San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1890-09-01

man Emile had agreed with her, with the
mental reservation that the guest was
pretty and must eventually fall in love
with him. They both, however, welcomed
her with trained politeness and a super
fetal attention that, while the indifference
of her own countrymen in the wheat field
was still fresh in her recollection, struck
her with grateful contrast. The majors
quiet and unobtrusive kindliness naturally
made less impression or was accepted as
matter of course.
well, said the major, cheerfully but
| tentatively, to his wife when they were
alone again, "she seems nice girl after
all. And good deal of pluck and char
acter, by JOve! to push on in that broken
buggy rather than linger or come in farm
cart, eh?''
''She was alone in thatwhea field" said
Mrs. Randolph with grim deliberation,
for half an hour-she confesses it herself
talking with young mani"
"Yes, but the others had gone for the
buggy. And, in the name of heaven, what
would you have her do? Hide herself in
the grain?" said the major, desperately
Besides" he added, with recklessness
he afterward regretted, that mechanical
chap they've got there is really intelligent
and worth talking to-"
II have no doubt she thought So" said
Mrs. Randolph, with a mirthless smile:
''in fact observe that the American free
dom generally means doing what you want
to do Indeed l wonder she didn't bring
him with her! Only / beg, major, that
you will not again in the presence of my
daughter-and may even say of my SON
talk lightly of the solitary meetings of
young ladies with mechanics, even though
their faces were smutty and their clothes
covered with oil"
The major here muttered something
about there being less danger in young
lady listening to the intelligence of
coarsely dressed laborer than to the COM
pliments of a rose scented flop, but Mrs.
Randolph walked out of the room before
he finished the evident platitude.
That night Rose Mallory retired to her
room in a state of self satisfaction that she
even felt was to certain extent virtue
She was delighted with her reception and
with her hostess and family. 1t was
strange her father had not spoken more of
Mrs. Randolph, who was clearly the supe-
rior of his old friend. What fine manners
they all had, so different from other people
she had known. There was quite an Old
World civilization about them; really it
was like going abroad She would make
the most of her opportunity and profit by
her visit. She would begin by improving
her French-they spoke it perfectly and
with such pure accent She would cor
rect certain errors she was conscious of in
her own manners and copy Mrs. Randolph
as much as possible. Certainly there was
great deal to be said of Mrs. Randolph's
way of looking at things. Now she thought
of it calmly, there was too much informal
ity and freedom in American waySl There
was not enough respect due to position and
circumstances Take those men in the
wheat field, for eXample-yet here she
found it difficult to formulate an indict-
ment against them for freedom" She
would like to go there some day with the
Randolphs and let them see what company
manners were!
She was thoroughly convinced now that
her father had done wrong in sending her
alone: it certainly was most disrespectful
to them and careless of him (she had quite
forgotten that she had herself proposed to
her father to go alone rather than wait at
the hoteD, and she must have looked very
ridiculous in her fine clothes and the
broken down buggy. When her trunk
came by express tomorrow she would look
out something more sober. She must re-
member that she was in Catholic and re-
ligious household now. All, yes! how very
fine it was to see that priest at dinner in
his soutane, sitting down like one Of the
family and making them all seem like
picture of some historical and aristocratic
yomance And then they were actually
ode Fontages L'Hommadieu." How diff
ferent he was from that shabby Methodist
minister who used to come and see her
father in a black cravat with a hideous
bow Really there was something to say
for religion that contained so much pic
turesque re6nement-and for her part
but that will do. l beg to say that l am
not writing of any particular snob nor
feminine monstrosity, but of very charm
ing creature who was quite able to say her
prayers afterward like good girl, and lay
her pretty cheek upon her pillow without
blush.
She opened her window and looked out.
The moon, a great silver dome, was up
lifting itself from blush gray level which
she knew was the distant plain of wheat,
Somewhere in its midst appeared a dull
star, at times Frightening as if blown
upon or drawn upward in a comet like
trail By some odd instinct she felt that
it was the solitary forge of the young in
ventor, and pictured him standing before
it with his distracted hazel eyes and face
more begrimed in the moonlight than
ever. When did he wash himself? Per
haps not until Sunday. How lonely it
must be out there! She slightly shivered
and turned from the window As she did