San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1891-01-09

81 can't quite make Bonnie out today"
Mr.. Standish said, staring toward the
door the girl had slammed behind her
Naturally she ought to be nervous.
but
Nonsense, Brother StandishF' cut in
Miss Tabitha. WHO wouldn't be ner-
vous six hours before MARRIAGE
should, I'm surer' .
Sand very naturally, too" added
Edith, as she dropped gracefully into an
armchair and picked up the mornings
,sHerald. II almost believe should be
nervous myself-thenT
"And that reminds me, my DEAR" re-
piled Mr. Standish, "that-um-m-un-
less my memory fails me, one of these
boys was very devoted to you last sum-
mer"
Both" answered Edith, with little
nod, not looking up from her paper.
"They could not have been nicer to me
had they been my younger brothers"
"Ah! you sly darling" Miss Fay e1-
claimed, Il know what brothers and
cousins devotion means, especially to a
girl like you"
The pair We're fast allies: but the spin
ster sat at the feet of her Juniors aplomb
and world sense with an awe struck
meekneSs foreign to her nature. And
she owed Edith an unspoken but deep
debt, too; for in all preliminary train
ing necessary to break Bennie's high
spirit to the double harness PROPOSE
ton SO necessary to family prospects,
nothing had awaited like Miss Van der
Huysen's precept and experience, not to
add example. And during the town
winter succeeding the encampment, and
in all the present spring, all three had
been used increasingly. For, while no
such word was spoken at Rose Villa or
even whispered in the city, twas tacitly
understood that the beautiful American
was only waiting decorous interval be-
fore following the example of fortunate
bellies who had accepted English titles.
Important events had occurred in the
Martindale peerage within the twelve
months past. Harcourt Annesley Dud-
ley Vernon Mortimer Spencer, its heir
apparent, had followed one fox too
many. A nasty cropper at a blind ditch
in hotly contested field had landed him
on his head and beyond the care for
earthly coronetS. Then the Hon. Alger-
non, summoned by cable to nurse his
venerable lordship in the illness caused
by the terrible shock of his heirs death,
arrived only in time to receive his bless
ing and the title of Algernon. Lord
Martindale, the seventeenth of the line.
Il shan't pretend to be broken hearted,
you know" he had later written to
Edith, in struggling, boyish, round
hand, ''for in fact had hardly ever
seen Harcourt since we were little chill
dren. And the poor dear old governor
was really quite 80, you see, and few
men of politics and fashion were filter
to die than he. But was awfully cut
up, dear Miss Van der Huysen, when /
knelt for his last blessing and saw his
dear old eyes look so wistfully into mine.
It made me feel ought to be worthier
of my people; and / am going to be a
better man from this, really now; and
[ want you to let me hope that some day
you will let me ask You to help me keep
my promise to the dear old governor
And to this, and much more of the
same sort, Edith had replied in the most
delicate style of coincidence, and in a
most English handwriting, firm as her
will and clear as her insight into hui
man nature as it grows in the society
dollhouse. Only this and nothing more;
but it was known at the clubs that Lord
Maftindale would soon be over, and per-
haps it was known only to Edith that
when the seventeenth Lady Martindale
was presented at court, American aids
to the peerage Of Britain would feel no
shame for their latest addition. Some
thing of this was perhaps behind the
brown eyes; for they darkened deeply
and steadily, though only fixed on an
announcement of Amidon's hats in The
Herald
"And by the way, Edith, what became
of our young friend the surgeonT Stand
ish went on reminiscent.
His mamma married him." Miss Van
der Huysen said simply, but still study
ing Amidon's hats.
His mamma marry him" echoed
Miss Tabitha, literally. "Why, my
dear, what do you meanT
Miss Van der Huysen came back
from Africa" with half sigh; the eyes
that were black to Amidon's hats BEAM
ing brown upon Miss Fay as she an
swered:
"Oh, she followed the injunction with
her doughnut that is often given to chill
dren with theirs. She put it where the
flies of society could not get its sugaring
of bank account and bonds. But, alas!
60, on,n,,nt l,n,ro hnr cnlra and eat IL foo.