San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1889-08-05

AnnOra Masters went up the High street and
in at the garden door of the long untenanted
house knew that must have seen the new
tenant.
The tJwrspeople called on Annora Masters
Every one said the same thing, or, rather, no
one gave any opinion OF her, and only when
preset, said
"She is strange, don't you thinkT'
AnoIa returned none Of the calls but
Lucy ; and was only seen at church, where
she appeared with a regularity which was
part Of her strangeneSS, it struck me-so
utterly out of place did she look there
cannot say why; no one could; but the wo
maE YVES awful, in an utterly indefinable
manner, and peace and goodness seemed at
odds with everything about her. o. her
household and housekeeping no one knew
anything. Servants they had brought with
them-two plain, middle aged women. Her
husband we saw beside her when she went
out on Sundays. And he went up to Lon
don-a journey of only twenty miles-every
day. He was supposed to be that indefna-
bic individual, a business man." At least,
he went to London every day till the day we
were all shocked and startled by hearing that
Mr. Masters was dead.
Yes-dead suddenly. Lucy's husband
went to see him. A London doctor came
down, and together they carried out the post
norton examination, which was of course
insisted on, and TO which Annora made not
the least objection. They could find nothing
rothing-nothing whatever-to cause death
All was right; there was no latent disease, no
injury The man we had seen alive and well
on Sunday was dead on Tuesday-that was
all
From unknown causes" the verdictat the
inquest ran.
Lucy i'll her kindness went to see Annora
Masters after this, ITO comfort her." she
said But apparently AnnOra would have
no comfort For Lucy, whom met few
days later, asked me seriously if | had ever
seen AnnOra Masters close; if Lowering
her voice-thought she was mad!
She had, Lucy said, grasped her wrists
tightly, and said when Lucy tried to say
some of the words her own sweetheart
taught her:
Death! Sometimes death brings one
what one wants! 1t is life that is wrong"
Then she broke Off suddenly, and, dropping
Lucy's hands, begged her to come and see
her again.
1.-The oldest thing" Lucy went on, sis that
Harry is sure he has seen Mrs. Masters before
somewhere and can't remember where He
hates her." Lucy said very low. II don't
quite like her. She"-
'You couldn't, N.Y.
| had forgotten, sometimes did, that Lucy
was not my darling The thought was often
bad to bear, so lifted my hat and left her
abruptly
.. One warm spring day three months later
was passing the old red brick house, when one
of the maid servants rushed out hastily, near
ly knocking me down.
"Oh" she cried, come in, sir, do, while
gofor the doctor. James tainted, and mis-
tress, she does nothing but stand looking at
Mrs Bent and doing nothing to bring her
round Do make her. sir, for mercy's saker
Mrs. Bentl" | said, grasping the womans
arm like wise. What is it? Tell mel"
Shes tainted, sir, and | can't get her
round, and mistress-there, sir, let me 60"
did let her go, rushed up the garden, and
unceremoniously indoors and upstairs, into
large room where | saw-what can see now
Lucy, white, aShen white lying motionless
on the dark rug, and Annora Masters stand
ing by the mantelpiece, with one arm resting
Oh it, gazing on the woman at her feet.
don't know what did-seized Annoraf
arm, | think. Still less do | know what
said-words of intense hate and burning
anger, | know, but when she turned slowly
and, with a slow, contemptuous smile on her
lips, looked at me, the flashing red light in
her eyes turned me to silence had no more
words
whose love, whose passion lay dead there,
could say no more, could not speak!
knelt down by Lucy and hid my face in
my hands. Something so surely made me
know that Lucy was dead-gone beyond
power of our help-that | mover tried tC
touch or raise the white marble face. And
them do not remember anything else.
was ill, very i'll, for long time after
that. When l got well | asked of course,
before anything, about Lucy. Gone, knew
she was; but when and howl Heart disease |
they said. Heart diseased My darlingl
got strong again slowly-a most annoy |
ing thing for an active man, and | could not |
believe in my own weakness.
Perhaps my nerves were overstrung and |
my perceptions unreliable, one night, when |
had in n sort of bravadO walked much far |
Their than | was really able What am say |
ing? Overstrung nerves. Nonsensel saw |
them.
was passing an old ruin-Saint Anne's |
chapel we called it. 1t was gaunt and un. |
canny in the winter moonlight, which shone |
with an unearthly sort of radiance over
everything. Suddenly saw, clear and |
bright, in front of the falling. ruined win.
dow, two G%ures-fGurcs | felt | knew
With a sudden impulse | went back into the
shadow and watched. All at once knew
The tall, slender. black ROBBED woman was
Annora Masters Even at that distance
Splf ha lirrl, IN, Pal