San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1891-07-22


wished.
In the. course of time Mr.. Charter
finished the card and presented it to me
with an air of triumph; but his face fell
when | allowed Mr.. Temple to persuade
me to accept his boutonniere and give
him one of my roses in place of it. Up
to this time had felt little that ought
not to encourage another girls man too
much: but my conscience hardened with
my success, especially as Mr.. Charter
had taken in Lefty Risquict, to whom |
owed a grudge for her behavior to me in
the dressing room, and Inow laid myself
out to keep both men talking to me as
long as possible, SO | smiled at all Mr.
Charters somewhat glaring compliments,
lcapped Mr.. Temples quotations, shook
my head with look that might have
meant anything at the destinations of
each about the other; till finally (but not
until the Roman punch came round) Mr.,
Charter found that his staying powers
were not so good as those of his adversary,
and turned to Lefty with somewhat
guilty look. She, as l hoped, and subse-
quently was assured, was angry enough
to have upset the salad dressing over me.
As Mr.. Charter turned away, Mr..
Temple gave vent to a prodigious sigh
of pretended relief. "At last | have
you to myself" said he
But you kave been talking to me all
the evening"" answered.
Mr. Charter has been listening to me,
too"
DO you grudge me the attention of
another man? Oh, how selfish is your
SEX E.'.'.'.
Rather, how grasping is yours! You
have made me wait till now for an OPP
| portunity to say what you know have
been dying to say to YOU
AS he murmured these last words his
face wore an expression of the most in
tense earnestness-but there was
twinkle in the corner of his eye. de-
termined if he was going to be outrage
Gus | would be outrageous too.
Perhaps" l said, with an air of diff
fidence, perhaps was afraid to listen
to you"
saw that he would have liked to
laugh, but did not wish to spoil the flirt-
alton.
May say it." he whispered again, in
passionate tones.
pretended to look at my fan, and
then turned round to him. Yes"
said.
He pretended to hesitate. And yet
dare not, so SOON" he said. Then he
began to repeat:
"Sivous croyez que je vais dire
Qui Jose aimer,
| Je ne saurais pour un empire
| ~ ,.... Nous In nommer!"
was staggered by this; had not ex-
pected him to be indirect laid down
! my fork and looked at him with mock
agitation. "Oh, be explicitr | cried
DO not fear! let me encourage you'll"
A slight smile flickered round his lips
for a moment Then his face grew grave
and he said in a low tone, Heavens!
how beautiful your eyes are"
was caught. | blushed-faltered--
had to surrender. laughed till blush
ed again for laughing, and then laughed
for blushing again. ....
After this our Irritation had to stop al
together or take more really serious
turn. | shall leave the reader to imagine
upon which course we decided. | am
very glad that Mr. Temple was not mis-
chievous, for | might easily have been
induced to disgrace myself. He was
sufficiently to blame for making me tlirt
with him as wildly as | did-though,
after all, it made very little difference,
for every girl ut the table was almost as
excited as | was myself. When the
crackers were being pulled | looked
round again-my first general glance
since the beginning of dinner. Every
body was talking at once: private raids
were being made upon the dishes of
fruit and sweetmeats-ac candle fell down
in front of Mr.. Boullter, who picked it
up, reiighted it and quietly fixed it upon
,he plate of the girl next to him, where
upon the man on the other side of her
blew it out; the girl herself laughing and
expostulating with both of them.
But now, much my disgust, Mrs.
HathOrne rose to lead us girls from the
room. followed her with sigh, which
Mr. Temple, in choking tones, imme-
diately declared he echoed. He had pre-
viously, during the course of the dinner,
much deplored the custom which made
men remain at table after the women
went to the parlor, but declared that he
had not the moral courage to break
through it. AS we edged slowly toward
the door offered him another rose from
my basket if he would accompany me to
the parlor on this occasion, but he said
that he wouldn't dare to offend the other
men and that his doctor had ordered him
to smoke ''for a cruel nervous disease"