San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1890-10-16


somewhere, dare say"
do you want to meet that-that ami
NAL again." asked Moreton in dissatis-
fed tone as soon as his partner in mis-
fortune had left the room
"Oh, I'm simply dying to meet him
again. What else could you expect? He
is so good looking and clever and refined
and generally fascinating, isn't he? How
ever, | shall have to get on as best can
without him, for he has just been telling
me that mustn't count upon renewing
the rapture of intercourse with him be-
fore the beginning of next year."
''Oh, he has, has he? And what reason
did he give for infiicting such cruel
bereavement upon your"
Lady Belvoir yawned. What rea-
son? Let me see; what was his reason?
Do you know. am afraid have for
gotten. But perhaps it doesn't very
much matter. Let us dismiss the alb
sent from our minds and give our atten-
ton to some one who has the merit of
being present. You had an interesting
confession to make to me, had you not?"
YES" answered Moreton gloomily;
but since | saw you have decided not
to make it. told you, you know, that
was in despair then, and now i am
twice as much in despair-if that is pos
sible. | am not going to cut my throat.
because that sort of thing is so disagree
will go to Australia"
Il can't imagine any one better fitted
for the hardships of colonial Life. When
do you start? And what ma de- that un-
feeling woman reject you, wonders"
you know very well, returned More
ton, that she hasn't rejected me, be-
cause haven't asked her. don't for
one moment suppose that asking her
would have been any use: but can't
ask her now. Things have happened
which make that impossible"
"You don't say so! Would it be very
indiscreet to inquire what things"
"Oh, it wouldn't be indiscreet; nothing
that you could say to me would be indis-
Greet. Only, unfortunately, l couldn't
reply. / have got into mess which l
am bound to keep secret; all can tell
you is that, although l am as innocent
as baby, am not free to confess to
you-to confess to any woman, mean
how 1 love her."
THAT is very sad and very nIysteri-
ous," observed Lady Belvoir gravely.
"And will you never be free AGAIN."
Moreton shrugged his shoulders.
Practically never" he answered. II
shall be free in six months; but what is
the good of being free in six months
She will have forgotten all about me by
hat time. Besides, don't believe she
ever cared for me-"
Lady Belvoir kept her countenance ad-
nirably, though her suppressed merri-
ment was great.
sit is difficult to believe that you can
be in love with a woman whom you so
thoroughly distrust," she observed; "her
memory may not be so short as you sup
pose. But of course | can give you no
advice if you decline to take me into
your confidence | may be wronging
you; yet it does sound to me very much
as though you wanted to avoid propos-
ing to her. You say you are as innocent
as baby-which may or may not be the
case, but it doesn't exactly accord with
the reputation that you bear-neverthe-
less, you mustn't open your lips for an!
other six months, Why six months
rather than three months or year? All
this is very inexpliCable to me-"
Il knew it would be" sighed More
ton; but | can't help it. ] would give
all possess-that isn't much, to be sure
to be able to speak more openly to
you; but the thing can't be done. In
all my life have only loved one wom-
am
"Oh!" interjected Lady Belvoir.
"Yes. you may laugh, but it's true, all
the same. Only one woman; the others
were mere passing fancies. Well, hope
she knows it, though she can't hear it
from me.
Not even when the six months are
up? But perhaps that will be long
enough delay to cure you. | remember,
continued Lady Belvoir artlessly, Lord
Guise once saying to me that if a man
could be kept for six months from pro-
posing he would never propose at all.
That would be a most desirable state of
things from his point of view"
Il know it would-confound him!"
growled Moreton. .
But why confound him? 1t isn't he
who prohibits you from speaking, | sup
pose? You would hardly obey him if he
did. Well, since you are so very uncom-
municative. I'm afraid there isn't much
that i can do for you, and of course,