San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1890-08-08
Two SOLDIERS.
By Capt. CHARLES KING.

"
dslphia, and published through special arrange
ment with the American Press Association.l
| left, sald the sympatnetlc Abigail, ana
had saidit was nothing serious or alarm
ing; Miss Mabel would have to keep quiet
a day or two; that was all.
But what hard luck for poor Lane,
when the days of his stay were so very
few! All Thursday morning was spent
| at the rendezvous, counting over prop
erty and comparing papers with Noel.
Then, while that gentleman went to the
club for luneheon the captain fastened
to the Vincents' door to renew inquiries,
and was measurabiy comforted by the
news that Miss Mabel was much better,
though still confined to her room.
Would he not come in? Mrs. Vincent
was out, but she thought-did that most
intelligent young woman, Mary Ann
that perhaps there was message for
him. Like Mr.. Toots, poor Lane, in his
anxiety to put no one to any trouble,
came within an ace of stammering: "It's
Of no consequence" but checked him
self in time, and stepped into the bright
parlor in which he had spent so many
delicious hours listening to her soft, rich
voice as she sang, or as she chatted
blithely with him and her frequent
guests. 1t was some time before Mary
Ann returned. Evidently, there was a
message, for the girls face was dimpled
with smiles as she handed him little
note. Miss Mabel says please excuse
pencil, sir; she had to write lying down.
Miss Holton has just gone away, after
| spending most of the morning"
Excuse pencil! Lane could hardly
wait to read the precious lines. How he
longed to give the girl five dollar bill!
But this wasn't England, and he did not
know how Mary Ann would regard such
a proffer. She promptly and discreetly
retired, leaving the front door open for
| his exit, and the sweet June sunshine
and the soft warm breath of early sum-
mer flowing in through the broad vesti-
bule.
Flow good you are to mew she wrote
The flowers we-e-and are still-ex-
quisite. | shall be down stairs little
while tomorrow afternoon, if the doctor
| is good to me as You are. Then | can
thank you, can | not? NJ. L. ""
The hours dragged until Friday after
noon came. He had to go to the With
erses to dinner on Thursday evening,
and dreary, ostentatious, ponderous
| feast it was. Noel, in his full dress uni
| form, was the hero Of the hour. He
| greeted Lane trifle nervously.
Il meant to have telephoned and
begged you to bear me out, old man, "
said he, ''but this thing was sprung on
me after | got home. Cousin Matte
| simply ordered me to appear in my war
paint, and had to do it. You are to go
in to dinner with her by the way; and l
wish you were en- grande tenue instead
| of civilian spike tail Here's Amos"
And Amos marched him around to
| one guest after another-"self made
men. sir"-heavy manufacturers and
| money makers, with their overdressed
| wives. Lane strove hard to be enter
| tanning to his hostess, but that lady's
| mind was totally engrossed in the prog
ress of the feast and dread Of possible
| catastrophe to style or service. Her
| eyes glanced nervously from her hus-
band to the butler and his assistants, and
her lips perpetually framed inaudible in
structions or warnings, and so it hap
pened that the captain was enabled to
chat good deal with slight, dark
eyed and decidedly intelligent girl who
sat to his right, and who was totally
ignored by the young cub who took her
in-the eldest son of the house of With
ers, a callow youth of 20.
you did not hear my name, know,
she had said to him. II am Miss Mar
shall, a very distant connection of Mrs.
| Withers', the teacher of her younger
children, and the merest kind of an acct
dent at this table. Miss Faulkner was
compelled to send her excuses at the last
moment, and so | was detailed-isn't
that your soldier expression?-to fill the
gap"
| "And where did you learn our army
expressions. may l ask" said Lane smil-
ingly.
81 had cousin in the artillery some
years ago, and visited his wife when
they were stationed at the old barracks
across the river. There's no one there
now, believe. Listen to Captain Noel:
he is telling about Indian campaigns"
Indeed, pretty much everybody was
listening already. for Noel, with much
animation, was recounting the expe-
rieaces of the chase after the Chiricahua
| chieftain, Geronimo. He was an excel
lent talker, and most diplomatic and