San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1889-09-24
THE LADY SMILED.

The Saturday afternoon train at Point
Tiburon was crowded as usual and people
were streaming through the cars in the hur-
ried search for vacant seats. Little Mr.. Tom
N. Oddly, who was just starting out on his
two days vacation, knew there would be this
rush and so was among the first to scamper
off the boat, Chamber into the nearest coach,
and pre-empt the best middle seat on the shady
side of the car. Then, after the miserable
fashion of his kind, he proceeded to cover the
entire seat with himself. his overcoat, his cane
and his valise.
This exercise of selfshness accomplished, he
drew an evening paper from his pocket and
pretended to be absorbed in the baseball re-
ports. AS he read, however, he could not
help being conscious of a persistent shadow
that fell upon the sheet. Other shadows went
forward and backward like jostling silhou-
cites, but this one stayed. CHANGING out of
the corner of his right eye, he saw small
black gloved hand resting upon the top of the
seat Just where his overcoat lay, and then, Gu
riosity leading him further afield, he glanced
still more and found that the hand belonged
to one of the most charming women it had
ever been his undeserved good fortune to see.
Her face was rather pale, almost sallow in
deed, but lit up by pair of great black
eyes that were as luminous as a child's and
as gentle as a does. The nose was short,
straight, but rather too stout; the mouth
was full and red, with a provoking little
droop to the lower lip; and the chin was
round and slightly double. The eyebrows
were heavy and the hair was black with
coppery tint at the edges. The dress was
black, relieved by three great damask roses
at the bosom, and was so draped as TO show,
with some degree of accuracy, 1.-the but
well rounded figure.
1t may be repeated that little Mr.. Tom n.
Oddly felt that he had never before seen so
bewitching creature, and when she looked
at him in a pleading, timorous way and
asked in a low voice if this seat We're en-
gagged" he swept his things out of the way
with single movement and declared him.
self delighted to be able to say it was not
She thanked him with a little faltering
smile and sat down.
She was unprovided with current litera-
ture, and SO little Mr. Tom n. Oddly, as the
first advance toward his determined plan of
making himself agreeable, offered her part
of his paper. At this she stiffened some
what, then prettily declined the offer, saying
that it hurt her eyes to read on the train.
AS she said so she turned those beautiful orbs
of hers upon the young man, and just to
show that he knew what was proper under
the circumstances, he replied that no book or
paper that had yet been written was worth
spelling those eyes over. She threw up the
lids little more at this, then smiled again
and lifted her shoulders in something very
near a shrug.
Little Mr.. Tom N. Oddly observed this-he
was very observing young mainland haz-
arded the remark that she was foreigner.
NO." she replied, Il was born in Cali
fornia."
"Ah, indeed, said he, with fine spirit, 80
was $50 that we are a native son and
daughter of the Golden West, and therefore
related"
That's quite ingenious" she remarked;
ARE you lawyerr
mo" he answered, getting rather red in
the face; I'm connected with MesSrs. Sock,
Tie & Co."
II have "a friend who deals there" said
she sweetly; ARE you one of the partners;"
mo" he replied, feeling very warm about
the ears; Il have charge Of the suSpender de-
partment."
"Oh, that must be very NICE" said she;
''such pleasant, clean business, isn't itg"
YES" he replied, but without any very
great enthusiasm, for this was subject on
which he did not particularly care to con-
verse. He did not mind it when he was with
the fellows" who earned their living in the
same state of life," but at present, when he
was deeply possessed of the necessity of max
ing an impression on this beautiful creature,
he felt that the topic was one that ought to
be changed tas speedily as possible. So,
grasping his cane in such way as to bring
a flashing ring within range of those lovely
eyes, he asked their owner If she was going
far
ITO Santa Rosa" she said; land you2"
"Oh, I'm going on back of Cloverdale for
a little roughing it," he said with delightful
airiness, although he forgot to add that the
scene of the roughing was his mother'sranch.
docs it hurt you-to rough itg' she asked,
with such gentle interest, that Ne thought he
had never met with anything quite so tender
and unsophisticated.
'Bless you, no." he cried; why it's the
pleasantest kind of a life. Fresh air, fresL
milk, and an occasional bearn-
"Bearsn she cried; but surely those
nasty hugging things must be dangerousG"
"Of course they are" said he, valiantly;
"but go well prepared. l have a revolver
In my valise and this cane is a sword cane. "
as it really, now" she asked, with ready
interest; chow does it work. But perhaps
it is not right to display it here"
II don't know but what you're right" as
sented little Mr.. Tom n. Oddly, especially