San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1891-01-07
orowneA IS y. - !: :. J. 10.

0rOWnou 1919 u-.- Gs4IN : ,.. 81. - yAOr.
81 don't mean to prosecute you," he
remarked, speaking in a monotonous
tone, as they walked onward side by side.
II didn't return from Europe for that; l
merely wanted you to know. used to
think that, whatever happened, / could
always think and act like a man who
believed in goodness and-purity. But
l failed at the Important moment, and
you may be right-it was only natural in
me. For long time-many years-be-
fore met you had nothing to do with
women, and thought as little as possible
about them. You seemed to me, when
| first saw you, everything that l most
wanted, and. at the same time, every
thing that most disliked 1t was the
contradiction between what l felt you
were and what | thought you were.
That began with our first evening and
went on exaggerating itself until the
end. That's my story, Miss Randolph.
After all it's only a long way of saying, Il
made mistake and beg your pardon"
Beatrix heard all this, and the more
she heard the more tormented she felt
and the faster she tried to walk; but the
sidewalks were slippery, and at last in
crossing the street her foot slipped, and
she would have fallen if Godfrey had
not caught her arm. She stopped, press
ing her hands, which We're claSped in
side her muff, against her heart, and
glancing this way and that, like bird
that knows not which way to fly. She
was in just such half frantic, half
hopeless mood as often prompts women
to acts which appear-andp perhaps really
are-insane. She knew that on the pass
ing moment depended probably the fail
ure or success, the happiness or misery,
Of her whole future life. She knew that
everything was going topsy-turvy, alb
surdly and gratuitously wrong And
she felt paralyzed-wholly unable to ut
ter word to set everything right. A
word would have done it. What pre-
vented her? In part, perhaps, the very
urgency of her desire. which tripped up
its performance.
But what appeared to be the real OBJ
stacles were utterly trivial material acct
dents, such as being in the open street,
being buffeted by the wind, being OBJ
structed by her veil, being unable to see
the expression of Bellingham's face, be-
cause it was in shadow. The more des-
picably small the hindrances were, and
the more out of proportion with the
thing they were hindering, the less
could Beatrix prevail against them. SO
it often seems to be in this world; it is
not only that the mountain in labor
brings forth mouse, but that mouse
prevents the bringing forth of mount
ain.
Bellingham also was wretchedly aware
that he had ruined whatever little chance
he may have had; that he had spoken
boldly and perfunctorily, with frozen
tongue. although his heart was on fire.
He could not help it; he could have died
for her on the spot, but he could not put
into his voice or face as much life as
would have kept a gnat in motion. 1t
was all over.
"Will You stop this stage for me,
pleaseT' Beatrix had said as another of
those gorgeous vehicles came swinging
and numbering along.
with pleasure" Bellingham replied,
not ironically, but mechanically. The
stage pulled up; he handed all he loved
in the world up the step; he saw her fall
into a seat, and then, with jerk and a
hoof clatter, stage and all disappeared
in the gloom and snow. Bellisgham re-
manned for few moments in the middle
of the road like policeman till, recol-
lecting himself, he saw before him the
hospitable entrance Of Delmonico's, and
went in there.