San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1890-09-02


If | am ever able to go by myself"
Don't ever go, then"
"But just now want my fan-it is so
close everywhere today"
81 fly, mademoiselle."
He started to the door
She called after him: "Let me help your
instinct, then. / had it last in the majors
study"
"That was where was going"
He disappeared. Rose got up and moved
uneasily toward the window How queer
and quiet it looks outside. It's really too
bad that he should be sent after that fan
again. He'll never find it." She resumed
her place at the piano, Adele following her
with round c:;pecsaat eyes. After Il pause
she started up again. 'rll go and fetch it
myself" she said, with half embarrassed
laugh, and ran to the door,
Scarcely understanding her own nerv-
BUSINESS, but finding relief in rapid move
ment, Rose flew lightly up the staircase.
The majors study, where she had been
writing letters during his absence that
morning, was at the further end of long
passage and near her own bedroom, the
door of which as she passed she noticed
half abstractedly was open, but she con-
tinued on and hurriedly entered the study
At the same moment Emile, with a smile
on his face, turned toward her with the
fan in his hand.
"Oh, you've found it," she said with
nervous eagerness. Il was so afraid you'd
have all your trouble for nothing"
With a half breathless smile she ex-
tended her hand for the fan, but he caught
her outstretched little palm in his own and
held it.
"Ah, but you are not going to leave us,
are your"
In fash of consciousness she understood
him, and, as it seemed TO her, her own ner
vousness and all and everything. And
with it came a swift appreciation of all it
meant to her and her future. To be always
with him, and, like him, n part of this re-
fined and reStful seclusion-akin to all that
had so attracted her in this house; not to
be obliged to educate herself up to it, but
to be in it on equal terms at once; to know
that it was no wild, foolish, youthful
fancy, but wise, thoughtful and prudent
resolve that her father would understand
and her friends respect-these were the
thoughts that crowded quickly upon her
more like an explanation of her feelings
than a revelation-in the brief second that
he held her hand. 1t was not perhaps love
as she had dreamed it, and even believed it
before: she was not ashamed or embar-
rassed, she even felt with a slight pride
that she was not Olushing. She raised her
eyes frankly. What she would have said
she did not know, for the door which he
had closed behind her began to shake vio-
lently.
1t WAS not the fear of some angry intru-
sion or interference surely that made him
drop her hand instantly. 1t was mother
second thought-the idea that some one
had fallen in fit against it that blanChed
his face with abject and unreasoning ter
ror. 1t must have been something else
that caused him to utter an inarticulate
cry and dash out of the room and down
the stairs like madman! What had hap
pened?
In her own self possession she knew that
all this was passing rapidly, that it was
not the door now that was still shaking
for it had swung almost shut again, but it
was the windows, the book shelves, the
floor beneath her feet that were all shak
ing. She heard hurried scrambling, the
tramplng of feet below and the quick
rustling of skirt in the passage as if some
one had precipitately fled from her room.
Yet no one had called to her-even he had
said nothing. Whatever had happened
they clearly had not cared for her to know.
The jarrng and rafting ceased as sud
denly, but the house seemed silent and
empty. She moved to the door, which now
had swung open few inches, but to her
astonishment it was fixed in that position
and she could not pass. As yet she had
been free from any personal fear, and even
now it was with half smile at her impris-
onment in the majors study that she rang
the bell and turned to the window. A man
whom she recognized as one Of the ranch
laborers was standing hundred feet away
in the garden looking curiously at the
house. He saw her face as she tried to raise
the sash, uttered an exclamation and ran
forward.
But before she could understand what
ne said the sash began to rattle in her
hand the EARRING recommended, the floor
shook beneath her feet, hideous sound of
grinding seemed to come from the walls, a
thin seam of dust. like smoke broke from
the ceiling, and with the noise of falling
plaster a dozen books followed each other |
from the shelves in what in the frantic |
hurry of that moment seemed grimly de- |
liberate succession; a picture hanging |
against the wall to her dazed wonder |
swung forward and appeared to stand at |
right angles from it; she felt herself reel |
ing against the furniture, deathly nausea |
overlook her, and rs she glanced despair
ingly toward the Windows the outlying |
fields beyond the garden seemed to be I'M
dUlating like sea.
For the first time she raised her voice,
not in fear, but in pathetic little cry of :
apology for her awkwardness in tumbling |
about and not beiny able to gr9Dple this |