San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1890-11-06


"How strong you are!"-with little
gasp, and in a tone of grateful. inyolun-
tary admiration. "How strong you arel
/ wonder what it can feel like to be so
strongl"
II have always been strong. Not so
strong, however, as my father" he an
swered quietly; and this reference TO
the blacksmith, though perhaps she
would scarcely have acknowledged 1t,
silenced Gabrielle for the next few mo-
ments. The reference, or the shelter
of the lane (let me, however, do her the
justice to say that it was probably in
reality the last of these two reasons)
made her unclose her linked hands too,
and for the remainder of their walk she
held to his arm by one hand only, in the
ordinary manner of arm-holding,-
cept that indeed, to the end, the rough
ness of the wind and the binding nat
ure of the snow made her cling to him
rather more firmly than she would have
dreamt of clinging to any one in ordi-
nary circumstances,--the moment not
being a propitious one for troubling
herself with those considerations touch
ing their social equality which had so
often previously disturbed her equan-
nimity when she was in the presence OF
George Gilbert. In the midst of a snow
storm, and in the face of northeast
wind, one cannot think much about So
cial equality.
II wonder that they did not send to
Mrs. Hills for you," he said to her,
when, the house reached at last, they
stood before the door waiting to be let
in; and Gabrielle upon this replied
"Yes-I think they might have sent
for me. rather in a sore way; for the
truth is that the same thought had
come into her own mind more than once.
But it SO often happens that those at
home do not chance to think OF the
absent ones quite as they, quickened
to keener SenSiCiVeneSS by personal feel
ing, think OF themselves; and 50 il turn
ed out in the present case, for, as the
servant opened the door to them. Mr..
Dunstan came out into the hall, and
broke into an exclamation that had far
less either of sympathy or remOrSe than
of blank amazement in it.
"Why-GOd bless me!-you've not
come through this wild blast, have you?
What in the world tempted you to do
that?" he said.
"How could l help doing it? 1t came
on after / set out. l couldn't do any
thing else than come" poor Gabrielle
answered, feeling so much injured by
this reception, that if Mr.. Gilbert-who
might be supposed, having tasted the
flavor of the night, to have at least some
small amount of natural sympathy with
her-had not judiciOusly come to her
support, and reused Mr.. Dunstan's feel
ingS by few words of well administer
ed explanation, it might possibly have
gone i'll with her temper. But, though
hn of hn
rather happy way of saying the right
thing when it was wanted, and So
ut was not showing in this way when
Miss Lynn set out. l don't see how
she could have helped coming through
it," he said. "Of course she would
have waited at Mrs. Hills until you
sent for her if she had known at the
beginning what sort of walk she had be-
fore her." .."
"Was it very hard work? Poor little
Gabrielle!" Mr.. Dunstan was speak
ing good deal more tenderly now.)
"And you are half frozen, supposed?
Well, my dear, l don't know what we
were thinking of not to look after you. '
You shall be treated better another
time" He patted her shoulder as he
said this. ..E. ..... ...." ...r
She had been unfastening her wet
cloak, and had thrown it down.
II am so cold!" she said, quickly,
with little tremulousness about her
lips. ut was so dreadfully coldl And
had not met Mr.. Gilbert. l know
shouldn't, for l was nearly losing my
self. And | don't think have ever
thanked you yet" This all at once to
Mr.. Gilbert himself, with her face turn
ed round to him.) II had no breath
out there to thank you,-but am so
very, very much obliged to you," she
said. 1870 =,
"Well, tell him all that afterward: he
is not going away" Mr.. Dunstan said,
coming between them bluntly, and
rather interfering with the effect of this
little speech. "You can't go away,
George, till this tempest is at an end.
Come up to my room, and I'll give you
a dry pair of shoes and anything else
you want. Or if you don't want to
change your boots, come to my fire in
the study"
THANK you; my boots are all right"
Mr.. Gilbert said.
"Then come in here. Poor little Ga
brielle," said Mr.. Dunstan, lingering
behind his guest to touch her cheek for
a moment-perhaps with some vague
sense of remorse in his fingers. Poor
little Gabriellel Go and get warmed
and dried-and don't play tricks with
snow-storms again. The others don't
know that you are home yet. Do you
think 1 don't care for your fright and
your wetting-more than anybody else
is likely to carer" he said. Il
They made sort of small heroine OF
her, and petted and caressed her for the
rest of that evening. When George