San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1890-11-01
NOT PROVEN;
ESTHER HILLS SECRET.
BY GEoRGIANA NJ. CRAIK.
OR

''4t Iepends upon what their sorrows
are" she replied in a low voice. ''You
don't know what mine have been. No,
you do notl'' she repeated quickly, and
even with sort of defiance when he
made no answer to her. II know what
your silence means. You think you
know what 1 have had to bear-that is
what one thinks, till hate to look at
myself in my black dress,-till-"
In the middle of her sentence she
suddenly broke off, and there was an
other moment or two's silence; and
then all at once
Can you not believe that / have
troubles Of which you know nothing?
Can you not believe that and let me
alOnep" she exclaimed. lit seems so
hard to me sometimes that you will try
to force me to be hypocrite by preach
ing to me about things that you do not
understand, and expecting me to sub
NIT to you, and to acquiesce. You
know that my husband is dead-yes,
husband include the whole catalogue of
a woman's woes, do you Think"
There was an angry Impotence anG
almost passion in her tone through
these last sentences that contrasted
strangely with her ordinary manner.
1t was little bit of true nature break
ing through the frozen crust within
which she usually inclosed and conceal
ed notwithstanding through, too, at
curious moment, to stranger who
knew nothing of her. But she had been
worried and tried too much this morn
ing, and the artificial composure had
given way at last.
Nor, having once given way, was it
regained in moment. She walked on
rapidly for little while, neither he nor
she speaking again; then all at once she
stood still, and turned her face to him.
why do you come all this way with
me? Have you not said all you wanted
to say YETI" she exclaimed.
''Yes, think have" he answered
quietly. And you are very angry with
me for having said it," he added, with
little trace of a smile upon his lips;
and then when she made no reply, after
a moment he held out his hand.
well, you oughtn't to be angry, be-
cause you have beaten me, you see" he
said. "And, besides, didn't mean to
say anything to hurt you; believe that"
II beg your pardon for having been
angry" she said quickly; and then the
gray eyes-saddest eyes, he thought,
that he had ever seen-went up to his
face again.
The look of them haunted him after
he had shaken hands with her, and
turned away. "A curious womanl" he
said to himself, and he could not get
the thought of her out of his head as he
walked back home. In the dining-room
at Wrexham he found the others taking
their lunch, and he told them frankly
what he had been about.
II met the widow at the gate, and
I've been talking to her," he said. 80
she has settled it all with you, sup
pose, and she is resolved that shall
turn her out of the houseW
"Well-she Shrinks so from seeing
strangers, poor thing; that is it, you
see," Aunt Susan said apologetically.
II think we had better let her have her
own way for time. Perhaps you may
be the first man she has had to do with
since her husband died, my dear. |
shouldn't wonder though you were, and
that it is the thought of that upsets
her."
At which sympathetic and ingenious
speech, to confess the truth, her broth
er looked at her with something very
like laughter in his eyes.
"Ah, that's an idea that never &C.
Cured to mel" he said.