San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1891-07-21

the afternoon and on evenings when no
one else was present and this for sew
eral reasons, chiefly that | had been for
a long time in morning, that really
had to drudge laboSously 10 help my
mother with her slender housekeeping,
and that in those days also was am
bilious enough to work very iIard at my
books-but looked forward With agree
able certainty to going out more and
more, until at last no door should be
closed TO me. counted on Jay friends,
and was not mistaken. | am most
profoundly grateful. to them. To be
sure, amused them, but their kindness
none the less calls for my gratitude.
Ny schooling at Miss May5urn's had
done the trick, as Mr.. Latitude truth
fully remarked to ny mother. Without
it should have had to depend on chance,
and all the more so because | was not at
the time particularly pretty. was con-
sidered very pretty during my second
winter, when my figure had become
graceful; but now had only my COM
plexion and my eyes. When | think Of
my complexion! rad the most delicate
soft brown skin, and the little tinge on
my cheeks was not incorrectly spoken of,
perhaps, by some of my admirers, as the
most exquisite thing imaginable. Be it
understood that | am speaking of de-
parted glories. My eyes, thank heaven,
| still possess, but my hair, or some of it,
has gone into rats.
have said that knew absolutely no
men. Let me qualify the statement.
knew one or two boys, some college
youths and--Mr Branscombe Boullter.
Bran Boullter | shall always consider
the most fascinating man | ever saw.
From my earliest days-I mean, of
course, my earliest enlightened days-I
had heard of him as the man with whom
it was necessary for girl to spar a lit
tie before she could consider her educa-
ton in the noble art of self defense
complete. My sex ought to rejoice that
he strictly conformed to the bachelor
faith. had seen him over and again,
had depicted him in all kinds of atti-
tudes, | had welded his name to i'm
mortal verse, and when he began to be
attentive to Lofty Hathorne, made up
my mind that was going to profit byit.
He began to be attentive TO Lofty in
the winter of our last year at school,
which was little early; for, though he
Usually looked over the buds of each year
in the spring before they came out, he
rarely took much notice of them before
they appeared in their Easter bravery.
But at whatever time he applied himself
he was sure of success. Often did Neddy
Tryffieham experience the CALLING pang
of seeing a girl whom he had carefully
worked up while she was yet in her
bread butter days snatched away
from him before his very eyes by Bran
the Irresistible. Mr.. Boullter was quite
impecunious, everybody knew he was not
serious, and there was not girl in town
who did not adore him and long to play
at believing in him.
Ny satisfaction, then, can well be ill.,
agined when one day Mr.. Boullter took
it into his head that he sufficiently de-
sired to speak to Lofty to stride after her
in the street as she was walking with
me and to join us both with a Cd. air
that proclaimed that he dinn't care
whether he knew ME or not. OF course
Lofty presented him to me. and walked
along ON the Inside, greatly triumphing.
and to my surprise, perfectly cool. He
had on a gray walking coat, rough and
loose, his trousers were gray and of ele-
CANT cut, and it seemed to me then as if
there was something almost divine in the
way his collar and cravat harmOnized
with his sunburned neck and crisp golden
hair. He naturally directed most of his
conversation to Lofty, and at intervals
only slipped III word to me. When
we reached the doorstep there was halt.
could not goin and Mr.. BOullter de-
clined Lotty's invitation to lunch. We
had met him going in the opposite direc-
ton. and though knew that his concern
was only with Lofty, just az ne was pre-
pairing to pretend to leave Inc with her |
looked at him. He afterward declared
that gave him a broadside that raked
me fore and aft, | assure you, Miss
EthelI' but at the time he behaved with
great GOODNESS, merely renarking, as if
he had intended to say it all the time:
And if Miss Jones will permit me,
will escort her home. am going to my
office, protest, and it won't take me at
all out of my way" ! wanted horribly
to wink at Lofty, but was afraid to do
so, so | walked off without throwing my
umbrella up in the air or indulging in
any expressions of triumph.
He was actually by my side, my prop
erty for the time being: on me those
eyes were bent, to me that adorable voice
spoke He was just u trifie more inter
ested than he had been, but was rather
calm. knew that this walk was only