San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1889-04-01

lance came 10 ler, ana q moment laUSr she
was oppressed with the thought that if he
had asked her then she really would not have
blushed. Then she tried to drive away the
thought with a mighty effort as her old feel
ing of immodesty and hypocrisy came to her.
and the crimson flush covered her face as she
saw that John was trying to say something
few minutes later the two were carefully
walking along the icy sidewalk in the direc-
ton of the church. They discussed the
weather and everything in connection with
the singing school until they reached the
church and then they both joined heartily in
the exercises. Mary sang exceedingly well
John was equally successful until they sang
the strain:
We share our mutual woes,
Our mutual burdens bear
Then it suddenly dawned upon him how
easy it would be to say, Mary, let US share
our mutual woes" and he couldn't dismiss it
from his mind all the evening. Every now
and then, to his great embarrassment he got
out of tune To make matters worse, the
professor noticed it each time, and in a kindly
tone offered a suggestion, which increased
Johns confusion. There was no one in the
class Gladder than John when $50 came and
he and Mary stepped out into the moonlight
to go home. They picked their way along
the sidewalk slowly, cautiously and in silence.
John did not speak for two reasons. He was
oppressed with the thought that he had been
particularly stupid during the whole evening,
and he was repeating the sentence. MARY,
let us share our mutual woes, so that when
they stood beneath the light in the little par
lor he could put his arm around her and say
it without laundering. Mary was silent with
expectation.
How brief a sentence would have made
them supremacy happy!
Johns Observation-Disclosures served to distract
his attention from the icy walk moro than he
should have allowed, and no less than half
dozen times Mary's feet slipped, but each
time she found herself borne up by her sturdy
lover. Each slip was accompanied with
little Shrek, and when she was again safe her
soft laugh was music to him.
A group of boys pulling a sled turned the
corner ahead and dashed past them. Mary
turned her head to glance after them. Her
foot slipped little shrek, and she was down.
But she wasn't alone. In falling she had
managed to knock Johns feet from under
him, and be had fallen too. Each scrambled
to rise quickly, and their heads came to-
gether with a sound bump
John was in the throes of modification
upon his awkwardness, when Mary said
naively, as he helped her to her feetj
ave seem to be sharing our mutual woes )
He was amazed The very sentence he had
been saving for under the gaslight! Before
he could take advantage of his present OPP
portunity, however, Mary seemed to realize
that she had been immodest, and she talked
incessantly as they walked on, as if deter
mined that he should reap no advantage from
her remark. John made several efforts to
recall tho opportunity, but was bafiled every
time Then he determined to wait until they
stood beneath the gasliSht, hut when thet
reached the parlor the light seemed to burn
more brightly than ever before, and his cour-
age departed. Once he made an effort, but
the first word that came from his lips was
''woes," and the consciousness that he was
laundering caused him to blush and pause
before trying again. But a sweet "What
were you going to say?" completed his en-
barrassment, and he answered, Nothing
and in despair prepared to go.
A moment later, as they stood at the par
lor door exchanging the last words, and as
Johns hand was on the knob, Mary turned
her blue eyes to him and said, with laugh
You'll be sure to get home without falling,
lCI Ou IL nave HO OuC W JOu
Johns face crimsoned. He was about to
protest she hadn't dragged him down, when
he thought of his lost opportunity after they
had fallen. He had a feeling that the SEN
tence he had been trying to say all the even
ing would be singSarly inopportune now,
but he was determined not to lose another
chance. Despite that feeling and in Sheer
desperation he gasped:
MARY, let US woes our mutual shares al
waysp
Mary looked puzzled. For moment she
didn't grasp the purport of the misquoted
sentence. When it dawned upon her a flood
of crimson passed over her face, her eyes fell,
and she whispered yes"
And John, with a newly acquired courage,
put his arms around her and drew her to his
breast. Then John was at peace and Mary
was perfectly happy. The question had been
asked and answered, and she had fittingly
blushed, besides waving the privilege OF leap
year.