San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1891-11-13


Mona was ready enough to speak of her
sorrow. She was gently grateful for his
sympathy, but she would not sit beside
him, her head on his shoulder, and his
arm round her, nor did she permit course
of consolation compounded of whispers,
kisses and assurances that the whisperer
would be brother and sister and grand
mother and everything to her. She was
so dazed and overwhelmed that Waring
was gravely uneasy about her, and it was
an immense relief to him to know that
Nine. Debrisay (who had heard of the sad
event in some occult manner) was in the
house, and would spend the night with her
favorite pupil
Established custom governs all things
the deepest grief-the widest joy. The
dreary days-which fingered yet went so
swiftly-sped on, and poor Mrs. Newburgh
was laid in her grave. Her will, leaving
all she possessed to Mona, was duly read
her few jewels and personalities packed
up. The former went with Mona to Har.
rowby Chase
Mona took cold on her journey, and for
a fortnight was very unwell-so feverish,
in fact, as to wander in her speech, and to
cause her kind hosts good deal of anxiety.
She was utterly lonely. She had no near
relative. The Everards were more closely
allied by friendship than by blood to Mrs.
Newburgh. She had heard of many other
cousins in her grandmother's lifetime, but
she felt they did not count.
Pondering these things, she grew af.
frighted at the stern aspect of the world
she was going to face, for, as she collected
her faculties and studied her circum-
stances she grew more and more averse to
fulfill her engagement with Leslie War.
ing. The great motive was gone, and an
irresistible longing for freedom, however
poverty stricken, seized her. The idea Of
so close q union with a mere good-natured
sportsman, who in no way touched her
imagination, whose offensive affection
wearied her, whose personal appearance
was unpleasant to her eyes, became in
finitely repugnant as she dwelt upon 1t.
1t was hardly fair to him either to let him
plunge into the irrevocable in ignorance Of
her aversion. Better let him bear a tenn
porary pang now than incur the misery
long drawn out of an ill-assorted, unsym-
pathetic marriage.
Her resolution to break with him grew
rapidly stronger almost before she was
aware she had formed it. Then she began
to see that she was enjoying Lady Mary's
kind hospitality under false pretenses.
She did not for q moment doubt that her
refusal to marry Warning would bring
down, if not q storm of wrath-for Lady
Mary and her family were far too we'll
bred to be violently angry-but an iceberg
of disapprobatiOn. She must remove her
self from the shelter of their roof before
she struck the blow that would give poor
Waring so much temporary pain. (She
felt sure it would be but temporary And
where could she go? There was no one
but her faithful Nine. Debrisay on whom
she could count, and even she would be
very, very angry. Still her purpose grew
clearer and firmer as her nervous system
began to recover the shock it had sustained.
Meantime, Mona had not been idle. She
wrote to her dear Deb" begging leave to
visit her, as she felt herself an impediment
to the party Lady Mary wished to ASSEM-.
BILE, and also because she had more to say
than she could write.
This brought a speedy, ra?turOus reply.
Then Mona applied herself to compose,
and copy her difficult letter to
Leslie Warning.
1t was even a worse task than she an
ticipated. All her selfish longing for de-
liverance was for the moment swallowed
up in sorrow for the pain she was about to
inlet Nothing kept her steady to her
purpose so much as her conviction that she
was doing right-that she was delivering
Leslie as well as herself. She was more
than one day over her task; for Evelyn
Everard, an exceedingly girlish girl, who
had taken a violent fancy to her, was con-
stantly running into her room with her
work, or book, or for the avowed intention
Of "enlivening" her
1t was accomplished at last, however;
but Mona waited to post it till she was
safe in town, even though she left two OF
Warnings epistles unanswered. Indeed,
her replies had always been few and scanty,
20 much so, that even he had become rest
ess and dissatisfied. He hoped, however,
hat personal interview would put all
matters right.
1t was gray clustering afternoon when
he reached st. Pancras, and found Nine.
Oebrisay waiting for her.
my dear; you do look bad! Come, get
nto the cab. will find your things"
81 have only this small portmanteau and
for the present"
''Thats right. l am sure you are not fit
o be out in such weather; get in, dear"
81 must post this letter first" said Mona,
Ter lips quivering.
Very we'll. Give it to me. Oh, yes;
Iuite right" glancing at the address