San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1891-07-23

once L DeSdn 10 reel my Olu lear o. MIN
entirely possessing me. | blushed. !
simply stood still and blushed; and as l
felt the hot color burning my cheeks l
could see the look in his face turn into
one Of pain and astonishment-and then
his forehead contracted into a frown
and he half turned away. By this time
was in state of dreadful nervousness,
and, scarcely knowing what I did, |
stanmered out:
"Oh, Mr.. Hall! please don't think
please don't say
He turned to me again, and began to
speak in low, dignifed tone.
Il beg" he said, that you will over
look my great want of self command. If
you will allow me to speak for a mo-
ment of matters upon which l really
have no right to touch you will perhaps
pardon my lack of discretion. l must
begin" said he, frowning little again,
"by telling you what | had at times
hoped you had discovered THAT my at
tention to you arose from serious ad-
miration of your generous disposition,
your great refinement" this was the
result of my demurenessD Sand the
attractive qualities of your mind. But
this interest in you, whileit may explain
the impulse which led me to discover
what otherwise | would not have al
lowed myself to suspect, and though it
will never cease to cause me to desire
your happiness, must now cease to
prompt me to hope for my own: for it
would be idle in me to pretend that what
have unintentionally found out is not
perfectly clear to me. And though l
have no right to comment upon it, / can
at no other time better ask you to for
give me for being soinjudicious. Allow
me to express to you, my dear Miss
Jones, my greatest respect and give you
my best wishes; and though l cannot
help framing suspicion as to the iden-
tity of the happy man, l promise you
that will not even think of congratulate
ing him until your engagement is actu-
ally announced. Forgive me once more
for my lack of self control, and pray do
not judge it too hardly"
This was too much. My feelings dur
ing this polite but really heartrending
stopped and looked at me gravely and
sadly, could hardly help screaming
with laughter. But was still actually
afraid of him, and could only stammer
out the truth.
oh, dear me, Mr.. Hair said, "Oh,
don't know what you'll think-but L
I'm not engaged to Mr.. -, I'm not en-
rroc.o1 70 on,-l,,J,, orl o15o1 doc
perately, I'm not going to be!''
For moment or two he did not speak,
and the expression OF his face hardly
changed, but he gave a slight start when
| first spoke Then he said, in his deep
est tones:
Then am happy that you are still
i'll such Il position that | may offer you
my hand and heart, sincerely Here
he broke off for minute and then went
on to say something about that being
hardly the place in which he had looked
forward to asking me to be his wife-but
| could not listen to him. Heavens!
What fool | fc!t myself to re! And
how noble he was! And yet, despite my
for him, was very much
vexad with him. | could not understand
it! Why. why, when he found that
the girl he liked had been flirting out
rageOusly with another man, did he not
give his bride rein shake and say adieu
forevermoTe? This was his abominable
punctiliousness! This was his consist
ency! How beautifully he had entan-
glad himself, first by his insane habit
of explaining himself, and then by his
more insane habit of refusing to take
the fair advantage of the game? 1t
is true that he may not have
seen anything particular-he may only
have inferred from my blushing that
something had happened-l protest l
don't know to this day exactly what he
thought, and cannot decide with any
satisfaction to myself. But remember
what my own thoughts were like! l
could hear the chattering of some people
behind us. and their inane laughter clat-
teriug &Gout the rocks. | lOnged to sit
down just where | was and cry! But /
shook myself together. Come. Ethel
Jones'" said [, have you no force of
character at all?' At first | felt as if
had swallowed the mucilage bottle, but
motioned to Mr.. Hall, who was still
speaking slowly and gravely (heaven
knows what he was sayingD and began
bravely enough.
"Oh, Mr.. Hail." said, IF admiration
and respect could make me want to
marry YOU it would be easy to say yes.
But you must not think of me any more.
cannot marry you-you would not be
happy if did"
Here | plused-for want of matter.
Mr.. Hall was listening gravely; he made
IN clio,b+ oa,Str,rn If I trial