San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1891-02-23
MONICA
A LOVE STORY OF MODERN DAYS
BY the AlahOr Of Mona Sc,llH" "Ac
cuSed" &C., &c.

20 wills IL? VIII you Ioli h0i ',ii' Ai"'ih my
Dear Kit, Sweet Kit, L entreat you 10 do
this"
s'Oh how sweet am when you want me
Tn do Something for your says she, with a
it'll a smile. There can see through you
as clearly as though you were crystal; but
ike Won all the same. You must have some
pood in YOU to fall in love with my Monica"
"Others can fall in love with her, too," re-
turns he, with moody jealousy.
sab, yesl l saw that" says Kit, lifting
her hands excitedly.
"Who could fail to see it? Who could fail
to love her?' says Desmond, sadly. Then,
being in such very poor ease, and looking
sorrowfully for comfort from any source,
however small, he says, nervously,-
exit, answer me truthfully-you have
sworn to be my friend; tell me, then, which
do you count the better man,-him, or meg'
b But that a sense of honor forbids him to
Dry into his loves secret thoughts he would
have asked whom she counted the better
man.
"You,' says Kit, calmly. 81 have no
doubt about it. | hate fat men, and so does
Monica. have heard her say so, over and
over again."
"Oh, Kit!what dear little girl you arel"
says Mr.. Desmond, with grateful fervor.
''Well, I'm glad you like me-" says Kit,
because like you. It was
very good of you to lend that gun to Terry;
haven't forgotten that, though, goodness
knows, only hope he won't do himself to
death with it, (she delights in old-worid
phrases such as this) "and like you, too,
for loving Monica. Isn't she-"', laying her
hand upon his arm, and looking trustfully
into his eyes,-"isn't she prettyg'
''She is like an angel" says Desmond,
feeling all his heart go out to the fragile,
ethereal-looking child before him, as he
listens to her praises Of her sister.
''tOr saint perhaps. Monica is sanity
name. Was she not the mother of st. Au-
gustine?' says Kit, quickly. After the old
gods, passion for the saints, and their lilies
and roses and fiery trials, animates her child
ish bosom. 'Oh! and that reminds me" she
says; "she told me to bring her in lily,
fresh with dew,-one of those lilies over
there in that dark corner. Do you see them,
tall and white" FL.
II see. Let me pick one for her. Here,
take it to her, and, laying his lips upon it,
this with it."
II will. And now let me run in and try
my utmost to persuade her to come out here.
But" dOubtfully, as she remembers how
Monica refused with studied GOODNESS to
meet his parting glance at the barracks a
few hours ago, ''do not be too sure of her
coming. She may refuse, you know. She
is peculiar in many ways, and she thinks
herself bound in honor to Aunt Priscilla not
to look at you. But stay here, just In this
spot, and think all the time that l am doing
my very best for YOU"
Her little face Is so earnest as she says all
this, so fearful that he may have to endure
disappointment, that he is greatly touched.
Pushing back her hair from her forehead
with both hands, he lays light but loving
kiss upon her brow.
go, my best friend. I trust all to you,"
he says, after which the slender sprite
springs away from him, and, entering the
shadows beyond, is soon lost to him.
Reaching the house, she mounts the stairs
with swift but silent footsteps, and, after a
nervous hesitation before the door of her
aunt Priscilla's room, finds herself once |
again face to face with Monica. That pref |
ty cause Of all this plotting is not in bed, as |
Kit had predicted might be the case. She is |
not even undressed. She has only exchanged |
her azure gown for loose white morning |
robe, long and trailing, and lavishly trim
med at the throat and wrist with some rare |
old Mechlin lace that Aunt Penelope had |
given her week ago, glad in the thought |
that it may perchance add another charm to |
the beauty of her darling.
Her hair is rolled up in a small, soft knot |
behind; her face is little pale; her eyes, |
large and luminous, have great heavy shad- |
Ows lying beneath them, suggestive of IA |
tigue and firing thought Altogether, she |
is looking as lovely as any heart can desire. |
"Ah, you have returned~ she says, as Kit |
enters. How long you have been! gave |
you up. l thought some piXy had become |
enamored of you and had carried you off to
his kingdom"
Il was in danger of nothing so inSignifi-
cant as apiXy. 1t was the great ApollO's
self / feared" says Kit, with a sly humor-
Gus smile. And here is your lily; he sent
it to you with his love and kiss" Don't
you think you were little unkind to that
dear Brian this evening"" she says.
THAT dear Brian will recover from my
cruel treatment l make no doubt" says
Monica, with affected lightness, though, in
truth, remorSe is gnawing at her heart
strings.
IF he does, he will show his very good
sense. He loves you; why, then, do you
fout and scorn him"'
In the ancient library below, the young
ladies in the novels always flouted their
lovers. Not having the faintest idea how
they perform this arduOus task, Kit still
adopts the word as having sonorous sound,
and uses it now with-as she hopes-great
effect.
II do not flout him." says Monica, indig-
nantly. but what am l to do? am l to
make Aunt Priscilla wretched, then, be-
cause of him, and break her poor heart per-
haps?"
Monica, you like him." says Kit, sudden
", rising on her knees and looking into her
sisters aYerted ewes 81 am sure of 1t: |