San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1891-11-04
This was the girl whom


he had hated and cursed us the cause of
his sons disobedience, but whom he had
none the less kept in his household as
| having been the chosen friend of his
| dead daughter, the only being whom he
had ever really loved
Hal" muttered the viscount, ARE
| yOu come to see me die like dog? Well,
if you want your revenge, you have it
now, to the full"
Il want none" she answered, gliding
| across the room us noiselessly as a sun
beam, and standing beside him. Won't
You let me try if can do anything to
| help YOU"
"What can you do:" asked the dying
man with savage impatience. Il am
DYING know it-and if there be
hereafter, as the priests tell us, have
less TO hope for there than here What
| does it matter? AS have sOwn, so must
| reap
DO not talk so wildly and despairing-
ly." said Constance Leigh earnestly.
1T is not too late yet to undo what you
have done"
AT the last words the sick mans face
! changed, and he glanced up at her with
a sharp, suspicious look.
Lord Doneraile," said she. with an
air of quiet dignity which the fierce old
noble himself had never surpassed in his
proudest days. Il know what you are
| going to say, and must not let you say
it. Now that you have but few hours
| to live it is time for me to speak plainly.
| You thought that loved your son only
| because he was rich and great, and you
wroCged me cruelty in thinking SO. l
| love him better now that he is poor and
| nameless and forsaken than ever did
| when he was heir to the finest estate in
the south of Ireland; but if you will for
give him and restore him to his rights,
will pledge ycu my word-aHd you know
| | have never broken it-that | will never
see him again"
The viscount eyed her with a look of
blank amaZement.
| ~-TN.z, oa~ a.
| You will DO that, your said he in an
| incTedulOus tone.
Il will, So help me God!" replied Con-
stance sOlemnly.
There is one person in the world,
then, who is not utterly selfish" growled
the old man, cynical to the very last.
We'll, | believe you, and I'll give you a
proof of it. Look in the pocket of my
dressing gown and you'll find letter,
which had just received when this
cursed attack came on, You can read it"
Constance did so. Short as the letter
| was, it sufficed to make her face flush
and her whole frame culver with excite
ment, and hardly pausing to read the
last word, she moved swiftly across the
| room, and taking the dying mans cold
hand in both her own said pleadingly:
You will have him sought for, will
you not now that you know where to
search for him."
who knows if he is still alive? The
men of our race know how to die when
life has nothing left to offer Them" said
| the old noble with kind of dreary
pride
He is alive-I feel it." said the girl
emphatically, land he will be found.
See how this news of him has come to
you just in time, as if sent by God him
self. If you know the very regiment in
which he enlisted (and this officer seems
| quite sure of what he says it will be
| easy to trace him
But whom can send to do it? 1t is
not every one who could be tempted even
| by money to venture into the midst of a
raging war; and pass through a country
that has been turned into a desert, with
81 &C .el,, 81 h,,
step. Who will undertake the searchy'
Il willw
You" cried the viscount, "a young
girl like you! Impossible"
why should | not?" said Constance
simply. ''ln time of war woman can
often pass where man cannot, and no
American woman has any harm to fear
when she goes among American men, ;
whether northern or southern" J
As she spoke her fair young face light I;
ed up with glow Of heroic daring that ]
quite TRANSPORTED it for the moment, /
and made the sick mans heavy eyes .
turn to her with a look of wondering adj 1
miratiOn.
You are indeed worthy of him."
said he, seeming to catch a spark of her
enthusiasm; land if thanks or blessings
are worth anything from me you have
them both. But if you take up this
search, how do you mean to set about it," /
Il have had plenty of practice I'M
nursing, as you know; and just nowj
nurses with any experience are veryI
much wanted everywhere. Ishall make
my way south, and volunteer to help ini
the hospitals; and | have no fear butt
what | shall be accepted"
The old man seemed to mediate for al