San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1891-01-12

Dale raised his eyes. Ihey chanceA %
catch the reflection in the oval mirror
over the mantel of the nulatrsss keep
ing watch and waBd in the hall way,
with all the ease of an artillerynaaR On
picket.
''Pray proceed, madame, he answered
in excellent French, emphasizing the
familiar title. 81 have pass2ble knowl
edge of your beautiful language. Adrien
was my room mate for years"
Madame's face softened to almest
beauty at the tone in which Everett pro
nounced the name so dear 10 her.
81 well know that" she answered
gently. He has often told me Of it.
But was about 10 aslz'-and the loving
woman became the grande dame encs
more-.'to what fortunate chance owe
it that monsieur the general should
have done me the honor Of this visit?
The perfect courtesy Of the speech
Dale. could not question, but the mtima-
ton beneath it slightly disconnected
him. Besides madame stin steod erect
before him. and had not suggested that
he be seated. lie had heard sines boy
hood of the magnificent hospitality of
the south-of her genial reception of all
bringing credentials. Could it be that
that bitterness of the conquered against
the coneueror of which he had heard 50
much was active in the heart Of this
venerable and evidently loving womxn?
Could she deem it disloyal to take the
hand of the man who had been more
than brother TO her only descendant?
All this passed through his mind like
lightning; for almost without pause he
answered.:
"The honor, madame, is wholly mine;
yet had not dared to claim it without
two other motives. The first, selfish
one, is to ask your latest news Of the
gallant, noble gentleman whom love IS
my own brother. He was wen and hap-
py when you last heaTd?'
Madame's face glowed as Dale spoke,
and the proud eyes softened almost b .
moisture as she answered.:
"You are generous and true 10 spsak
such words, monsieur; though ny
Adrien deserves well the leve yea give
E:m. Yes, he was wsll-ery wen.
aad"-sudden1y her tone grew cold and
pCoud-"the Maj. Gen. Lateur could
never be happy while his country is tnrcd
by the feet of foreign armies"
Emit, madame, all this is in the psst
He can return safely-honerably. IAy
self viii give him parele. Hhs war 10
sver"
lis it SO, indeed9" The old Crssle's
eyes glowed, though the voice vus calm
and resonant 1T is then in The Past
that our land was laid waste, sur loved
ONES slaughtered, cur property wrested
from us! The war is over when armed
men sit in the seats of our Judges and
bayonets rule the courts!-when LouiI-
anas sons are free to come to their own
homes-on parole! Monsieur le General,
you mean kindness, but you cannoteen-
prehend the Creole heart! When the
Maj Gen. Latour, of the army OF the
Confederacy, walks beneath his own
roof tree, with head erect and eye that
asks permission of but one Master-only
then will these old arms open TO take
him to this heart. When he comes
otherwise may the good God grant that
this heart shall have ceased to beat"
There was no excitement in the tone,
no suspicion of vaunt IN the words. Both
bore the stamp Of the deepest intensity,
of conviction that had become religions.
So Dale Everett recognized it, and his
Justly balanced nature, from his victor s
standpoint, comprehended in part the
vastness of that sudden collapse of an
idolized cause in its moral no less than
military aspect. And here especially
there was grandeur about the stately
old F'renchwoman, whose intense truth
to her race won his respect, even while
it Jared on his stanch loyalty.
II had hoped, madame" he answered,
quietly, "that we might avoid, even were
it impossible to forget, the gulf across
which sought the honor of this inter
view. 1t has been a great privilege to
me to hear of the dearly beloved friend
of nay boyhood. But my second object
in coming Was rather matter of bust
ness"
"Of business Madames tone was
one of genuine surprise.
eyes, madame--relative to your river
plantations, which,
(Which were stolen from us last
autumn. Then Monsieur lie General
must understand that the agent of our
| family attends to such affairs"
Everett smiled slightly under shelter
# his yellow beard. "Uncoulpromising
sd aristoezstv was what he thought:
but he said:
"There were some little points con-
rested with this ease which thought
your agent might not explain so clearly