San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1890-06-03

anu NtLI IliCc Sdillt, lD)
Doubtless, doubtless; and YOU know
no one is proudcr of the darling boy than
| am, but am none the less quite alive
to the fact that Johnny wants speciality"
"Ha! fine; speciality is grand
"NOw, Mr.. Price, what | say is this
that there remains only one hope. In
character where colleges, the service,
myself have failed, if anything can yet
do the work, it is-lOve."
The old bachelor blushed to the very
roots of his well curled gray hair
and" he said, you think he-he
really loves at last?"
Loves" exclaimed Johnnys mamma
with touch of almost indignation-as
if to say she would like to catch her son
not loving when and whom she babe
him. "Why, is he not engaged to Marian
Peyton:'
"To be sure; but l meant"-and he
looks down and fumbles with his hat and
riding whip, which he holds between his
knees-he is only paying a morning call
but fails apparently to define what he
does mean, and flies off to a generality
Far be it for me to limit the infinite
power of love. | know to my cost
yes, yes: never mind about that. |
am consulting you as friend, with an
icy accent on the word. MY boy is too
honorable to propose to any one whom
he does not sincerely love. Besides, he
would be blind not to love her. Three
and-twenty, very handsome, already her
own mistress, large estates joining ours
always an advantage, although, to be
sure, John is reasonably well off without
them: and at my DEATH
"Oh! don't, pray, for heavens sake,
Lady Charlotte.
Good Mr. Price never can endure any
allusion t. the demise of the somewhat
robust woman Of his affections, and he
now holds up his hat before his face with
his left hand while making a dramatic
deprecatory gesture with his right.
At this moment, however, their COM
munings are cut short by the entrance
through the open window of John Dal-
yell himself. He has already seen his
mothers admir"r that day, so he uncere-
moniously throws himself into the near
est armchair with view to making
third in til, IT. conversation, whatever it
chances t. y" about.
You n..v notice az he does SO that how
ever much his inner man NAV be def
Gent in what Lady Charlotte calls accent,
there is not much fault to find with John,
50 far as eXternaiS are concerned. A
tall, dark young man, with large intel
ligent eyes, a rather pale$but healthy
complexion, full lips, good teeth and
wavy hair, almost black in hue and worn
a tritie longer than the wonted military
cut-such is John Dalyell to look at. If
he be truly as pleased as his mother at
the engagement he has recently entered
into with Miss Peyton, well-all that can
be said is that he is pleased sadly. There
is not a spark of the jolly, thriving wooer
in his gait or aspect, and his whole bear
ing, which is in every way distinguished,
is marked by a degree of repose almost
amounting to liStlessness.
Been over to the manor, john" asks
his mother brightly; but of course you
D.
Well, it is the happieSt season Of life
the vanishing season., Moore calls it
somewhere"
"Ha-a! Beautifully throws in the
susceptible Price soto voce.
NO, MOTHER answers her only off
spring frankly, yawning, marian and |
are to ride after luncheon. She was ex-
pecting friend from the north this
morning-a Miss-I forget who. They
have not met for ages-about six weeks,
! believe, and was not wanted"
"Oh! | remember" says Lady Char
lotte, slight cloud passing over her
face. A little nobody with a grand
sounding name. Why Marian could not
leave her among her Cumberland hills
can't think; but she has a way of picking
up odd people"
docs that include me?' asks John,
smiling to show he intended this for
mild joke.
Nonsense; | should have thought an
old saying about, 'TwO's company ct
cetera, might have occurred both to Ma
rian and you at this time. Why did you
let her ask this girl?'
Marian never consulted me-" he re-
plies astoniShed, and by the bye, she !
didn't invite her. Miss-a-Templemor
wrote and asked if she might come"
When, about an hour later, John rode
over to the manor he found both ladies |
equipped ready to mount.
What contrast they presented as they
stood on the steps leading from the grand |
entrance. It was a very battle of charms