San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1889-08-20

Sdl uO"u Ou0 III SbihSu-
Mrs Byrne played a little with the clasp
of the silver mounted hand bag which she
carried, from which, having at last succeeded
in opening it, she produced a stamped envel'
ope addressed to herself
"Do you know that handwritingT she
said, aourishing it before Ethel's astonished
eyes.
at is my own; wrote to ask you to
lunch" poor Ethel answered simply, while
the thought flashed across her mind that Mrs.
Byrne had probably gone mad.
Read it, then" cried that lady. with an
air of suppressed amusement which lent
color to the notion.
Ethel unfolded it quickly, then sat trans
fixed like who receives sudden and fatal
injury For before her horror stricken eyes
glared these words in her own handwriting:
Yours very sincerely, Jack Davenant"
What does it meant" she cried at last in
hoarse voice, for it seemed that some iend-
ish magic had been at work.
That's what | want to know" Mrs.
Byrne answered more gently. II received
this note the day before yesterday. There
was no address, and the handwriting was
certainly not Jacks. Nor is my cousin in
the least likely to invite me to lunch at his
chambers. So | wrote off to him at once,
and told him 20 drop in to dinner if he had
anything to say to me-"
Ethel had risen to her feet and was stand
ing with little frozen smile on her face,
but at this point she broke in hurriedly:
did you show him-Mr. Davenant-the
letter."
Mrs Byrne nodded She was not a person
of delicate perceptions, and had come here
bent on a little harmless amusement; but
somehow the amusement was not forthcom-
ing.
Ethel casped her cold hands together in
frenzy of despair. She knew that Jack was
familiar with her handwriting; had he not
made little criticisms, severe and tender, on
the occasional notes of invitation which she
had addressed to him!
Jack said he knew nothing about the
| note, and hadn't the ghost of an idea what ii
meant"
ooh, Jack, jack" cried Ethels heart in
parenthesis, "what must you think of mel"
Mrs Byrne went on: Grace Allison came
| in later, and the mystery was cleared up
| She swore to your handwriting, and we con
| cluded you had dome it in fit Of absence of
| mind Poor old Jack, how she did chatf him!'
Ethel was trying to recover her presence OF
| mind.
| How could have made such stupid mis-
takeF she said, with short laugh. Il sup
pose was pursuing some trai9 Of thought
| had met your cousin at a party the night
| before-you know how it is"
Mrs. Byrne was sorry for the girls distress
! ''lt's mistake any one might have made,
| though you must own it was rather funny.
| However, | can assure you this-it won't get
any further. Jack is scarcely likely to tell,
and Grace has sworn on her homer"
Ethel laughed again, meaninglessly. AS
| far as she was concerned, the whole world
was welcome to know it now. No deeper
disgrace could befall her Il wonder he
Isl sh1ieking with laughter, or merely sick
with disgust" the poor girl thought, when
| her obtuse and amiable visitor had at last de
| parted. "Oh, how | hate him, how | hate
| him." which was hard on Jack, considering
| that his own conduct in the matter had been
| rreproachable. But Ethel was in no mood
| for justice 1t seemed to her that she had
| utterly betrayed and disgraced herself; that
never again could she venture to show her
| self in a world where Florence Byrne, Grace
| Allison, and, above all, Jack Davenant lived,
! moved and had their being
| Sick with shame, hot and cold with an
| guish, poor Ethel sat covering in the great
drawing room like guilty thing.
Ethel aStonIshed her family at dinner that
| evening by inquiries as to the state of the fe
| male labor market in New Zealand.
Uncle Joe, a philanthropic parson, voc
| happened to be of the party, delighted to find
his pretty niece taking an interest in sub
| ject So little frivolous, delivered himself of
short lecture ON the subject
Ethel sighed at hearing that there was SC
| little demand for the work of educated women
| Save the markD in that distant colony, and
began to turn her thoughts toward Waterloo
| bridge.
Ethel funks on being an old maid She
knows that positively any girl can lasSo a
husband in New Zealand" her brother Bob
remarked in a challenging tone
But Ethel bore it with uninteresting meek
ness; perhaps, she told herself she was a nus
band hunter after all.
After dinner she put ON her hat and stole
out into the street She had been indoors all
day and could bear it no longer The June
evening was still as light as day, and simple
minded couples were lettering with frank
affection in Regents park. She had not gone
far before she saw large familiar figure
bearing down in her direction.
"Oh, how | hate him hate himr' she
thought again, while her heart beat with
maddening rapdity. "If he has spark o.
kindness in him he will pretend not to see me-
But Jack, for it was he, made no such pre-
tense. On the contrary, he not only raised
his hat, but came up to her with outstretched
hand. She put her cold fingers mechanic,
ally into his, and scanned his face: there was
neither mirth nor disgust in it, and the
thought flashed across her chilling while il