San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1891-01-15

brains as well. j have done the Ez
bekieh with lords and ladies, with sa
wants from nearly every country in Eu'
rope and with many an American, and
never before have heard such a sugges.
ton"
Familiarity, you know" she said,
with her rare Smile. "But this wonder
full adopted mother of yours has recalled
your natural one to me dozen times,
though 1 never spoke of it before"
There certainly is something in what
you say" Latour answered, falling into
her mood 1.-THE different quarters of
Cairo, combining the different nationali-
ties, do suggest Frenchtown and the
eastern district"
"And yonder," she said seriously, the
graceful arm sweeping toward the Nile,
sis the antipodal first cousin of your
Mississippi"
"By Jovel Lady Edith" Latour cried,
81 believe you are making notes for your
book upon Egypt. But there is strong
analogy between the rivers. Only note
difference" he added more lightly.
"With the Arab natures benefcence is
joyously hailed and utilized; we Chris
tians, at home, dam the mud-in both
senses; forcing it to bar out commerce
instead of enriching our fields"
Attempts to coerce nature are never
fully successful" the woman answered,
looking dreamily at the others of their
party. 81 see proof every day in En-
gland. There it is a curious study to
watch the results of transplanting buds
from the American forcing house into
that social garden of Eden the British
aristocracy." ' -" ''.i
Doubtless" Latour answered frank
ly. "But all our women are not fitted
for that transplanting as you were"
'"As wasp' There came the old time
darkening into the brown eyes raised to
his, but behind it something which
he could not read. "As was? Oh, how
little men read usi How little we IN
derstand ourselves!' 'fr ..s.
There was an awkward pause. Latour
thought OF, a hundred things in the brief
interval; but not one Of them would do
at all to answer her strange speech. Her
eyes were fixed upon the ground. With
out raising them she said rapidly, with
suppressed vehemence: ,.-.... . .
My old friend, l can say truthfully
that not only was l less fitted to find
happiness in outward success than most
other slaves of that harem of conve-
nance, but, had then known myself at
all, should have starved before be-
came one of the western odalisquesw
Latour stared at the beautiful woman
by his side in much wonderment. Like
lightning his memory reverted to that
long summer, when they had wandered
about Filtration" she already the thor
ough woman of society, he the gauche,
untried cadet. How different, yet how
little changed, she seemed now to his
more perceptive eyes-all the traits of
her grand face toned, but not matured,
by time, the always lissome figure devel-
oped into absolute perfection, without
one suspicion of overfulnessl
Never before, even in the close in
timacy of the renewed past, had the
physical woman so attracted him us
now, sitting under the palm, with the
clinging folds of her rich gown suggest
ing those perfect lines, seen only in the
taper feet peeping beneath it, the long,
firm hands lying listless in her lap.
Never before had the mental woman
been so dazzlingly turned upon him as
now. And there was suppressed sadness
in her tone, spite of the bitter words-a
world of feeling growing in the eyes into
which he looked. That nameless thrill
of feminine contact-softer than the
mesmerist's spell, more dangerous than
the serpent chaIm-drew about the man,
closer and more resistless.
There was nothing awkward in the
silence now, yet it seemed unbearabie to
him. He spoke as men often do, so
moved-at random:
~ never dreamed you We're senti-
mental!"
Il never was sentimental" she an
swered slowly. mo; even when, once
in my life, knew that I-lovedr'
She raised her eyes full to his. They
glowed in their black depths with some
thing which might be the memory of a
dead passion, might be its living and
burning reality. But, as the eyes drop
ped quickly, the voice was unmoved in
its rich music that added:
Had been sentimental | had never
been his-wifep
"But-you seem SO happy together"
As his words sounded on his own ear
Latour felt that the cavalry colonel was
fioundering, deeper than the cadet had
ever done. ..-..........
"Seem? Society is exigeant, and we
English"-she put bitter emphasis upon
the words-''are so different from the