who had been the greatest
lawbreaker in the land, if he were
now trying as hard as I am to earn
his bread, yet I am as free from
guilt, as the best, they are affrighted
at a shadow. The six months of
blameless life I have lived with these
two people 60 for nothing-the salts
faction they have protested in our
connection, the affection they have
protested for me go for nothing, since
scandalous story whatever it is,
can change them so. No I will not
waste my breath trying to set them
right.
To BE CONTINUED TOMORROW.