San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1890-02-05
A ROMANCE
OFF ourth observation-disclosures
Walk

| a OIL OF rusty nail, Inat Is All
Lying on Fourth street bridge, witt
the head in crack of the rickety
flooring, and the twisted broken enc
sticking up, perhaps to catch and
lacerate the naked, callOused heel Of
the barefooted school boy, or the
patent leather boot of the gentleman
or lady, it attracted no attention
whatever. Overhead, the bOughs of a
giant Spanish oak stretched their
gnarled and twisted lengths, as if in
triumph at the fallen and vanquished
nail, which until few days ago,
pierced the oaks rough coat ana
wounded Its inner vestments until
the sap flowed like the tears OF a
strong man-nOt copious but slowly
and difficult. The sap gradually
corroded the product of the rolling
mill until slight jerk might easily
have dislodged the exposed end.
And yet 1t held, as if still cOncious
of the duty it had to perform, that and
showing to the world the van
ity of womanly promises and the
blind confidence of man therein.
Three years ago two lovers stood for a
moment IA lovers moment, however,,
under the spreading boughs of this
tree, which then had not grown so
pOrtly with weight Of years. He was
loving and tender, she was sweet ana
clinging. They had vowed, had
sighed and vowed again to be true.
Her little hand stole into his pocket,
more from idleness than from any in
tentiOn of acquiring the well known
wifelv habit. Resting contentedly
therein the little fingers fell upon
nail probably rescued from the lid of
a dry goods box, and being taken
home by the gentleman to become
the support for his best trousers upon
the back of his room door. When
this nail" she said, drawing it forth.
shall rust with the sap OF this tree
and fall, then will my love for you
also cease" and she took rock and
drove the nail deep into the tree.
Often, very often, they bent their steps
toward the bridge and always stopped
under the true. The nail remained
and showed no signs OF rust. In a
month he was called away to another
city and remained Tor six months.
When he returned he passed
The tree one day and the nail |
was there He continued down |
own ami met a friend whom he |
greeted cordially. Passing him came
! lady, his sweetheart, in a carriage |
with gentleman. His voice was
strained as she passed without seeing |
him, and his words sounded far away |
IS he asked, "WhO is that gentleman
With her." THAT is her husband"
vas the answer. With a peculiarly |
cynical smile on his face the gentle
nan walked on and his thoughts can
% imagined He is yet bachelor
md loves yet to walk by that old tree
n the bark of which the nail remain
,d until few evenings ago, when he
;Ook lady for walk and showed her
he nail and related the above r0-
nance. Whether it was intended
that she should profit by the lesson
is not known, but in a mo-
nent in defense of her sex, and TO de-
stroy such monument Of woman in
con slant covenants she raised a small
rock and smote the tell-tale nail. so
that its outer half fell heavily to the |
flooring. The moon looked down, its |
silyery beams fell with dull thud on
the rolling river, while the ripping |
laughter Of the dancing flood grated |
harshly on the ear OF a large gravel |
which was seated on the back |
Of little frog in the bottom OF the |
stream listening to the high sopranos |
Of a convention of female mosquitoes. |