The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1891-11-04
ON A BOX SEAT.
A CURIOUS LOVE STORY.

-
Mrs. .Lightfoot was a widow; not by any
means a ''loue lorn, wildly woman," but an
deal of bereaved femininitv, dressed &c
peTfeeton, and her conversation tinged with
lust sufficient misanthropy TO appear cyni-
cal To some and TO warn others that she
earnt enough as Jack Lightfoot's wife to
lender her careful how she entered again
ate bondage
Jack LightfoOt always restless AMI ey-
cited, made much of everything except his
wife, and when ne made the mistake in the
ace for the Rumtipore Ladies' Plate. which
lost him his life. everybody said that no.
" iody bHt-he would have broken his neck in
so gratuTt6usly unnecessary a manner.
In London she always enjoyed herself
: thoroughly. and in modified way in the
country. She was. and is now, much in re-
quest; butshe distributed her favors pretty
s-:qually.
one day she had promised to 90 for a
:-friye with MAJOR Birthstone.
..l)o You like Major Bittlestone?" said
Maud de VHlaIs, looking out OF the window
!. o see If the drag was in sight yet. She was
::.}nder Mrs. LIghtloot's chaperoning wing
for the day, and they were waiting in her
draw ing-rQQm.
...... es, Ido." said Mrs. Lightfoot frankly,
:: hes so big and quiet"
:.."fle's big enough" said Maud. land l
ike big men; but as for quiet
/. shrugged her shoulders expresSiyely-"he
never even speaks to NE"
r Mrs. Eightfo0t. perhaps, did not think
that an inSuperable fault in his character, for
: he smiled sweeEly and said; Il am sure
that iS-not your fault, dear, and | dare say
= YOU would like him If you knew him as well
.: SIdo."
Il always think he would do very well for
.gon," said Miss de Nillars, turning and
;; acipg her ehaperOu. "1 gu ike him and he
J: las money"
=: Mrs: Lightfoot turned little pink and
sad nothing She had often wondered if
Major Birthstone liked her, but in COM
GEtlnlnR with herself, she was inclined to
admit that lie sometimes carried silence to
Excess, and she felt doubtful on the point.
=: So she sat and wondered still more instead
:: Of answering, with her eyes fixed upon her
rim little pRtent-leather shoes. She was
:: invariably "chausSee' IN perfection, which
: "a always desirable and, when coaching
necessary. Most men notice now woman
y: sllod-but coach-horn Interrupted her
JllFdIta ions.
=. They drove in silence down Piccadilly.
.Fhe streets were crowded and the near
leader was rather fresh. Halfway down
81. James street, however. he broke silence
SIRE Mas conscious of his deep voice saying,
- DO you remember?' which was an auspl-
ci0uS Organizing.
=. She was conscious that he was looking
down INTO her eyes; then suddenly he
glanced forward again and she heard the
p .fTag go gu and knew that he had stopped
The zach 10 an Incredibly short distance;
aeyOnd that she cannot speak with GER
tinty-Ior, though she has never confessed
i, she admits to herself She smut her eyes.
When she opened them both leaders we're
. town IN struggling heap: the wheelerS
and tie coach were almost on them, the
Waeelers beginning to plunge; the grooms
were running forward with uismay on their
faces in evident doubt where to begin.
And Major BlttleStOne-he was looking
down at tile confusion with very much the
same expression of tranquil interest on his
iaee which II had worn when addressing
reT; and certainly his voiceswas rs uu-
IBevrd, though trifle louder, as he said to
the groom Gu his left (the other was doing
what he could at the heads of the horses on
che ground 10 check their frantic struEgles)
."UnhOok the near leader!"
Pc HE man was handy enough when he
knew what to do; he unlocked the splinter
bar "UnnOoG the of leader" said his mas
ter IN the same serene tones; and the man
ran round and obeyed. The moment it was
done Major Birthstone took the drag off.
got bis wheelers steady and backed them;
they struggled, We're almost down, but
namely did their work, and got the coach a
lew feet NJ the NIL and themselves out Of
The nelghbOrhOOd of the leaders heels
:. Unhurt, the leaders were on their feet in
a moment. and Mrs Lightloot had hardly
" realized that all danger was over, and that
;she@had not mad another drive brought to
an abrupt conclusion, when the same quiet
viice.Temarked Hook on the near leader
hO6k#0n the off leader-let them 60 p
1ney picked up another passenger in Pail
Malta: man for Miss de Villars to talk to:
she gave him detailed account of all that
had taken place, which lasted half an hour.
uni .
horses went down she had stood up and
scredmed,
twas: on breezy part OF Wimbledon
Common, with the horses swinging along at
IA fast tI0t. with Miss de Villars in the mid
dle;of an aHe'dOte which, though she in
;ended it for the man beside her only. in
terested her chaperoD in front quite as
much, that he bent his head toward Mrs.
LighHoot and said
: Nine omen in ten would have screamed;
Why did not yOu?"
Before Maud's story began she had been
thinking Of What Lord Rosherville had said
10 tile butcheT-boy who had driven into him
3thTte days before, while she was on the
buX-seat. Mrs. Lightfoot, even after three
wears training In JACK Lightfoots society.
mad been little Mortified so she answered
dripping Maud from her thoughts in an in
slant, Nine men in ten would have sworn.
why did not you?"
Il ike to take things quietly" he said.
90 90 l.
His team was doing beautifully Hs
shifted bis rehs to his right hand, and for a
moment she thought he was going TO put his
around her waist. She thought lie had for
gotten that there was any one behind. aud
;goked round apprehensiYey at Maud de
VillaFs
s.. .'AIl. right" he said with half laupb. "I
know I'm not In dog-cart, but YOU know
what I'm going TO say"
Aud .hen he get tribe flushed and red
der, and IN voice which was a good deal
louder than that in which lie mad spoken to
his groom, he said:
+"Nil y0uT'
And Mrs. Lightfoot, with all her expert
ence and all her nerve, was so taken aback
Wont Il' ~ W.
:. 4 haven't notion" he confessed when
they were at Monte Carlo on their homer
moon, what ever said to make you marry
me, little woman" And the puzzled look
with when he was trying to recall his flight
OF eloqpence grew deeper as she answered
sententiously:
"Unhook the near P'-Boston Globe