San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1890-11-12

cussion was over, he sat down near to
Gabrielle, and, on the strength of her
undisguiSed interest in his approaching
departure, began to indulge in some
sentimental "reminiscences of the years
that were now ending, he scarcely
found her mood quite what he had eX-
pected it to be. In fact she showed her.
self to be in humor that, taken in con-
nection with her unfeigned interest in
his movements, was Singularly perpleX-
ing to him; for she laughed at his recOl-
leCtiOns, she turned his sentiment into
ridicule, she professed to have forgotten
how long he had been in the place, or
when she had first seen him, and to
have but a dim recollection even of
what he had done for the parish. She
did not snub him-she seemed too hap
py to snub him THAT was the only good
sign left herr, but she laughed at half
of everything he said, and seemed as
if serious word would not come from
her. She evidently did not want to
review the past in the very least; her
whole interest in his concerns seemed
to lie in the direction of the future. AS
soon as he began to talk about that she
was ready to listen to him: she asked
questions about his new parish, and he
made himself happy by answering her
inquiries voluminouSly, thinking that
by doing so he was making her happy
too; he talked and was so full of himself
and his new life, and was becoming lin
spite of her flightiness) so rapidly con-
WINGED that she would be willing to
share this new life with him, that he
did not notice the fact that after time
she began to yawn and grow inatten-
tive,-tirst to yawn, and then, after an
other visitor came into the room, to
grow inattentive almost to reStleSSneSS.
Mr.. Warrington was sitting planted al
most at Gabrielle's elbow when that
second visitor entered. and after rising
to shake hands with him, he resumed
that place,-no to Miss Lynn's salts
faction apparently. Gabrielle had, in
deed, by this time been listening to Mr..
Warrington with unusual amiability
for three quarters of an hour, and it
might therefore be supposed, not UNI
naturally, that she was rather tired Of
him; but Mr.. Warrington on his part
was not tired, and so after he had stood
on his feet moment or two he sank
into his seat again, and went on talking,
and Gabrielle-all at once beginning,
like the spoilt child that she was, to fret
inwardly, and to think it hard that she
should have all the weight of Mr.. Walk
ington thrown on her, and to envy the
others who had none of it-fell to get
ting inattentive and restless; and at
last, with a sort of impOtent anger
for she gained little by it except her
liberty,-She rose up and threw Mr..
Warrington off. and went and ensconCed
herself by Esther'S side, and began to
talk to Esther, all the while thinking,
though, of something else, in a kind of
suppressed inward fever; nor indeed by
this move gaining even 80 much as her
liberty for long, for presently Mr.. Walk
ington, being left loose on the room,
came drifting toward her again, and
this second time he hung about her till
the other visitor rose to go. And then
the two young men took their leave to-
gether, and foolish Gabrielle, when the
house was clear of them, could have sat
down and cried.
Not that she had any reason to cry,
only-only she hated George Gilbert to
see her with Mr.. WalkingtOn-and he
had5hardly spoken one word to her too!
hardly one word, though it was nearly
a week since she had seen him last. OF
course that did not matter. she said to
herself; but it did matter that he should
see her with Mr.. Walkington-afte the
things that people had said For peo-
pie are so cruel!" cried poor little ILL
used Gabrielle, who of course had never
done anything to make gOSSiping
tongues talk of her in all her life. "PeO-
pie are so cruel! Oh, how thankful |
shall be when he has gone away! | wish
he was to go tomorrow wish | was
never to see him again!" said this un-
grateful Gabrielle.
l am afraid that Gabrielle Lynn had
very little proper pride in her; for, if
she had the pride she ought to have had,
would she have minded much that Mr..
Gilbert should hear what people said of
her?-or, if he was disposed to be I'M
just to her, would she have made her.
self unhappy about that? She was not
properly proud, l am afraid, but only
vain-sO vain that she could not bear
to be found fault with; such lover of
appreciation that not to be approved of
made her restless and miserable. Was
it from anything but love of apprOba-
ton. for instance, and because she
liked to be petted and CareSSed and look
ed up to, that she had taken so much of
late-at safe hours, when George Gill
bert was from hOme-tO pay long visits
at the blacksmith's cottage? Mrs. Gill
bert had been ailing a good deal this
winter. and Gabrielle made this the
oStensible excuse for going to her; but
many other people were ailing in the
village as well as Mrs. Gilbert, and do
not find that she devoted an equal pro-
portion of her time to the solace of these
other cases. She gave so much to this
one. because she knew that Mrs. Gill
bert's eyes were always ready to bright
EN- when they saw her, and that what
she did was gOod in Mrs. Gilbert s sight,
and what she said sweet in her ears.
Other people might criticise her, and