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

~ the thin white hand was nIOeu ana
gently stroked the fur of the pretty,
graceful creature.
1T is a holiday for us, isn't it, Fluffy
kim murmured the girl "The children
and doggy both gone, and it's almost
time for us to be thinking of tea--tea all
alone, There's the whistle of the sunset
train now.
For moment the wooded slopes on
both sides OF the valley echoed to the
rattle OF the incoming cars, the sharp
hiss of steam, the distant sound of voices
at the little station down the winding
village street, arched over with rustiing
foliage Then the clang of the bell and
the hurrying engine again pushed north
ward, inpatient of delay. a few light
carriages and pony phaetons came driv.
| ing swiftly by; u few Of the occupants
waved hand or handkerchief to the re-
clining figure in the hammock, but far
more passed by on the other side without
a sign OF token, and presently silence
and solitude again settled down upon
| the shaded lawn, and the last rays of the
yestering sun kissed the tree tops good
| night and slowly died away.
'sSurely there should be another letter
from Mabel tonight; this ons is week
| old now said Portia. But, old as it
was, there seemed one page which de-
| served re-reading, and the white hands
-.,,oht ",a fornd the letter and liftcl it
4 rvT~-- s--->s .----- "s".>
before her eyyaas:
MIR. Eearn has been gone Il week
l H. L., N,ar
almost made his home here with us dur
ing the winter. and rarely spent an even
ing anywhere else. His fathers death
seems to have been very sudden, and it
was a great SHOCK he has months
leave, with permission to apply for an
extension, Georgia - Portal could
say SO much, so very much, if yen would
only listen. If you would only release
me from that promise! ! was thinking
but yesterday how blessed The day that
my pride broke down and gave re Fred
and happiness. Sometimes cannot but
think that only pride foolish, unwar-
rautable pride-stands between You and
life as blessed as my own"
| Impatiently the letter was hurled upon
the grass, ard, half turning, Georgia
buried her wan face on her arm. OF
what was she thinking? Surely those
were hot tears tTickiing through the
long white fingers; surely there was
! little evidence of stubborn pride in the
abaGdonment Of that silent, lonely
sorrow. All day she had been ut leisure,
the family and children away in town,
and, though neither her duties had been
very onerous nor the trials of her new
position very great, she had dropped ali
winter long This was the first real day
of rest; yet, with all its sweetness and
sunshine, had it not been full of tears?-
full of vague unrest and longing? Aud
now even the sunshine was going, and
the cleaning was slowly settling down
upon the valley.
Far over the eastern heights the sill
very shield of the soft May moon was
peeping into view; but the fairy shafts
of her gentle light could not yet pene-
trate the gathering gloom here in the
grove where swung the hammock. Still
the hot tears came trlckling down be-
tween the white fingers aud, yielding
at last to the mournful influence
of the dying day, Georgia Marshall
wept observation-disclosures while great
sobs shook her frame; and while one
fluffy kitten, disturbed in her intended
, nap, stretched forth furry paw and
lifted up querulous note of remon-
! STRANGE, her companion, suddenly dis
lodged from her coy nest in Georgia's
lap, clswed vigorously back upon the
heaving folds of the summer fabric,
glared around in excited search for the
possible cause of such seis,natic disturb
ance, and instantly set back a pair of
tiny ears, arched furry back, bristled
her stiffening tail, and gave vent to
spiteful challenge at the fell disturber
of her peace. There stood man.
A tall young fellow, erect and power
full in build, clad in civilian garb, but
striding across the lawn with the swing
Of a trooper, halted suddenly not ten feet
away and lifted from his shapely head
hat banded heavily with Grape The
next instant he had hurled this aside.
stepped STRAIGHTFORWARD, utterly ignor-
ing pussy's hostile guise, had thrown
himself on one knee beside the ham
mock, and the dropping mustache al
most swept the soft, white hands as he
impetuously seized them.
| Georgia" he whispered.
| Heavens! what a START In her wild
CONSERVATION she recoiled from his
touch, striving at tho same instant to sit
erect. Ha,nmocks are not made for
L H.
instant the flimsy thing had slipped from
1