San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1891-12-02

eS, quite ready, uncle, she returned,
! darting a curious look beyond him at
gentleman who was in the act of crossing
the threshOld-a man not much above mid
die height wrapped in loose ulster, the
high collar of which almost meeting the
| traveling-cap pulled over his eyes. effeCtu-
ally concealed his face. He came forward
| under the lamp, and turning to him, Mr..
Craig said with unusual warmth
Pm varra glad to see your mothers son
under my roof. This is my niece-I was
! near saying my daughter-NlisS Craig"
The stranger threw back his coat and
took off his cap. As ne bowed the strong
| light fell upon him, and Mona found her
self face to face with Leslie Warning, great
ly changed and looking years older, but
still Enthusiastically Leslie Waring.
For moment or two Mona felt blind
and dizzy, so great, so sudden was her sur
prise. Then she recovered herself all the
more rapidly because he seemed perfectly
unmoved-while she could only exclaim
| in an agitated voice-"NIr. Waringr
He said quietly-"ThiS is a most uneX-
pected pleasure" and took the hand she
! extended mechanically.
"Eh, mon" cried Uncle Sandy do We
ken Mona? HOw's this? Ye never told
| me-"
Il had no idea Miss Joscelyn was in any
| way related to YOU said Waring with q
smile.
Miss JOscelyn? There's no Miss .Tosce-
| Ign here. This is my niece, Mona Craig"
II remember now" said Warning, quick
ly: Il beg your pardon. had the pleasure
Of knowing Miss Craig some years ago, in
London
1T is varra remarkable; but there's time
enough to talk about it a. Go, tax off Yer
coat. Kenneth. show Mr.. Warning his
room Come, my bairnie. tell Jessie to
bring up the vivcrs. I'm just faint like; it
! has been Il cold Journey
! "Will yuu take little whisky and water
! at once, uncle?' asked Mona trying to re-
! member her duties with IN effort, so dazed
! did she feel at this astounding reappear-
ance
"Awcel. it might be better to do so. just
hang up my coat, will you? Eh, but you
have fire that's enough to set a the
Chimneys in kirktom burning: still it
looks gran The young mon will think
auld Sandy Craig ha, fine hoose O his
ain It's varra strange you knowing each
handed him his allowance of whisky and
water.
But, uncle, how in the world did you
come to know Mr.. Waring?"
Me? Aweei. knew him when he was
a wee BARN, but its lang years since. His
mother was M l.eSlic'S daughter. You'll
mind my telling You o the Great hoOse o
Maceacheru x Leslie Leslie was the
gran gentleman of the firm; and his daugh-
ter-eh. NV word. she was bonnie, she
was the young Teddy that ought to have
been nv wife. and this lads eyes are Just
like his mother's-she married a proud,
UpSetting Englishman: hut the siller was
hers, and the boy was named after her
father. He has been fulish, Pm fearin'
and has spent a cruel lot o money, gaming
awfu' and racin' and rampaging. Some
thing turned him wrong; moo, he seems
more wise-like. and has settled doom on a
farm in America. He came over ABBOTT
some law plea, bit o money that was
coming to him through his mother, and
sac he came on to GlaSga', to speak to Mr..
Cochran. who was aye the adviser Of a the
hOOsc, an there he found me | was right
glad to meet him. and-but here he is, and
Jessie, too The denUer's ready. I'm glad
to see you in my hoose, Mr.. Warning. Give
me your arm. | am puir frail body
Warning threw a smiling glance at Mona,
as if asking pardon for preceding her, and
led his host into the dining-roOm.
Mona took her place at the head of the
table with an Over-pOwering sense of EN-
barrassment, mixed with self-rcproach.
Something had turned him wrong"
Uncle Sandy said; was she that some
thing?"
Pride came to her assistance, however:
she must not let him see how overwhelmed
she really was. BY rpsOlute effort she
recalled her self-COntrOl, and played the
part of hostess with sweet gravity and
simple kindness; but though avoiding
Warnings eyes, she keenly observed how
greatly he had changed. He looked taller
because he had grown thinner. His strong
figure looked firmer and more set; his face,
longer. darker, more imbrOwned, and
grave, if not absolutely sad; it had com
pletely lost the ford freshness of early
manhood: his eyes, too, seemed larger and
more thoughtful; but his long thick mus
tache, dropping to either side, showed
when he smiled that his rather large teeth
were as brilliantly white as before; his
hands, that used to be so creamy and
plump were burned almost black, and |
showed both bone and muscle, as though |
they and hard work were well acquainted. |
Yes, he was changed wonderfully, and inn |
proved. His old, goOd-humOred eagerness
to please and to be pleased was replaced by |
profound repose of manner, as if the eff
fervesence of youth had entirely evapOrat- |
ed. and left slightly weary but kindly |