San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1890-08-05

that he might have the honor or being
Miss Vincent's escort. 1t was with great
disappointment that he received her an
swer, which was spoken, however, in a
tone of such sorrow that poor Lane felt
that the barbs, at least, of the arrow had
been removed.
81 don't know how to tell you how l
regret having to say No. Mr.. Lane"
she said, and there was tremor in her
voice and a little culver at the corners Of
her pretty mouth Il have almost felt
confident that you were going to ask me
is that a very bold thing to say?-for
you have been. $3.50 kind to me since
our first meeting, and indeed wanted
in some way to let you know that thsrs
wereother arrangements already made.
But how could 1 say anythng7 Mr.. Kos
sitter, the eldest son Of fathers former
partner, comes to pay us visit of four
| or five days before he goes abroad again.
And he is great friend of the Chitons,
and, being our guest, he goes with me.
Indeed, I'm very sorry, Mr.. Lane. if you
are disappointed"
Fred, of course, begged thatshe should
give herself no uneasiness. There was
| no other girl whom he had thought of
taking. Mr.. Rossiter was very much to
be envied, and he would like to call and
pay his respects to that gentleman when
| he arrived by all means do" said Miss
Vincent; and. if not asking too much,
| would Mr.. Lane get him card at the
club? Brother Rex was away, or she
| ln't ~ I
delighted to be troubled. Anything she
| asked-any service he could render her
| he flew with untold eagerness to accom-
plish: and. though properly jealous of
the coming man-this Mr.. Rossiter, of
| whom he had never before heard men
| tion-he was eager to meet and entertain
him. The gentleman was to arrive on
Monday, and Lane spent a delightful
| evening at the Vincents', wondering why
| he hadn't come. Tuesday would surely
bring him, or an explanation, said Miss
| Mabel; and on Tuesday Lane was prompt
to call, and glad to spend another long
| evening at the hossitable old homestead,
and stoutly did he hold his ground
| through three successive relays of visi-
tors. encouraged to do so by certain
look in his lady's bright eyes that spoke
volumes to his throbbing heart, and that
very next morning at the club he found
her dainty missive on his breakfast
table.
| How early she must have risen to write
| it!-and to have seen the announcement
of his promotion in the Washington dis
patches! True, he remembered that it
was frequently her pleasure to be up be-
times to give her father his coffee; for
| Vincent pere was business man of the
old school, who liked to begin early in
| the day. Of course he had seen thename
| in the Washington news and had read
the paragraph to her; that was the way
| to account for it, But her note was q
JOY to him in its sweet, half shy, half
confidential wording. She merely wrote
to say that Mr.. Rossiter had wired that
he would be detained in New York until
| the end of the week; and now, if Capt.
Lane had really made no engagement,
she would be glad indeed if he cared to
renew the invitation which with such re-
greet she was compelled week ago to
decline. Lane totally forgot his break
| fast in his haste to rush to the writing
room and send her reply.
| All "The Queen City" had been quick
| to see or hear of his Sudden smite" and
consequent devotion to Mabel Vincent,
and great was the speculation as to the
| probable result.
| "How can she encourage him as she
| does? What can she see in that solemn
prigT Indignantly demanded Miss Fanny
| Holton, who had shown a marked inter
est in Mr.. Lane during his first six
months in society and had danced with
him all through the season. ''He is one
of the forlornest, stupidest men / ever
knew-utterly unlike what / supposed
cavalry officer to be-"
"And yet, Fanny dear, you were very
much taken up with him the first winter
| last year, mean" was the reply OF
| her most devoted and intimate friend.
"What an outrageous flb! l wasn't,
and, if | was, it was because | wanted
| to draw him out-do something to en-
liven him. OF course l danced with him
a great deal There isn't better dancer
| in town, and you know it, Maud; you've
said so yourself time and again"
"Well, you didn't draw him out-nor
on. But the moment he sees Mabel Vim
cent he falls heels over head in love with
her. Why, never saw man whose
every look and word so utterly gave
him away" was Miss Mauds character
istic and slanpy reply "And it's nv be-