San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1890-05-09
VIII you do about it,

| OOl. lnOrne ulu nOl immediately reply
He could be as impulSive as WinifreC
herself, but he could not be confiding
1--WE have no assurance that NiChola
still lives" he said, at last.
Winifred clasped her hands. Let L
hope!" she whispered.
Il am very tired, just now" the col
onel sighed. Il will lie down until din
ner is ready
He does not care" thought Missy
bitterly. How was she to know that he
sought the privacy of his own room tC
hide the storm of mingled emotions that
shook his very life? He would fain have
Nicholas at home again, but he could
not bring himself to say so.
When he reappeared at dinner he was
calm, and Immediately afterward he
ordered his horse and rode away. Missy
supposed that he was going to see her
Aunt Pauline and Flora.
1t was long past 10 o'clock that night
when the colonel returned, and it gave
him thrill of unaccustomed joy to find
his daughter sitting up alone, to keep his
supper warm. At most did he hope that
| she would scold him; but Winifred was
| not aCtuated by anxiety on her father
account; she had the utmost confidence
in his ability to take care of himself; her
object in sitting up for him was to win
his favor for her brother. What unspeak-
able comfort it would have given her
could she but have known that he had
ridden to Tallahassee expressly to see
Capt. Fletcher; but her father did not tell
her; he only babe her so to bed. He had
had his ride in vain, for Capt. Fletcher
was away, on long delayed visit to st.
Marks. and Col. Thorne preferred to wait
for an answer to the note he had left for
the captain before saying anything to
Winifred.
The news brought by Glory-Am made
Miss Elvira very uncomfortable. She was
a creature of habit, and she had formed
the habit. in the past eight years, of liv-
ing without her nephew. She had prac-
ticallv forgotten him. Every hope that
centered in him had died the day she
heard Of his marriage with Dosia Furni-
val, and she could not see now that his
return, granting that he lived, was to be
desired. Indeed. Miss Elvira preferred
to believe him dead, since never. never
again could he he the Nicholas of old.
She had long persuaded herself that the
colonel would do his whole duty if he
made some provision for Nicholas in his
will; the prospect of having Dosia and
her children at Thorne Hill was regarded
by Miss Elvira pretty much as she might
have regarded an invasion of the Bar
barianS.
You don't reflect how times are
changed, Winifred,' she frettcd. And
there's no denying that DoSia cannot be
congenial; she isn't one of us.
Let US find them first, said Winifred,
reddening; all other questions can he
settled afterward."
How are you going to find them
Miss Elvira asked, with provoking meek
ness. Nicholas is either dead or he has
forgotten us. For my part, Id rather
believe him dead. He must be SO
changed.'
Winifred shuddered. You are very
cruel" she said, hoarsely. "If my father
would but have Capt. Fletcher here once,
Just once, we might find some Clew."
"Winifred Thorne! Do you not know
that if your father were to bring that
man here your Aunt Pauline and your
Cousin Flora never would cross this
threshold again? 1t is you who are cruel!
Think of Alock. killed at Chickamauga!'
The tears sprang to Winifred's eyes.
at is life that is cruel" she said, sadly.
But you need not be uneasy. 1t is three
days since Nom Bee came to us with the
news about Brer Nicholas, and l asked
my father yesterday if he did not intend
to see Capt Fletcher, but he said was
never to ask him that again. And am
but a girl. What can do but assault
heaven with my prayers?"
Col. ThOrne had not seen fit to acQuaint
his daughter with the fact that Capt.
Fletcher had written to decline the invi-
tation to visit Thorne Hill, conveyed in
that note the colonel had left with Mrs.
Scott few days before
A week later Glory-Am took up her
permanent abode at Thorne Hill. She
her willingness to accept the
house the colonel had offered her, and
she was not backward in demanding the
COW and the pigs, nor did she hesitate to
hint that a few chickens, by the way of
a start, would be acceptable.
1t would be hard to say just what it
was that induced Nom Bee to return.
She had been heard to tell CLANCY, who
was temporarily presiding over the