San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1889-05-09
A SIIANTY ROMANCE.

Don't come a Monday, but come a Tues
la and don't bring anybody wild yez but
vczsell"
Thus spoke Mistress Maguinnis, standing in
the doorway of her cabin among the rocks of
c3hantvtown, where lean and hungry goats
cla,HbcraL and cropped the sCant heritage.
Mrs MaTUinnis was the sole boss" of this
humble abode There had been a Mr. Ma
guinnis, "a bad lot" as the neighbOrs would
have told you, but one fine morning he left
home never to return, and several days later
the East river gave up all that was mortal OF
Tim Maguinnis.
A shrewd business woman and frugal
body, Mrs Maguinnls had purpose in say.
ing her capital, much or little as it may have
been She had u daughter, Mary Ann by
name, who lived at service with one of the
most rispictible families on the avenir," as
the mother often told her circle of acquaint.
ances.
Being a dutiful girl, Mary Ann had filial
regard for hor mother, but she very naturally
felt that it i'll became one of her station to be
seen too often in familiar chat with the old
apple woman at the corner. But Mrs Ma
guinnis did not lack company when she sat
beneath her white cotton umbrella and dealt
borers going to and from their work all had
a CHEEKY word for her Dapper young clerks
and portly old merchants stopped to chaT
with her about the state of trade and the
prospects of the next years apple crop, and
Mrs Maguinns was quick at repartee, and
could hold her own with the best of them.
Sometimes we'll known broker, who lived
not far from the apple stand, would linger
1 1T -. I
wi:lks and whispers and mysterious refer
ences t. ''tb. stock" all of which limited at
Some treasured secret, with which you and
have no concern.
Among the customers of Mrs Maguinnis,
she had one especial favOrite Tom Kelly
was his name, and he worked in the great
machine shop hard by. A civil spoken and
good looking young fellow he was, with curly
hair and a frank countenance. Many a
kindly act he had performed for the widow,
and once, when on an errand to her cabin, he
had met Mary Ann and had straightaway
fallen head-over-ears in love with her. For
the past six months he had been most assidu-
GUS in his courtship. Mary Ann was really
very fond of Tom, but she was bit of flirt
in her way, anddelighted in keeping him on
tenter hooks. Besides, there was a certain
Jimmy Dolan, bartender at Alderman Gil
hooly's guided gin palace" who was not in
sensible to Mary AIMS charms, and who was
very pressing in his attentions to her.
The widow threw the weight of her in
fluence in Toms favor. But Mary Ann was
fond of gay society, and while she treated
Tom with a certain coquettish kindness she
saw fit to accept many an invitation to balls
and parties from his rival And so matters
stood at the time our story opens.
Now, Tom Kelly was something of a me-
chaniCal genius, and often when his hands
were busy tending his machine he was cud-
ceiling his brains to contrive some improve
ment in this or that piece of mechanism. For
some time he had been deyoting his spare
hours to the invention of an apparatus which
he firmly believed was destined to fill longi
felt want. If he only had the means to build
machine, if he could only once put it to a
practical test, if he could demonstrate its
worth to the manufactures, then a tidy for.
tune lay within his grasp. Alas, there were
50 many Ifs" that they formed a strong bar
rier in the way of the young inventors sue,
cess.
Tom had often discussed bis plans with
Mrs Maguinnis and he found in her warm
sympathizer. Not that the good woman
knew the difference between a piston rod and
{. Gy wheel. Every machine was the same to
kNr-an unclassifable part of mighty and
mysterious whole. But ignorant as she was
c! mechanical principles, Tom was very
grateful for her words of encouragement and
her expression Of confidence in his schemes at
times when hope with him was at a low ebb.
One morning when he was passing the
apple stand on his way to the shop the widow
hailed him.
How do the invention git on ~ she asked.
"Oh, Mrs. ,AIaguinnis," cried Tom, If
had little money I'm sure I'd make a go of
it, and thea 800. .222+-2z..S : yEts-Snd t.,---