San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1889-06-17
TWENTY YEARS AFTER.
Early Life in Texas.
. BY EDITH AIKEN. |

it1RSr CHAPTER BEGUN IN NO. III JUNE l5)
II think as you do in the main
Though when one sees. all sides of
life, he learns this that the hardest
and most dangerous criminals are
those who are criminal from choice.
and are, as you say, as often found in
the highest as in the lowest society,"
often live a prosperous life, and die
IN flourish of sound. 1 will tell YOU
all that is positively known about
this band, promising that what /
tell you will be true. First there is
not man among them who has not
at some time in his past life suffered
morally, socially or financially some
great wrong at the hands of his fellow
men, and the wrong has been such
as no law could reach. Next / tell
you, not one dollar has been retained
by any of these men, beyond the
amount strictly his own. and this
taken from time to time from those
who first robbed him. But the band
have constituted themselves a COM
mittee of redress, and in hundreds
of cases have taken from the robber
millionaires and given to those who
were suffering, dying for the want of
the most common necessaries of life.
disease of cattle, and some from a
general Incompetence to grapple with
the great problem of poverty. Such,
being relieved by little timely aid
are prospecting in an unambitious way
on their own small farms, content to
live and let live. Am 1 firing you?n
40 no! | am interested, I have
every reason to feel interested in this
lovely land since l may remain here"
She turned her eyes admiringiy over
tie wide pl: ms below clothed in the
glory of early spring, which seemed
10 the travellers whose horses were
slowly climbing the gradual eleva-
ton, to join in the far distance, the
blue and pearl canopy,
Eyes it is lovely, and holds in it's
bosom untold wealth could it be opened
up and brought into use for the many,
instead of being kept idle by the few"
Mrs. Gilbraith listened, but Maurice
saw with pleasure that it was not
political economy, or the needs of
humanity that interested her just
then.
You would like to hear something
personal of Col. Nighthawk, would
you not?n
A smile and deepening of her lovely
color answered him but she said: eyes
L plead guilty to a curiosity about
him for which 1 cannot ACCOUNT
HE is from the east, native OF your
own state. He was a graduate of
West-Point, and entered active service
in the first year of the war, when he
was barely twenty. 1t seems he
was left without dollar when a mere
babe to the care of an uncle, who did
everything that father could have
done, and whose heir he probably
would have been had not fate ruled
it otherwise. There was in the same
household with the Col.-who for
the sake of a name we will call
Richard-another boy two or three
years the elder, who was also a
nephew of Richards uncle through
his wife. This boy was without par
ents also, but they left him rich. The
fortune fell in good hands, for Martin
Gould was born money getter, and
he followed his inclination and was
trained for merchant. Richard en-
tered the army contrary to the wishes
of his uncle who loved the boy dear
ly-and it might have been better
for all concerned had Richard trusted
this love more fully. AS it was he
left behind fair young wife, a fact
unknown to any one save themselves
and the minister who married them
The lady was barely fifteen, a child
you will say-and so said her parents
who would not hear of marriage.
Not that they objected to the young
Cadet. AS the heir to the rich Mr..
Graves he was quite acceptable. but
they considered them mere children,
and as such too young. Not so did
Richard. He had loved the girl since
she was baby, and though it is
probable he would not have thought
of marriage for years under ordinary
circumstances, he was now deter
mined she should bear his name
should the fortunes of war 60 against
him.
That was not all. He knew young
Gould admired the girl and was a
favorite with her father. Naturally
Richard did not care to leave her
free to be wooed or forced to accept
his handsome wealthy rival, under
standing even then something of
the potency OF money, especially with
the elders.
Well, wise or unwise they were
married, Richard Gilbraith and Eli
nor Vinal, and for one month he was
as happy as blind young fools are
apt to be-
Maurice paused and turned his
face to the window. Nighthawk's
story thus far did not seem to call for
the signs of deep feeling that appeared
IN the ewes and voice of this usually