San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1890-12-26

The revolving suspicion that he had
been a fool began to terminate in Mr..
Randolph's mind. This suspicion, which
is the salvation of some men, is the de-
stTuction of Others. The integrity Of
Mr.. Randolph's moral discrimination
began to deteriorate from that hour.
Having enacted all his life the part OF
his own golden calf in the wilderness,
his overthrow left him destitute of any
criterion of conduct. He talked violent
ly and volubly about his wrongs, and
discussed various schemes, more or less
impracticable and improper. of evading
his liabilities. Beatr3x was naturally
the chief sufferer from this ungainly
development of her fathers character,
and she was also obliged to bear
the brunt of most of the concrete
unpleasantness of their situation. She
had to talk to the creditors, to extenuate
her fathers side of the case, to hold out
fair hopes and to smooth over disap-
pointments, and when she had wearied
herself in parleying with the enemy she
had before her the yet harder task of
pacifying and encouraging her father,
who had listened to the dialogue from
the head of the stairs, and fell upon her
with petty avalanche of complaints,
questions, suggestions, seedlings and
querulousness. Beatrix loved her father
with all her heart, but she was of a pen
etrating and well balanced mind, and
often had difficulty in not feeling
ashamed of him. Insensibly she began
to treat him as fractions and super
sensitive child, who must at all costs be
humored and soothed, and when she felt
her own strength and patience almost
overtaxed she would only say to herself,
mo wonder poor father has to give up
when find it so hard"
But her troubles did not end with her
father There was certain Mr.. Starcher,
the grocer's son; the grocer divided with
the innkeeper the highest social consid
Grafton of the village. He was young
gentleman of highly respectable charac-
ter and education. After leaving school
he had studied for year at business
collcae n New York; he was member
of the Young Mems Christian associa-
ton, and person of gravity and re-
ligious convictions. Aweek or two after
Mr.. Randolph's misfortune became
known he put on suit of black clothes,
relieved by faded blue necbtie, and
called formally on Miss Randolph. At
ter the first courtesies had been ex-
changed he said that he desired in the
first place to put the minds of Miss Ran
dolph and her good father at ease re-
garding the little account between his
firm and them. The money was not
needed. and so far as he was concerned
might remain unpaid indefinitely. And
| should like to say, too" he continued,
with manner of almost melancholy
seriousness and husky voice. that
groceries-or anything else could get
you-might be yours, permanently, If |
could--you would-that you might con-
sent to unite your life to mine. My fa-
Their contemplates retiring from active
business. have never before spoken to
you of this, but in seasons of trouble
we say things-and Ihave often thought,
when we were singing in the choir to-
gether-that-w might be very happy
that it was our destiny. have been
in New York and seen the great world,
but YOU are the wife l would choose
from among them all" He had smooth.
round, fresh colored, innocent face, that
seemed made for dimpling smiles, but
which never INDUCED in them.
Beatrix felt a sensation of absurd
alarm, like the princesSin the fairy tale,
under spell of enchantment to mismate
herself in the most grotesque man
ner conceivable. Mr.. Starcher was
so much in earnest and so ludicrously
sure, apparently, that the success of his
suit was among the eternal certainties,
that a vision of a long welded life with
him, amid an atmosphere of meal tubs,
salt cod and pickles, interspersed with
psalm tunes and solemn walks TO and
from church on Sundays-this desperate
panorama of inanimate existence rose up
before her in such vivid imaginative
vraisemblanCe that she was impelled to
protest against it with more than ade-
quate vehemcnce. She gasped for breath,
rose from her chair and said Mr..
Starcher, it is terrible; | would
rather die" Then, perceiying, COM
passionatelv, that he would feel
cruelty wounded as soon as his
astonished senses enabled him to
comprehend the significance of her
words, she added, 1T would he nic-.ci
for me ever TO think of being married:
you must see that r Here she paused,
partly from emotion, and partly because
she was unable at the moment to be-
think herself of any conclusive argu-