San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1891-02-27

stops confusedly and presently goes on G
again, but in a different key. "Was The {
OConnor, then, esthetic?'' she says. :
At this Lord RossmOyne, who is in the
lowest depths OF despair, gives way to open
mirth.
swell, no, not exactly" says Ulic Ro-
nayne. "TheTe was q fatal healthiness
about his appearance that disagreed with
that idea. But he certainly was fond OF
this little place; he put upthe fOuntainhim-
self, had il brought all the way from Flor
ence for the purpose; and had a trick OF ly-
ing here on his face and hands for hours to-
gether, grubbing for wOrms,-Or studying
the insect world l think he used to call it."
81 have always thought" says Mr.. Kelly,
in a tone of reflective sadness, what an IN
comfortable position that must be"
What must be@'
Lying on ones face and hands. What
becomes of the rest of one? Does one keep
ones heels in the air whilst doing itp To
me it sounds awful Yet only last week l
read in the papers of a fellow who was
found on a road on his face and hands, and
the doctors said he must have been in that
position for hOursi ~Fancy-your nose, for
instance, Rossmoyne, in mud, and your
heels in the air, for hOursr'
Lord Rossmoyne, having vainly tried to
imagine his digniied body in such a posi-
ton, looks dist nctly offended.
mo, nobody would like it." says Kelly, |
pathetically, answering his disguised look
exactly as ii it hal been put into words.
There is a shameful ~frivolity about it not
to be countenanced for a moment. Yet
good and wise men have been said to do it
Fancy the Archbishop of Cant 1rbury, now, |
balancing himself on his nose and his palms,
Oh! it can't be trueP'
His voice by this time is positively pit
eous, and he looks earnestly around, as
though longing for some one to support his
| disbt lief.
you are really excelling yourself to-
night" says Mrs. Herrick, in a delicately
d%isdainful tone.
Am l? l am glad" humbly, that you
have had an opportunity of seeing me at my
poor best"
~ wonder" says Desmond, suddenly,
Hif, when old O'Connor revisits the earth at
the witching hour, he comes in the attitude
SO graphically described by Kelly? Inacro-
bat fashion, l mean"
At this Monica breaks into laughter so
merry, so full of utterly childish abandon
and enjoyment, that all the Others perforce
join in it.
"Oh! fancy a ghost standing on his headV'
she says, when she can speak.
81 shouldn't fancy it ALL" says Mr.. K"lly,
gloomiIy. 81 tDon't. And l should advise
you, Miss Beresford, to treat with less fri
volfty a subject so fraught with terror,-es-
pecially at this time of night If that grand
old man were to appear now" with a shud-
dering glance behind him, what would be-
come Of us all?'
IAN unpleasant ideap' says Miss Browne,
$50 unpleasant, indeed, that / think l
should like to 60 for a little walk some
where, Anywhere, away from the scene of
the late Mr.. 0'Connor's nightly visitations."
Come to the end Of the %shrubbery, them"
says Desmond, and look ct the sea. 1t
should be worth the trouble on such a night
as this. Come you too, Olga"
~ should like it, but my head aches go"
says Mrs. Bohun, plaintively. And, indeed,
she is very pale. 1T is either the noon
light which Expresses me, orr don't know
what. Mol l shall go indoors, l think"
''Then l shall go with you" says Mrs.
Herrick, regarding her with a certain ankle
ty. "But YOU" turning to Mary Browne,
smust not mss a glimpse Of the coast by
moonlight. Mr.. Kelly will show it to you"
She slips her arm through Olga's, and
turns toward the house; Ulic Ronayne ac-
companies them; but Lord RosSmoyne and
BE- Oven Kelly move in the contrary direction
with Miss Browne. Monica and Desmond
have gone on before; and even when the
Others arrive at the point in the shrubbery
from which a glimpse of the ocean can be
most distinctly seen, these last two people
are not to be discovered anywhere.
Yet they are not so distant as they seem.
Desmond has led Monica to a rather higher
spot, where the desired scene can be more
wildly beheld, and where too they can be
oh, blessed thOught!-GLOne.
Through a belt of dark-green f~r-trees,
whose pale tips are touched with silver by
the moon, can be seen the limitless &C an,
lying in restless waiting in the bay below.
A sort Of enforced tranquility has fallen
upon it-a troubled calm-belied by the
hOarse, Sul'en roar that rises now and again
from its depths, as when some larger death
wave breaks its bounds, and, rushing in
land, rolls with angry y~iolenceup the beach.
Soft white crestS lie upon the great seas
bosom, tossing hitheT and thither, glinting
and trembling beneath the moons rays, as
though reluctantly subdued by its cold in
fuence.
Across the whole expanse Of the water d
bright path is flung, that has its birth in
heaven, yet deigns to accept a resttng-place
on earth,-a transitory rest, for there in the
far distance on the horizon, where the dull
grays of sea and sky have mingled, it has
Joined them, and seems again 10 have laid
hold of its earliest home.
The birds are asleep in their sea-bound
nests; the wind has died away. There Is
nothing to break the exquisite stiffness OF
the night, save the monot0nous beating OF
the waves against the rocks, and the faint
ripping murmur Of a s.reamlet in the ash
grove.