San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1891-01-29


your bedroom now. Come out here on
the piaz1,., where there's sunshine, and
where tA@-e VIII be roses presently.
Mrs. Lane ana Hiss Marshall have cone
over to the hospital with some jelieE for
Brent, and its time for them to return.
Come out, | say, Of, as corr mar, ing
officer of tie post, I'll send . file Of The
guard to haul you out. You've lost
three shades Of tan in four days. ind
I'm not going 20 let you NOPE in hel ), if
have to annul your Coloneps order of
close arrest and give you extended I'M .
its. Come out"
There was no resisting the ma jor;
there was no resisting the deeper long
ing in his heart. Every day since his in
generation Mrs. Lane had found means
to send him some friendly little note,
together with dainties Of domestic nan
ufacture; every day she and Miss Mar
shall had appeared at least once or twice
upon the walk in front, although he
could not join them; and now they were
interesting themselves in Corp. Brent,
said the major, and the corporal was
getting well enough to be read to little
while and to see some of his chums for
a few minutes and to inquire how he
had been hurt. Kenyon fairly towed
his prisoner out through the hall and
landed him on the veranda just as the
monday drum was sounding orderly
call, then rafting out Roast Beef of
Old England" in hoarse accompaniment
to the piping of the fife.
Half an hour later two parasols could
be distinguished above the low shrub
berry farther east along the row, and the
ladies on Burnham's veranda, where the
doctor was seated in clover, now that
Wallace had ridden away, stepped for
ward to the hedge and accosted the
bearers and strove to persuade them to
stay. Hearn's heart seemed to halt in
protest, then pounded gladly away
again, for the delay was but iuomentary
-phenomenally short for feminine chats,
but the mail was coming, and Mrs. Lane
was impatient to get her letters. Once
more the parasols came floating along
above the hedge One, held some six
inches higher than the other, was on the
outside, farthest from the fence That
was hers. and she it must be who would
first come in sight from behind the big
lilac bush in Brodie's yard
If Mrs. Brodie. should happen to see
them and stop them! But no: Mrs. Bro
die went across the parade to the Crosses
half an hour ago, thank heaven. Hearn's
eager eyes were fixed upon the outer
edge of that lovely lilac screen, longing
for the first glance of the face he had
seen in his dreams night and day now
for nearly week. If she were think
ing of him, if he were anything to her,
would not she be apt to look toward this
veranda the instant she hove in sight
around that sheltering bush? "Yonder
they come now" said Kenyon, slowly
lowering his boot heels from the balcony
rail- "Pm going to stop them at the
gate to see how Brent is.
Another instant, and once more the
floating fringes of the outer parasol came
sailing slowly into sight beyond the
hlacs, then the white ferrule, daintily
gloved hand, white draped shoulder,
then a proudly poised, dark haired head,
thick, low arched eyebrows and long
curling lashes through a fimsy web of
veil that hung almost to the rosy lips,
close compressed; then sudden upward
sweep of lash, quick, straight glance
from two deep, dark eyes, CLEAN of
joy, of glad recognition, an instant part
ing of the curving lips and a flash of
white, even teeth, and Hearn's heart
throbbed and bounded. She had seen
him instantly and was glad.
Yet it was Mrs. Lane who had to do
most of the talking, for Georgia Marshall
was strangely silent. Every now and
then her eyes seemed to take a quick
note of the pallor of his face and the
lines of care and trouble. Kenyon had
held open the gate and.squietly steered
the two ladies to the veranda, where
Hearn was hastily placing chairs; and
though the mail orderly was approach
ing and Mrs Lane knew there must be
letters from her captain, she could not
take Georgia instantly away, and so for
few moments they sat there in their
dainty summer gowns and with deep
sympathy in their eyes-eyes SO differ
ent in color, yet so like in expression,
they would have cheered sorer heart
than Hearn's.
The orderly carrying the mail came
briskly in at the gate.
II left Mrs. Lanes letters at the
house, ma'am," he said, as he handed a
package to Kenyon and proceeded to I'M
load half dozen bulky newspapers on
Hearn. Kenyon had opened his official
letter with brief EXCUSE me" and then
hecran to chnckln,