San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1890-11-10

lrratlonaiIy rond or getting MS own way,
and of making slaves of the women who
lived with him; but if this was true of
him las possibly it was), at least it was
true too that his women at any rate
liked their slavery. The woman OF the
future would look down upon them. OF
course, as very base creatures for llk-
ing it, but vet they did like it, all the
same. Different as they were one from
another, it was pleasant alike to Aunt
Susan, and to Helen, and to Gabrielle;
there was not one of these three but
| liked. and was aware that she liked, TO
| know that house was ruled by strong
hand; and the same union OF qualities,
the union mainly Of power with ten
Ierness, and of utmost love for his own
| way with utmost consideration for the
ways and weakness of other people,
that had made him master over his own
| women for so many years, were fast
making him master over Esther now.
She was for little while wholly and
| undisturbedly happy in obeying and
| serving him. He had been kind to her
| in way that she felt with special keen
ness, and it seemed to her as if she could
| not do enough to show her gratitude
for that kindness. She was so glad to
do something-however small thing
it might be-for him, that the power of
doing it became indeScribably sweet to
| her. As long as she believed that she
was really working for him, and that
he was simply treating her with the
| frank confidence and goodness that
| were natural to him, and that he might
have shown to any woman toward whom
| he had kindly feeling, she was content
| edly and gratefully and unsuspiciously
| happy; she was happy specially in this
way during these two weeks midway
| in December. But at the end of these
| weeks the feeling of peace that she had
| with him began TO change, and the first
| thought of what he meant, and of her
! fresh trouble that lay before her, broke
| on her mind.
| She had been sitting one evening for
half an hour with blank sheet of pa
| per on the desk before her, waiting for
| him to begin to dictate, and he had
been talking and would not dictate. She
| had said to him once or twice-"Shall
we begin now?"-but he would not be-
| gin; and at last she laid down her pen
and laughed.
Il don't think you really want any
letter written tonight at all, /" she said.
Upon which he answered with per-
| feet franknesS-
mol don't think do. You may
put the paper away, if you like. Only
there's no need for you to go, though
| you don't write. Just stay where you
are he added the next moment.
! 'Here?" she said, rather hesitating,
| and little surprised.
"Yes-you haven't anything else to
do, have your"
"No-except to read to Helen"
Helen won't expect you yet. Stay
here want you," he said.
And then she sat still, and he went
| on talking.
But that evening-for the first time
| for weeks-she felt shy of him again.
| Her position with him till now had
| been, or at least, deceived by his frank
| and cordial manner, she thought it had
| been, perfectly simple and natural; but
| now she could not but be aware that he
had told her to stay, not because she
could help him in any way, but because
| he liked to have her with him; and with
| a sudden thrill of pain she thought to
herself-"I must keep him from caring
for that" She had accepted his kind
ness with such unconcealed gratitude
| hitherto; she had been so glad to serve
| him; he had made her so unSuspiciously
at ease with him; and now this thought
| came and mixed the first drop of bitter
with her happiness. She allowed him
| to talk to her for little while, and then
she rose, and he had to let her go.
81 think Helen will be glad to have
some reading" she said. II have hardly
read anything to her all day."
II see you are not fond of idleness"
was his cool reply to this remark. But
hnH III 10
less you had liked. You might have
mended pens"
Il had none to mend" she said.
"I'll give you some tomorrow. Do
you know how to mend pens?" he asked
her.
"No-nOt very we'll"
''Then IN teach you. Everybody
should know how to mend pen. Stay
and have lesson now"
II would rather go to Helen"
Every well, then; we'll go together"
And so they went together, and ES-
Their sat down by Helen's side and read
| to her; and the rest Of the evening pass
ed quietly, to all appearance as even
| ings had passed a dozen times before;
but yet, for all that, beneath its appar-
| ent peace there was trouble awakened
| in ESther's heart that she was never
able to still or forget again.
After this time she was often happy
enough in that study ofGuy Dunstan's,
but she was never happy any more in
the old blind way. She knew after this
night-gradually, perhaps, but yet al
ways advancing to be more and more
sure of it,-that he did not send for her
because he wanted the work done that
he set her to do, but because he wanted
her; that the work was nottingham