San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1891-11-28
M 0 MAS c CHOICE
BY MRS. ALEXANDER.

than formerly. 1t was a great relief to
Mona to have partner in her readings
and writings and general care of Uncle
Sandy. Moreover, Mary had learned to
play chess with her father, the school
master, and allowed herself to be beaten
with much ENTHUSIASTICALLY winning to
keep up the illusion.
Amid this temporary tranquility aud
comfort, Mona wrote often to her dear,
kind Deb. She made, however, very slight
mention of Lisle; bat slight as it was, it
sufflced to set Nine. Debrisay Off
your letter, as usual, reached me on
Saturday. can't tell you how l look for
ward to it; and it's like you. dear, to be so
faithful in writing Is 1t not queer turn
your meeting that nice, elegant Captain
Lisle away there in the wilds? | always
thought, and always will think, that he
was a great admirer of yours; and if he
had not been sent off to India just when
your poor grandmother died, there's no
knowing what might have happened. l
hope, dear, you will not turn mp your nose
at him as you generally do-Lady Lisle
would look well and suit you well. .
Now for some of my own news. / have
some new pupils-two daughters of Mrs.
Rivers, who has lately come from India,
and is giving these girls finishing lessons
before taking them back with her. Lady
Hayter recommended me. A few days ago
l had stayed over my time, and Mrs. Rivers
asked me TO come in to luncheon. / was
Starving-talking and singing make one
fearfully hungry-so went in. They were
very pleasant, and had a nice curry.
Presently general something was an
nOunced, and very grand old warrior
marched in.
"A great, tall, thin mana bag of bones
you might say-with big black eyebrows,
Id hrrt hnip
white and his face brown, and he had an
empty sleeve. He was named to me and
gave me a stare, as much as to say, Who
the deuce IRE your Then he began to talk
in short sentences. and with what we might
term 'StGccGtO tOniSSjmO manner.
Somehow his eyes and voice seemed famil-
lar TO me, only / could not find a clear
place for him in my memory. Whe N he
had eaten some curry-and abused it-and
taken glass of hook and seltZer, he said,
looking at me as If he was going to accuse
me of murder
"'What did you say this lady's name is"
MADAME Debrisay.' said Mrs. Rivers.
'Humph" said he; "are you a French
woman
No said 1; but am next door to one
Il am Irish
From what part of that unfortunate
country, may ask" more politely.
"'From Ballykillruddery.
"Ah, thought so"
"And he was silent for a bit; then he
said, with q pleasanter smile than thought
his grim face could put on
'I see you have no recollection of me-
"'Your voice and face are not strange to
me- | said, my heart beginning to beat,
but l cannot recall your name
"'Have you quite forgotten a gunner
called Fielden Mark Fielhen-who won
the cup at the Ballykillruddery hunt races
in 49, more than thirty years ago?
"'Do | not? And / helped to do up my
cousin Rose Nugent's hair with ribbons of
his colors for the race bail. | know you
now, and | must shake hands with YOU
$50 we shook hands; and his brown face
Softened and glowed while he talked of
Rose. He was desperately in love with
her, and they were engaged. He went off
to India; she stayed at hOme-gOt wet
ting out boating. took cold, and went off
into a decline. He married, and lost his
wife. and now he is wandering about in
indifferent health. | should not have
mentioned all this if it had not been for a
bit that will interest you. In the course of
conversation, it turned out that the gener-
ri is some relation of poor Mr.. Warnings,
and he is awfully veXed with him. 1t
seems he has got through heap of money
and has gone away to America. A friend
of the generals saw him breaking horses
last spring somewhere in California.
said had met him, and what a good fell
low l thought him. Then the general said
he was an ass, and had let himself be
knocked out of the running because he
could not get the girl he wanted to marry
him. OF course l did not let on that |
knew anything about it, and the subject
dropped. Then my old general asked for
my address, and said he would come and
see me some Sunday-which, ! told him,
was my only free day-but | don't fancy
he will.
Now, my darling, l have prosed long
enough, and | must stop. When shall
see you again? Can't you persuade your
uncle to come up to town for little more
physic? You make him too happy and COM
Portable. l was going to write. Don't re-
fuse Sir ST. John Lisle without thinking
twice. but / will not. MatrimOny is
tremendous experiment, and I'll not ven
ture to recommend it. God bless you, my
own dear. My best respects to your uncle.
Ever your loving friend,
"GElALDINE DEBRIsAY."
Mona read this with the deepest interest.
She smiled at the account of her meeting
at Mrs. Rivers, but grew very grave over
the description of Warnings decadence.
Am l to blame' wish were not al
ways having sidelOng reproaches flung at
me. He would have been as bad or worse
if had married him, for could not have
been loving, sympathetic wife, and then
his last state and mine, too, would be
worse than the first How wish l could
hear that he was well and happily mar
ried."
The Thursday on which Mona was to
have peep once more at the world she
felt she had quilted forever, rose fresh and
clear after yesterday of storm and rain.
Lady Finistoun had offered to drive over
after luncheon and fetch her, so Mona
relieved from the necessity of taking out
Uncle Sandy's ramshackle conveyance
dressed, and having put up carefully ar.
ranged dinner dress and change of raj
ment, waited quietly for her ladyship's ap-
pearance