San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1891-01-03


The door tras suddenly opened and in
came young Mr.. EdicardcS
. A day or two afterward the architect
of the new opera house, discovering that
nothing in the way of business required
his immediate attention in New York,
came To the conclusion that he would do
well to go away from il for while.
Since he began to practice his profession
he had never had deliberate vacation.
But man who had just designed and
built new opera housa-the best in the
world-could afford to take a rest, even
Were there 10 other ground for doing so.
Bellingham, at all events, packed his
trunk and took passage on the Arizona
bound for the Old World, and betook
himself to an ancient, abandoned, lovely
little town on the southern coast of Ire
land.
1t was one of the ioveliest, least known
and most secluded retreats in Europe.
The gray and rmnous houses Were over.
grown with soft green moss, the steep
and narrow stree were made beautiful
with tender rims of grass. The warm
brcezes brought thither by the Gulf
stream gave to December and January
the gentle genialty of an English spring,
The sparse inhabitants were a far de-
scended race of fishermen, still bearing
in their dark compilations and vigorous
forms the traces of their handsome Span
ish ancestry.
At the inn, in addition to most ell
gaSing landlady and couple of ex-
tremely pretty daughters, Bellingham
encountered to his agreeable surprise an
American artist, Helwise by name,
whom he had known years ago in New
York. This lonely man of genius was,
it appeared, in the habit of spending the
winter months here, transferring to can
vas the matchless wealth Of color and
character which met him at every turn.
He was of grave, kindly, meditative
nature, but trimming over in certain
moods with wit and philosophy and the
fruits of years of penetrating and amused
observation OF human character and
life. Bellingham and he suited each
other well and were soon conversing
with the frankness and cordiality of
friendship long in allegiance but never
forgotten. Bellingham inquired whether
there We're any other countrymen of
theirs in the town.
at is like the region Irving tells Of in
The Adalantado of the Seven Cities, ;"
Helwise replied; lit has been lost for
ages, and nobody knows were it is ex-
cept myself. That is, such was the case
until about three weeks ago. But last
month two mysterious strangers made
their appearance, and have betrayed
some symptoms of intending to stay. l
should have had them expelled, for |
consider this place to be my peculiar
and inaienable property, had not
found them entertaining as 4 study and
admirably disposed to keep themselves
TO themselves. have never spoken to
the lady at all"
ooh! Husband and wife, are they
Apparently that Is just what they
are not. No, don't mean to insinuate
and l don't believe-that they ought to
be- l should suppose they might be
broth"r and sister, only they are of diff
ferent nationalities. The man is evil
IDENTIFY an American. and the lady,
though she speaks English perfectly
well, evidently is not. She is probably
four or FIVE years older than he, and has
a certain air of experience. She is de-
cidedly handsome, and has what they
call distinguished manners; that is, she
makes you perceive that they are man
ners, though very good ones. She has
rented that large house on the top of the
hill"
"She or theyT
''She. He has his room here, and turns
up every night at l0o'clock. They spend
the day together; he is undoubtedly
in love with her, and she seems to be
anything but Indifferent to him. Yor
see it isn't an ordinary affair. Here
they are, buried from the world beyond
discovery, and they might live as they
liked; and yet they-or she at any rate
prefer to conduct themselves in this
fashion. There is some mys-
terry in it, my dear Godfrey deep.
dark, inscrutable mystery! They are
known respectively as Mr.. Edwardes
and Mrs. Peters, but have an idea they
san each other something else. One |
theory of mine about them was that she
was Younger sister of his mother: his