San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1889-10-29

Dy Nature WIFI tilc power VI uoihS hioney'
AS the winter sun rose into the pure sky,
Paul Jones ceased to talk and devoted
himself altogether to rapt contempla
ton of the landscape. They had long since
left the falling snow behind; but after 1t,
for miles, the country had been powdered
like the figures on a Twelfth Night cake.
Then came the glorious fresh green, hinged
with wild sterile hills, and at last the sea,
soaked full of light and color, like some
prodigious gem. The great Rufus sat
eager and thoughtful, staring out OF the
window as picture after picture rolled past
him, and his right hand was pretty often
busy with the imaginary brush. If either
of his companions spoke TO him he an
swered, but in an absorbed way, as If his
thoughts were elsewhere, as indeed they
were At Cannes he gathered his traps to-
gether.
''As sure as life," he said, an catch
something before this sun goes down.
shall have an hour or two of it, anyhow"
He knew beforehand the name of the
hotel he was going to, and gave his new
found friends his address at the Chateau
de la Pinede, Juan-les-Pins. Medhurst
and the Major gave him their cards in
turn.
You'll find us at the Hotel de Paris,
Monte Carlo" said the Major THE sea-
sons in full swing there, and of course
you'll come out of your shell at times and
take walk over? Come and dine" Paul
Jones was on the railway platform, and
the Captain was handing out a strapped,
battered old easel which had anything but
an amateur air about it. "Come, now,"
said the Major. Say tomorrow. There's
train reaches us little after half-past
seven. Say dinner for a quarter to eight"
Paul hesitated Come, man." said the
Major, you can't work after daylight, I
suppose Hillo! we're off. That's bar
gain? Tomorrow. Quarter to eight sharp.
Goodbye"
The train steamed slowly out of the sta
tlon, and Paul and the Major waved hats
at each other until the latter withdrew his
head into the carriage, when he looked
slyly across at Medhurst.
"You left me most of that, old man," he
said, with jaunty air of dissatisfaction.
as if he were pleased to have negotiated
the preliminaries so ably.
"You didn't want my help there" said
Medhurst. Don't drink tomorrow,
Daisy"
Now, did you ever know me to, when
there's been business on hand?"
Sometimes" Medhurst answered. "Do
not do it tomorrow. We've got a big
thing on"
That's all as it may turn out" the Ma
jor replied, $50 far as the young 'un goes.
But he may turn tail and bolt at any min
ute. What like about Monte Carlo is
they'll fight you there until your head
drops off. There's no backing out there.
Skin 'em over night, and they'll be up to
time, fresh and smiling, in the morning.
They'll fight as long as they can raise a
dollar"
LAS long as yOu can," Medhurst an
swered scornfully. He's fool who plays
unless he can make sure of winning, or
unless it doesn't matter to him whethAr
he wins or loses"
But the Major was not to be shaken,
and went on in a superb confidence in the
system-a confidence no whit less fixed
and sure because he had known a score of
men who had gone out with infallible sys-
TENS before him and had seen them one by
one come home broken. But all the other
infallible systems had the one essential
drawback, that they were not Of the Ma
jor's own creation: whilst this particular
system had the supreme advantage of
having been discovered and perfected by
himself.
During the quarter of an hours wait at
Nice they stretched their cramp limbs
little by walking up and down the plat
form, and there they passed and re-passed
their quiet vis-a-vis of the hotel at Paris.
Medhurst exchanged word or two with
him, and discovered for the first time that
he was accompanied by a man-servant.
The man came to ask some questions about
the luggage, and, being answered, touched
his hat and retired. The Major, nothing
doubling the fascinating powers of his
own manners and converse, came swag-
gering up at this m oment, and the quiet
man at once withdrew to his carriage, and
took his seat there behind a sulphur-col-
ored novel
Medhurst and the Major alighted at
Monte Carlo, and the grave young Ameri-
can went on to Mentone. A grave and
elderly American. with benevolent, mild
face and a shrewd eye, met him there
upon the platform, with both hands ex-
tended.
my dear Paul" he said: Pm glad to
see you. Wrap yourself up warmly, my
dear boy, for these chill airs are very dan
gerous after the days heat You ought
not to be abroad at this hour, but it can't
be helped this time The carriage is wait
ing outside, and will have you home in
ten minutes. Grimes will see to your lug
gage"
The elderly man lowered round the
younger like hen with one chicken until
q haH oh ho