The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1891-12-01
JUST ON THE BRINK.

JOliN ikNlc tulAE.
"Besl little woman out"
"Gay as any skylark, and. tell you what,
thorough good, too. True as steel TO old
Thingummy."
"Ye-es, awfully nice, so she is" This
WIS drawled by the Major, man consider
ably senior to the others Of the conclave.
"Passionless little doll, though"
"WelI, Norton. old chappie," cried out the
youngest snub, give us your word. Whyso
silent, o connOisseur among the fairp
What's your opinicn. eh?"
THAT the lady in question is to good to be
under your discussion" and the speaker
turned on his heel and walked out of the
room.
"Greatrot! Norton taking it uplike thatw
gTumbled the youth, only just among our
selves"
"The greatest" agreed the Major.
So far as lie personally was concerned,
MIS-. Clifford had already been tried, and,
according to his standard, found wanting
His was the role of laying siege to every
young married woman who happened 10
come within his ken, and he had, therefore
exerted himself TO be especially agreeable
to her on her first arrival, being pleased to
feel how success was promising to crown
his efforts, until she herself all uncon-
sciGusly had dspelled the Illusion. he was
fixing lis day for going to visit her, and her
uncOncealed pleasure had been quite de-
llgl tlul TO observe.
- Did you not say" he asked, bending to
her and speaking low, that Thursday is
the day your husband sits in court?'
Thursday, yes"
That, hen" in yet lower key" shall
But no, she had exclaimed in her clear,
girls voice, that all the country might hear,
totally misunderstanding her man. ut
would be pity he should miss yen. and
the most accomplished mistress OF finesse
could no more efectually have undeceiYed
him.
She was young enough and guileleSs and
uns0phlstcated enough to be ready to Ike
every one, and TO have every one in turn to
like heT-to dance, to ride, to chat with
them all. Size lived as careessly as one of
the humming birds skimnng in the sun,
and she thought almost as little. With in
trospectiCn she WAS unacquainted, as is
commonly the case before the deeper feel
ings have been reused. a passion Of grief,
such as sorrow, could have taught her, an
ecstasy Of joy such love might have
shown heT-what did she know of either?
She had cried at leaving her parents and
brothers and sisters, SO for the blank Of
death was acquainted with the pinprick VI
separation; she was fond of her husband,
therefore was conversaut with affection
masQueradng as love. But steal,hlly,
sIealthily the while cTept on the ayemger Of
the Ignored passions, SO slbty and I'M
awares that for long she could not distin-
guish one from any OtheT-peThaps because
always since hrst she had cone, she had
danced good deal with Captain Norton,
their steps did so well suit; had ridden
often with him, as he principally had been
her master of instruction.; had talked much
with him, because their conversation flowed
so ghbiy.
Honestly, for some time Inconsistencies
reigned alike on his side, though, Of course,
he first discovered the m6lings OF what was
10 be. He marked her eyes, that went seek
ing him at parties before he had Joined her
while she was all unaware they did so. He
noted the first iieeting touches of embarass-
ment before he had felt their IransltOry in
convenience. He learned it IN dancing and
in sitting and talking when she was yet
ignorant of it, and he loved her all the
deeper for it, acknowledging so boldly to
himself. and wiifully persisted in it. shut
ting his eyes TeckieSsly TO Its consequences.
And then-then we're hers opened, UUt only
after she had deeper drifled, for this was
how II came TO pass. They were out for an
early morning ride, in highest spirits both
The charm OF tie sun, as yet without its
scO:ch, and the air and the flowers, and the
Subt.eT, still more stimulating one of their
own cOmpani0nship, had laid their spells
upon them; their laughter dubbed forth
constantly; talk came easily, small silences
that int Ivened no lest pleasantly, TO Judge
by features soft with smiles; then he dis
covered that something about her saddle
had gone wrong.
Your syce must, think, have put 1t on
bit crooked from the first" he said.
"Oh, bother my syce! Then l must get
You had better, and let me settle it prop
erly. You would not fancy going over the
khud, would you?"
Nc, indeed!' she cried, shuddering away
from mere thought Of the deep rayine be-
neath darkness and death, and up here
above life SO radlantly bright. Never.
neverw
Lightly down she sprang, and having re-
arranged her saddle 10 his satisfaction, he
put her up again.
My strapv' she said, bending to her foot;
and somehow her head brushed against his.
As he raised his face their Rlances met, aud
swayed. What was it? In his eyes some
strange glow; in hers new, wild light
before thew could be torn asunder, lips had
Joined and cleaved.
You would not fancy going over the
Khud," but so few minutes before he had
said TO her, aud mo, never, never!" she
had shudderngly replied; but alas aud alas
for the moral descent and the deep ravine
of guilt that she had plunged herself head
long toward
From that day began for her misery and
mad enjoyment. despair and delight, months
Of living happy TO intoXication when with
Captain Norton, wretched to desolatiOn if
apart from Rim. About equal hung the
balance OF the scale, and then every one
was talking, he told her, and their meet
ings must consequently become more sub
rosa, and then the wretchedness began pre-
dominating for her, hating herself for
hypocrisy TO her husband, but unable to
keep herself from her lover. Could she but
gain strength enough to tear herself alto
gether from him, she thought and 60 ONE
on some preteXt! While all the time she but
framed her days so as to keep with him. and
he could not did not, see half enough Of
her, he said.
Then came the end Of it all. Her hus.
band was TO be away for two whole days,
leaving early one morning, returning late
the following night, and she was TO be
alone. Consequently, Captain Norton said
he would not 90 TO her bungalow. but would
she meet him in the evening out in the
semi-darkness Of the budding moon among
the trees, when there would be nobody
about 10 spy?
She was going, but she never before had
taken any step so bold as this. She felt it
keenly; her heart kept throbbing SO it al
most hurt her; her whole frame trembled;
she could see nothing clearly before her
eyes. In place of the compound and the
palms and mongo trees kept ever rising up
IN front OF them the old UNCOVERED rectoly
walls and its little lawn and flo er-beds,
with the road running by them. and beyond
the quiet graveyard where so many slept
peacefully. How she has despised it all.
yet how much better for her feet never to
havet taken her beyond those narrow pre-
eincts, thence to the silent grave. than to
have brought her to the ways whittier they
now were striving.
Again she heard her mothers words, ut
tered long ago and never since recalled, now
all at once SOUND distinctly in her ears:
But, my child, YOU should think of others,
others with yourself" Clearly now she re-
membered them; clearly now they seemed
to point upon her acts. AS If in dream
slowly along the veranda she went. starting
Tor her tryst, out into the compound, past
the bananas, tall and rigid, and the bam-
poos flckeTing In the moonlight, when sud-
denly she found herself confronted by the
doctor OF the station, evidently agitated
oh, Mrs. Clifford, l beg your pardon for
startling you, but my business Is urgent.
Your husband"
my husbandT she urged him, as he
paused cOnfusedly, screamed at him almo It,
from the tension of her high strung nerves,
what OF him? Has"
o. Nothinp wrnnp with him. m M rnr