The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1890-09-21

very mucu de tTOp, Sal1 zoe, Win mock
gravity. Il never Algy alone now, aud |
want TO talk to him to-day very seriously"
Il am sorry" began, and then stopped;
something choked my words, and l could not
utter another sound.
Zoe looked at Inc, aud for moment seemed as
II she was about o say something pleasant,
sweet. soothing. Then the mutinOus little ex.
preston came over her face again, aud she
TUNED her eyes from me TO her brother.
80 You are not quIte married yet," said Alger-
non to me, disagIeeaby. LAS Zoe says, she aud
] are never together now, ana if she wants to be
with me she shan MOI be thwarted."
- do not wish TO interfere" | said, with the
same sense OF choking in my throat.
90 - ell Ihen don't" was the reply.
A Ibis time Lindsay kershaw had been stand
Ing silent but attentive 10 what was going on.
= was deeply flushed, but save for this his face
rad no message 10 me nor TO any one else.
De Come, Zoe, run and puI on your habit" then
said Algernon, VIII 20 tie stables and gel the
beasts saudled. James Ito his eldest brother
yen Will come? and Lindsay. your"
Yes" said both the men at once.
The earth reeled under nv feet should have
fallen had | not caught hold Of a branch OF the
lime Tree which formed one Of the "uprights"
for Z9e'S hammock.
IL shall know what to think, Zoe. If you make
yourself a party To this Insult 10 me-" said 10 a
low voice 10 my lille love, who by this time had
sprung TO her feet aud was standing near me.
/ ask entieat you not 10 go-or at least if
you do 10 Include me-" continued earnestly.
There was my false move! My unfinished
threat reused all there was of reeacitrant and
mischieyons Self-wifled and thOughiIess. In This
Maynard child. Her bright eyes flashed her
little figure stiffened.
"You may thing what you like and 1 don't
care what you do Think" she said; Il am going
all the same: aud you shall not come. Ii you do
shall stay at home"
On which she ran across The lawn and dIsap-
pedIed into the house.
felt hall mad and wholly bewidered. knew
| TO my cost what 1t was 10 quarrel with Zoe.
Whatever had gone wrong was made len times
| worse. II she had struck mc win a whip before
she then struck me with braid of SCORPIONS
| And all these little tifs-whieh [ suppose In
IN "A AT chm, had
| duced me stlil more 10 state OF abject slavery
| and Increased her power and performance.
And II dared not resent this affront on her,
still less could on her brothers. This would be
| TO nave her as well as them against me, aud /
could not afford that.
1t was terrible moment; but in all the press
ana passion Of my thought came the one waning
| thought, lie an inner voice sEeaking 10 me:
Patiencei bear with patience" And. like a
shining strip OF light reaching in tile far distance
beyond the dark and drealy Immediate surround
lngs, was The fallh, the belief, The knowledge
Thai, IN spite OF all her waywardnesS, size loved
me. If had not Known that would have flung
up the whole thing. even though had blown out
my brains the next moment But | knew that
she loved M. she was Maynard, and Der pretty
petty tyranny was meant for my discontinue
but she loved me.
Bewildered by passion, dazed with suffering, l
stood there scornlng myself aud scorued by
theni What was but a slave, taking from
adorned mistress such blows and Bullets as she
chose 10 bestow? let-how ceuld resist ?-how
could resent? Tie brothers, as cruel IN their
own way were Isabella's, would have been
only too glad had fallen into he snare they had
spread Tor my feet. / should then play their
game and they would win. they provoked me
to reDii sals as far as they dared, but for her
sake had o bear all-even beyond the point OF
Seltfespect; for her sake, because she loved me
though she tortured me.
Meanwhile Zoe was putting on her riding
habit, and the horses were brought round, while
the heavens grew darker and the threatened
storm was now m0mently more imminent
There was that mysterious hush--that eerie
silence below, broken by The strange soughings
OF the uufet wind In Tile upper branches of the
trees, which is weird and almost ghosty
These signs were. however, OF no avail The
Gods wished TO destroy, ana they FIRST made tile
victims mad. The riding party assembled, and
soon the horses were cantering down the dIive.
Zoe had so far relaxed in her forbiddlng humor
as 10 allow me to put her up. Her little foot lay
In my hand light as flower. and she sDraug into
the saddle as II she had been bird lighting Il
tNtg. When fairly seated and adjusted, and as
she was starting, she half relued III her horse and
looked back al me, II she were gOlug 10 speak
TO me. She did not; she only smiled and waved
het hdhd pleasantly, as II 10 shadow had come
between US: Al This moment she looked like a
lovely chlid whose hayward will has been grail
ned. Being gratifed Der hearI was now free to
act. Where she had been wiIifui aud disobedient
she now became peUilent, and her ewes PRAYED
for the grace OF reconciliation. 1 am glad She
looked ike tlat at me. / see her now, her grace
ful little head turned over her childish shoulder
and Tie golden friuges of her hair gIistenjnp M
II they were FURNISHED by The sun. Those golden
friDges and that tender smile seemed In man
Der reproductive one OF the other-lhe same
thing in two different forms. With This was
fam 10 be content; and with this smile on my
heart, iying As ray OF sunshine across barren
desert, STA rted TO go to my desolate home-my
sole possession of JOY girPs teeting, backward
l0ok.
But why should not await their return at the
Dall? 1Tue, L had not been asked, and was not
expected. but as ZOe's betTothed was not ex-
empt from such ordinary social prescriptions?
IL took all my self-control TO keep me from a.
recting my STEPS TO the drawing room, where
Zoe's picture was hanging, where her plano
stood opened and a number OF her favorite songs
lay upon The muSc-rack, where The very air
would be perfuued by the charm OF her iDdivid-
uallty. was, as II were, drawn tbtheT by
magnet, ana twice turned my face toward that
Mecca OF my yeaDing soul and twice 1 RETAINED
and TUNED back ag tin
AT that moment / caught the sound OF Seal
skins voice whinpying aifectionately for me- |
bad ieit nm at the stables with directions that
he shouldn't be unsaddled. My heart gave Joy
Gus bound I'd leap on Sealskin's back and
oyertake The merry party, for although not much
OF an athAe. was an excellent hOrseman and
Sealskin could show his hind hoofs with ease to