San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1889-10-17
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again."
"sJust wild,' you American" laughed
Sir Philip, hiding deep feeling under
light tone. DWELL, you have thanked me
for what is, after all, selfish act"
"You mean because you like to give en-
joyment? But that isn't selfish" returned
lima; for selfish people don't have pleas
ure in other peoples happiness"
"Ah, you are metaphysical. We must
dismiss the subject" said Sir Philip
quickly, and, with some embarrassment,
which lima was delighted to perceive;
for Sir Philip, she felt certain was not ca
silly dislodged from his citadel Of self-pos-
session,
Dark Darrell, with all his courtliness,
was the reverse of a ceremoniOus person.
age; and so he followed Ilma's lead up
the terrace-steps and presented himself
through the open window Of the morning.
room before the astonished Sabines.
They were all there except Roland, in
search of whom lima instantly sped away,
and they greeted Sir Philip warmly. He
speedily explained how lima came to be
with him, and in what manner he had been
introduced to her.
Meanwhile lima had found Roland bust
ly engaged in the repair of some fishing
tackle in his study, if an apartment only
devoted to sporting literature and imple-
ments deserved the name; he looked up,
and his whole face frightened as his beau
tiful young cousin FASTENED to his side.
dwell catamount," said Roland, taking
her hand and kissing her, severe you sent
for me, or did you come Of your own ac-
cord?"
"Of my own accord; though | have
come to fetch you to see-whOm do you
think? Dark Darrell himsefp'
"He here" said Roland in a tone that
did not betray much pleasure.
Eyes; and he came with me. He break
tasted with us this morning, and Roland"
added lima, tossing up her hat and catch
ing it, she is just the incest fellow | ever
met"
ooh, of course ~ said Roland, laughing;
but the laugh, lima thought, sounded
forced. "Girls are bound to worship
man who looks like a picture, though he
doesn't do much more in the world than
if he were picture. He might be the
foreigner he looks for all that he is among
his own tenants or cares about them"
"That's not my business" and lima
flushed little-the girl was quick-tem-
pered, and ever ready to resent injustice.
II don't think Cumberland peasants are
very nice people,"
"You don't know anything about them,
my DEAR" said Roland; "though l dare
say you know as much about them as OAR
relI does. Roug Oh speech and manners
don't always near a bad heart, any more
than suavity and smooth words mean
good one"
lima said no more, but descended with
her cousin TO the mornlng-roOm. The girl
went over 10 her AUNT, and watched from
beneath her sweeping lashes the meeting
between Roland Sabine and Sir Philip OAR
rell. What difference there was be-
tween them! Roland seemed to belong 10
another and lower order Of beings than the
man of whom lie mad spoken with hardly
yelled contempt.
"You are a good deal altered from
what l saw you last, Sabne," said Sir
Philip surveying his host. "IOu were not
much more than a boy then; and, though
L should have known you at once, that for
est of hair about your face makes an i'm
mense change in you"
"There is little difference in yOu," re-
piled Roland, laughing. "YOu look bit
older, bnt not much; and when you are
forty you won't look older than you do now
"Maybe not" said Sir Philip, with
halEsmile, as he resumed his seat.
Something in the look and tone gave III.
ma the clue to the thought-'IiOw should
| look older in ten years? Time stands
still in the grave" The girl felt some
thing like terror come over her. Was
there, after all, some truth In a curse
which seemed to have Influenced the
whole life of a man so unlikely to yield to
mere superstition as Sir Philip Darrell?
''Sir Philip" said Mrs. Sabine, turning
to her son, "has kindly asked us all to the
Court on Friday, with aunt Rachael and
lima"
81 shall be delighted" returned Ro-
land.
"And," added sir Philip, 81 want to
make up a riding party, while the fine
weather lasts. Do you know any one you
would care to ask to join u.s."
Roland shook his head.
''NO, newcomers are scarce in these
parts. lima is the first for twenty years
at least; and the last before her were only
farmers"
china will join u.s." said Sir Philip,
using the christian name quite inadvert-
ently-probably merely catching it from
Roland, possibly from q subtle instinct to
try to think of her as "only child"
But Roland did not like the dropping of
the formal title. Wild and chidlike as
lima was, she was not young enough to be
treated with such freedom on the strength
of mornings acquaintance, especially by
so young man as Sir Philip Darrell. Sir
Philip could read what was passing in Ro-
lands mind-tor it was not easy to hide
anything from his observant eyes-but he
gave not the slightest sign of having no.