San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1891-07-31

John himself was sleeping in the count
ing room, and AS he did not go up to the
house any more Mrs. Sibley was send
ing dinner down to him: and Annie, his
little wind flower, looking as if the wind
could blow through her. had grown into
the white shadow of herself, large eyed,
pallid and frail, not as a flower, but as
the ghost of a flower.
They were alone in the warehouse next
day, the porter and the boy having gone
home for their incoming
I've been waiting for you to come
back, sir" said John, in a voice meant
to be calm, but which sounded in his
own ears as hollow as If it came from an
empty shell. "Because'I must take my
turn now. IT'S the close of the year.
find that cannot be with you another
year"
"You mean You want a little rest and
change? Certainly" said Mr.. Sibley
fussily. Certainly. That's right I've
been advising it, you know. How long.
sayY"
"For-for cool and all, Mr.. Sibley.
i can't WORK here any longer"
john
mo, sir. You see yourself I'm only
good at anything for about SO long. I've
grown reckless. must go"
Il don't see anything of the sortw
roared little Mr.. Sibley.
Yes, sir. L thank you for your good
ness to me. It's been more than you
think; more than you can ever know.
lit breaks me all up-to go, but |
must"
Look here" cried Mr.. Sibley, Il al
ways said there was an out about you. if
could only find it, And here it is!
What is this bee in yClr bonnet? John
is it's it AnniG? he said in differ
ent tone, one that had all fathers ten
derness in it. Because if it is"-as
there came no anSwer-"that's all right"
IL cannOt-marry her, sir" with
down hung head.
you can't marry my daughter, sir"
began the master, and he stopped, thun-
derstruck, to comprehend the statement
Then, You can't marry my daughter,
sir!' he cried again, lashing himself into
a rage. Il should like to know what's
the reason you can't marry my daughter!
Do you mean to say that you came here,
a young whlpper snapper from nowhere,
nothing, nobody, and break my
daughters heart, and ruin her life,
and
"Stop, stop, stop, Mr.. Sibley!" cried
John, as white as ashes. II should ruin
her life, indeed, if | stayed"
He waited q moment, looking his en-
ployer full in the face-as Mr. Sibley
afterward told his wife-as fixed as if he
were saint carved il marble among all
those bales and barrels. Il meant to
tell YOU" he said presently, moving his
lips as if with an effort. Il meant to
tell You rs soon as YOU began to be so good
to me. And then / felt it was my only
c,Yance in life, and l couldn't. thought,
too, it would give you pain--a mans
punishment pursues IN IL all his life, you
scc-and | haCsd co. Aud la Jed to see
the loo: you would have to give me when
| to- you. And | thought tnen, perhaps
yoa would never know it was III a state
thOus tn.l miles AVA. And | kept
along. And when tJu ID , was begin
ming to care for her. IN de up Lay mind
that IIirSt go-aE Il IS nirI-and
i never dreamed of her ca. ia; for me! |
would GS soon have dreamed OF an angel
OF Of he-Teu StoJuins to NE! And
when found out that she did, felt
sure she would get over it with me out
of the way-and-and | only waited for
you to come back
What in thunder are you driving atF
"A man who helps the helpless gave
me a suit of clothes, and | worked my
passage down here. When you gave me
that team to drive l was just fortnight
out of prison for theft"
THAT so?" said Mr.. Sibley. And he
turned on his heel and went into the
little counting room and shut the door.
How many minutes, how many hours,
John stood immovable, just as he had
been left among the tuns and bags and
boxes, he could not have said. All
thought, all emotion, seemed to have
been wrung out of him; he was not even
suffering. At last one of the hands re-
turned. John nodded to him, took his
hat and coat and went up to the house
to put his things together.
They were few-his possessions there
but his hands trembled so that it took
him some time. When he was through
he heard the murmur of voices down be-
low. Should he leave the house, where
he had been so kindly treated, without
word? He went down and hesitatingly
turned the handle of the sitting room
door. Mr.. Sibley was there too.
1-I-only came-to say goodby.
Oh, sir, | would give my right hand