San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1890-11-07
CHAPTER XIV,


"HaS Mrs. Hill gone to the DunStan's,
ing into the house rather quickly that
afternoon.
"Yes-but how did you know about
it?" Mrs. Gilbert asked.
81 saw her in their carriage just now
with luggage outside. Do you mean
that she has gone to stay?"
"Yes-they have asked her to stay
while the children are ill?"
And she means to do it? H'mI'-
said George Gilbert, in rather ques-
tiOnable tone. .....
why shouldn't she, my dear2 It's
very natural. She went out this morn
ing to look for other lodgings-so Ihear,
and while she was away one of the
servants came over with a note. was
glad to think they should have asked
her, poor thing, for she's lonely enough
here, I'm sure"
Il don't wonder atetheir asking her
in the least" her son said quietly. Il
only wonder that she should have gone.
l understood that she made point of
her desire to live by herself?"
well, maybe she did, my dear, but
it's dry sort of heart that can always
resist kindness. What Pee been think
ing is, that they'll keep her for good
now they've once got her."
do you think they will?"
"Why shouldn't she stop with them
when Miss Gabrielle is so fond of her?"
1T hardly follows that two people
must live together simply because they
are fond OF. one another, mother. l
think the chances are that she will
come back again." Mr.. Gilbert said.
But yet, though he said this, he be-
came rather thoughtful after this little
talk, and sat over the fire for some time
almost without opening his lips. In
truth he was thinking of Esther Hills
going to WreXham, and as he thought
of it he was good deal disturbed, for
he said to himself-"It was not right of
gether blamelesS in all that other matter,
her in as long as she knew that they
were ignorant of her story. And most
certainly they are ignorant of it. When
she spoke to me Yesterday" (There
was little confusion here in Mr.. Gil
bert's use of his pronouns, and must
explain that when he said this last
"she," it was not Mrs. Hill to whom he
was referring, but Gabrielle. This could
not possibly have been understood from
anything that had gone before; but
then, of course, he was not speaking to
any one; he was merely thinking)-
when she Spokesto me yesterday L
could swear that she had no shadow OF
a suspicion of the truth, " he said.
He had happened to have ten min
utes' talk with Gabrielle the other day
before, and they had fallen by chance
of
Il suppose you see Mrs. Hill some
times? Do you admire her?-or rather,
l mean flor you must admire herr, do
you like her?" Gabrielle had said to
him.
On which he had replied rather eva
sively-
There is a good deal about her that
one can hardly help being interested in"
and his tone had failed to satisfy Miss
Lynn, and the result had been rather
hot response on Gabrielle's part.
II see you don't like her; like other
people, you don't understand her," she
had said. IF you did you couldn't
speak like that. She is SO honest, and
unselfish, and generous" cried Ga
brielle, flushing with the warmth of her
eulogy.
Il think that she is woman to gain
considerable influence over other peo-
pie" hereplied, after moment or two's
deliberations; land women who do that
ought to be good, or they become very
dangerous"
"And by that you mean that you
doubt whether Mrs. Hill Is good?" This
was said in tone of undisguised scorn.
"Well, of course, you may doubt if she
is; / cannot help that; but don't be-
lieve that any one who has ever known
her well can have doubted it. They
wouldn't be worthy to know her, if they
had. OF course l am not speaking
about you," added Gabrielle quickly and
half apologetically, "for don't suppose
you do know her."
mo, / don'timagine that know her."
ne had replied rather gravely (but then
he was often gravel; and after that they
had not talked of her any more.
But, with the recollection of what she
had said in his mind, it was no wonder
that he thought to himself now-"When