San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1889-02-15
GABRIEL'S MISTAKE.

Lefty Walsh as she examined the two small
rooms comprising the deserted building in
which the rustic picnic party had taken
shelter from sudden shower. Tucked
away down in this hollow, why it's like being
out of the world Oh, I'd like to keep house
here"
Promise you'll keep house for me, too,
won't you Lefty" said Larry Underhill,
laughing, from where he sat on q dilapidated
table.
And mel" chorused all the young fellows,
except one leaning apart, who now turned a
dark and scowling face upon the rest
Lefty blushed as she glanced toward him,
and answered evasively, But there isn't
room for all of you"
Make your choice, Lefty" said Underhill,
gravely. Shut your eyes, turn round three
times, and stretch out your right hand"
The girl laughingly obeyed, and, whether
by accident or design, put her hand in that
of the dark young man standing alone He
grasped it firmly, with a sudden smile like
sunshine on his lowering face, and forced her
to remain there with him, facing them all.
Bravo" cried Underhill, You're in luck,
Dallas Now, just stand still while l make a
sketch Of you both"
But Gabriel Dallas face darkened again
NO" he answered, some other time, Mr.
Underhill"
Steve Thatcher gave coarse guffaw
You needn't mind if it's about Lefty, Gabe,
for he's got whole cargo O pictures of her,
haint you, Mr.. Underhillr
Gabriel Dallas looked like an Italian pic
ture and Steve Thatcher like clown, and
perhaps Underhill's appreciation of this,
rather than Steves evident desire to irritate
Gabriel, made the young artist snub his lout-
ish questioner.
~ don't know precisely what you mean by
a cargo" he said supercilously, but gen
orally jot down anything which strikes me-
In that way hope to preserve the remem-
brance Of your own picturesque figure, Mr.
Thatcher"
There was a laugh at this, for Steve was
long, lank and ungainly. Hecolored angrily
now, but, not being able to answer Under
hill mockery in kind, was silent Presently
it ceased raining, and they all went out into
the open air again, Lefty still with Gabriel
Dallas
Lefty had come to Stonybank the previous
spring with family named Barton, to whom
she was Il kind of adopted daughter. They
themselves were shiftless, nc'er do well peo-
pie, not thought Of much account in Stony
bank. But Lefty was not like them, And
then she was SO bright, so winning, and so
exceedingly pretty that before she had been
long il the village she was its acknowledged
belle Gabriel was supposed to be the favored
lover, but they had been kept apart by his
moody jealousy, which, once aroused,
amounted to positive passion, making him
suspicious, unreasonable and obstinate
Gabriel came naturally by these jealous in
stincts Old Lawyer Fernald, down at Stony
bank Corner, who has living record of all
the country history round about, said that
the young fellow was descended from a
French or Spanish sailor, Manuel DaIoz by
name, who had wandered to Rockport, the
nearest seaboard town, and from there to
Stonybauk, where the local usage converted
DalOz into Dallas Gabriel, the latest de
scendant, possessed that peculiar family tenn
permanent which had marked Manuel Daloz,
the wanderer from the hills of southern
France
Gabriel had good farm, he was sober and
industrious and when not in one of his dark
moods, open and kindly. He was striiingly
handsome too, with his black, liquid eyes,
his clustering, tawny hair, and the warm
toned bronze of his complexion. He might
almost have his pick among the village girls
but no one had seemed to make any real i'm
preston on him until he fell in love at first
sight with Lefty Walsh, with whom, how
ever, his jealousy had prevented definite
understanding till the day when the girl laid
her hand in his, down there in the old house
in the hollow
They were married after very short en-
gagement. The Bartons, like true rolling
stones, We're about to leave Stonyb bank for
some place in the far west, so the wedding
took place before they went. All Stony.
bank was there, besides a good part of the
Corner" the families of which mostly repre-
sented much higher social grade. Among
those who came was Lawyer Fernald, with
whom Gabriel was a favorite and his grand
daughter Cora, a young Lady who had been
finished" in a city boarding school The
other guests were not surprised to see how
much attention Larry paid to pretty Cora
He was considered a mark above most of the
village belles-although Lefty had sometimes
been rallied about him-so they did not mind
hisdevoting himself to Miss FernaId, who also
moved in a range beyond their own. Lefty
herself was really the Prettiest girl in the
room, and her deep blue eyes, with their
shading of curling black hair and lashes, her
bright complexion and soft sweet look con-
traSted effectively with Gabriel's intenser
southern beauty. So thought Underhiu as
his eyes fingered on them The young artist
was an old acquaintance of Letty's, having
boarded with the Bartons the summer before
they CSme to Stors. s2nk "a. Careless easy 20