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


hotel hung about the entrance hall and
the corridors through which everybody
had to pass in quitting the house Every
body knew about the fifty millions of
dollars, and cold hearts warmed in the
CLEAN of that splendid fortune. Paul,
who was unaware of the newspaper para
graph which had heralded the arrival of
the man with the dollars, was surprised
to notice how considerable a stir his de-
parture made. He put it down TO French
politeness, of which he had heard good
deal, but he was not accustomed to this
sort Of leave-taking at home, and was en-
barrassed by the general empresSement.
He, Medhurst, and the Major dined to-
gether at the railway station, and after
wards found a disengaged compartment
in one of the carriages of the rdpide. At
this time of day the Major was naturally
in his gayest form; the young Paul, with
his new-found friends, had taken a glass
or two more wine than usual, and was
gay at heart with the pleasant excitement
of the journey, and Medhurst opened
quieter convivial vein than the Majors,
but made himself bright and amusing
companion.
Just for the fun of the thing" the Ma
jor produced a pack of playing cards and
a travelling-lamp, with artfully-arranged
refiectOrs which gave a clear and mellow
light. The three got together, with a
travelling-rug about their knees, and
played napoleon at half-franc points in the
most innocent, friendly way in the world.
Paul Jones won five or six louis, and the
Major grew sleepy, and proposed to stop.
He and Medhurst would take their re-
venge later on, perhaps: and if they didn't
get it-why, perhaps, it didn't greatly
matter; and with this and a laugh, which
ended in yawn, Major De We're packed
himself in a corner, drew his travelling
cap over his eyes, and disposed himself to
slumber His companions followed his
lead; but Paul, with the best desire to
sleep in the world, lay awake for a long
time, his big form occupying the whole of
one side of the compartment. He was full
of enthusiasts and hopes, for some of
which his artistic face seemed to give bet
ter warrant than the bOyish bravadO Of
his manner. He thought of violet seas
with the light of the southern sun upon
them, of palms and aloeS. and of grey
olives fOaming up the mountain side: and
every now and again, with al unconscious
gesture, his right hand would move as if
it held brush, and were working freely
at canvas. Half-a-dozen times he lifted
himself upon his elbow and tried to thaw
the frozen snow upon the windOw-pane.
He failed in this; but once rising and eau
tiously lowering the window au inch or
two, he heard the wind go by with
scream, and saw the wild snOwtiakeS
feeting past in the black night, Redeemed
for mere second by the flash of the furn-
ace fire. Little promise of the sunny
South as yet He closed the window with
a comfortable shiver, and lay down again;
and, by-and-by, palms and olives, and soft
glittering seas, and purple headlands of
fancy slid into his dreams, and he was
asleep before he knew it,
The Major was very grumpy again from
AvignOn-where he awoke and partOOk Of
a bowl of coffee and roll upon the icy,
wind-swept, open platform-to Marseilles,
| where breakfast and wash restored him.
But Paul, with youth and sObriety on his
side. was as gay as colt from the moment
of his waking, and was quite impassioned
by the landscape.
Saints alivel" he said to Medhurst,
look at the color of the gashes in that
ground! Look at the reds and browns!
Look at the green of that turf! It's as
tender as young lamb. and as bright as a
candle flame. The grey on them old olives
-eh, sir2 guess I'll tickle that in before
I'm much older"
You seem to be an enthusiast about
painting" said Medhurst
well, sir" returned Paul. deliberately,
81 believe you. l wouldn't give up paint
ing for million year. l don't think it
would be worth my while to give it up for
anything I've ever seen or heard about It's
| one of those things that are just meat and
drink and life and sunlight if you once
cotton to it properly. If there wasn't such
thing as color in the world I'd just die,
and make no bones about it"
This enthusiasm appeared just a little
strained to Captain Medhurst who had
never had many enthusiasts of his own.
and had parted with most of them a long
time ago. He smiled, however and said
that no doubt that sort of warmth of feel
ing gave life a certain fullness.
Pm afraid he said, following the
smile with a sigh which was probably
more real, that the lives of most of us are
a little barren"
Ill lncllueu W Iulnk, Sdlu Gne young
fellow, with loud, cheerful optimism,
that it's about our own fault if they are
can understand a poor devil who hasn't
got one cent to clink against another, or a
forlorn wretch who's got no lungs or who's
in want of a liver or a circulation, being
down in the mouth and thinking that the
world is a pretty dark place. Or I can I'M
derstand man who's had such hard lines
as to lose the folks he cares for, sitting