San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1890-10-13
BAFFLED CONSPIRATQRS
By ". E NORRIS.

implacable antagonist.
The young man stared at her in undis-
guised astonishment
Il know you don't like me, Miss Les
lie," said he, land if you'll excuse my
speaking the truth don't very much
care. But as simple matter of curiosi-
ty may | ask you what your quarrelwith
me is?'
Yes" she replied, you may, and /
will tell you. My quarrel with you is
that you are good for nothing. may be
wrong. but it always seems to me that
good for-nothing man is ten times worse
than good-for-nothing woman. 1t is
sufficient for a woman to be something
pretty. for instance-but a man ought
to be able to do something If he can't
he might as well never have been born"
'Oh. but | can do several things"
Mr.. Moreton replied composedly. II can
dance very well, and can shoot rather
better than pretty well. and-let me see,
is there anything else? Oh, yes; forgot
my chief accomplishment. lam really
first rate hand at ingratiating myself
with ladies. Not with you, of course;
but you are the exception that proves
the rule"
If he meant to be exasperating he
scored success, for Dorothy jerked up
her shoulders without deigning to re,
spond. and after that he could get no
more out of her. That she had not re-
vealed the true cause of her hostility tc
him he could hardly be expected to d.
vine. How could he know that she sus-
| pected him of an ambition to acquire
| Lady Belvoir's fortune, and that she
was convinced that Lady Belvoir, minus
| her fortune, would have had no sort of
Fascination for him?
AS little could she guess what was in
reality the sad plight Of this hardened
student of feminine nature. For Eustace
Moreton Lady Belvoirs reputation had
no secrets. He knew all that was said
| about her and believed most of it. Yet
it was now nearly month since he had
become as wax in Lady Belvoir's hands.
That all powerful woman had turned
her attention to him the moment that
she discovered how lightly he valued it,
and such feeble resistance as he had Of
tered had been overcome with ridicu-
lous ease. 1t may be conceded that
Eustace Moreton was selfish man: but
| it is certain that the persistency with
which he had followed Lady Belvoir
| about of late was not due to any wish
| on his part to make what is usually call
ed good marriage. He called himself
an ass for acting as he did. and he knew
that he was an ass: but he did it all the
ume.
Dorothy, for the reasons which have
| Ilready been mentioned, determined to sit
| rim out upon this occasion. and it need
| ,carcely be added that she attained her
purpose He stayed until the other peo-
PIE had gone away, after which he
glanced appealingly at Lady Belvoir and
impatiently at Dorothy; but as neither
If them chose to understand what he
wanted he resigned himself to the inevi-
table and took his leave.
Poor fellow!' laughed Lady Belvoir
when she and her friend were once more
alone.
He is indeed" agreed Dorothy, with
| I6TNOT. uOu lliluh ever III NY llle
met with a poorer fellow"
"Oh, | have" said Lady Belvoir,
throwing herself back in her chair and
tanning herself lazily: Il have met with
lots of poorer creatures. If you come to
that Schneider is poorer creature.
The mistake you make, my dear girl, is
in asking too much of human nature.
/ ~.
that ask of a man is that he should
adore me; then expect,him to keep his
temper with me; finally, | should like
him, if he can manage it, to amuse me-
But don't insist upon that"
"And does Mr.. Useless Mortal fulfill
all those conditions inquired Dorothy
scornfully.
"Mr. Useless Mortal, as you so wit
tily call him-by the way, Dorothy, /
wouldn't display wit if l were you; it
isn't popular quality-is all that !
| could wish him to be. He behaved adj
mirably this afternoon, because l did
tell him that l should be at home and
,lone, and of course he must have
thought that l had purposely misled him.
When 1 think of the fuss that Percy
Thorold used to make when these I'M
| lvoidable accidents occurred"
MIR. Thorold was engaged to you"
observed Dorothy, reddening a little.
though there was no ostensible cause for
ler doing So.
Yes, for time he was; but he fused
long before he was engaged. Mr.. More
ton, | am sure, would never be fussy