San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1890-07-31
THE EXILES.
RUSSIAN STORY.

IL y 90 "A N y l. Oh l. .
"You must let me CO." she said, and add
ed, with wavering smile TRY not to
make it harder, my darlings! Let us all be
brave"
"F'unny, isn't it!" people remarked. lit
tie Mrs. Blake doesn't seem overioyed at
the prospect of joining her husband"
Across the wide seas, in lonely misery,
went the mother, feeling as if every mile
she travelled stole away some of her life
with it. Little hands held the end OF the
thread-that thread of her life and happi-
ness which was being reeled of faster and
faster the farther she travelled from them.
Ships passed her in mid-ocean, and she
longed to scream across the cold waste of
waters and implore those in charge of the
vessels to stop and take her back, till the
strain became almost too much for heart
and brain.
'sWhy did 1 desert thema" was the burden
Of her cry. "Oh, why was 1 in such 8
hurry!"
Only two short weeks ago she was with
her darlings, their clinging arms about her
neck, their soft pleading voices sounding in
her ears, and now already she had put miles
of sea between them and her. 1t was as il
she had felt that there was not a moment
to lose, and that she must be by her hus-
bands side upon certain given date at
latest; yet he had never limited at such a
condition, nor fastened her movements in
any way. And now it seemed as if the hur
ry swamped her whole mental being; and,
as she approached her journeys end, mad
feverish longing to get to Jim took posses
sion of her.
1t was evening-the evening but one be-
fore the vessel arrived. The sun. like a
fiery globe, lowered above the horizon, gild-
ing the vast expanse of the Indian Ocean.
Nelly, who was lying very quietly, her sad
eyes fixed upon the golden mirror, suddenly
started violently with a stfAed scream, as
though somebody had fired off gun at her
elbow. She sprang to her feet and stretch.
ed out both hands with a cry of Jim!
Then quietly sat down and cried little.
and presently smiled at her own foolishness
ut is the great heat" said the ships doc
tor, land the nerves are unstrung. A little
bromide-a nights rest. Soon be in BON.
bay" &c.
At lastl Before dawn every creature was
on deck, eager to catch the first glimpse Of
one of the most beautiful natural harbors o.
the world.
The sheltering hills were just emerging
from the blue night-mists and clothing
themselves in radiant colors. Boats wer'
putting off from the still distant bunder, and
isolated sails here and there in the harboI
swept along with orange CLEANS. Pussy ex
cited passengers crowded the deck, huggine
their small possessions. each one convinced
in his own mind that he would be the frs
to be fetched off"
'The pilot hasn't come on board yet" re-
marked the Captain impatiently, in answer
to the stream of anxious questions; land
he's always the first; and along with hin
comes the health-oficer. No one is allowed
on board till we've proved clean bill o.
health" ....
"Jim will arrive with the pilot and the
health-oficer," said Nelly to herself.
81 think that will do" remarked Captain
Blake, proudly, surveying, with his heac
on one side, row of limp plantains which
stood, or rather dropped, on either side O.:
the garden path. They were being inun
dated with water in the hope of reconcilins
them to the change of scene; but the stiff
ness was all out Of their prim green skirts
and they looked sorrowful and sad.
For days the harsh squeak and creak o
the primitive windlass at the well had beer
incessant, making its own monotonous seal
of discords from dawn till dusk, accompan
led by the cheerful oaths and cultural noise
INDUCED in by the goaders of the oxen. The
garden was being flooded with water in or
der that flowers might grow in tropic haste
to welcome Nelly.
The inside of the tiny bungalow was mar
velously transformed. The Colonel had got
his way in the matter of China mating anC
curtains, and sundry ct-cBterds after his owl
heart
On this day j i'm had spent the whole
the time in going into and out of a certain
apartment which was entirely of his OWL
contrivance-half lady's boudoir and hal
dressing-room.
All was ready now, even to the gorgeou'
pin-cushion and cut-glass scent-bottles witt
tops of Indian silver; and he had gone 81
far as to provide an exquisite silver box il
which were powder and puff! He arrang
ed the pretty things afresh for the fiftiett
time, and ended by snuffing the violet pow
der all over his mustache in his eagernes'
to test its perfume.
The bugle sounded One more parade
only one-for he would be off before dawI
on the morrow to meet his wife!
The charger paved the ground before the
IL i