San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1891-02-17
CHATTER Nv.

| ing done so, CASTS CWSOiJ SiauCc dt the
boat 10 which it is attached. As he does so
he lifts his brows.
s,Surely Won are not dreaming Of going OH
the river in udtr' he says, indicating the
wretched punt by cOntemptuous wave OF
his hand.
Eyes. Why not?" returns she.
There isn't sound bit of timber in her.
| What can your people be thinking of, to let
YOU trust yourself in such a miserable at
| fair?'
MY people have nothing to do with it, !"
says Monica, somewhat grandly. ~ am my
| O,Cn mistress"
She has picked up her flowers again out
of the deSpised punt, and now stands before
him with her hands filed with the June
blossoms, blue, and white, and red. They
| show bravely against the pallor of hergOwn,
and seem, indeed, to harmonic altogether
| with her excessive fairness for her lips are
as red as her peoples, and her cOrnflowers
as blue as her eyes, and her skin puts her
dropping daisies all to shame.
LAS you are your own mistress" says the
young man, with a suspicion of smile, as
| he takes in the baby sweetness of her mouth,
and each detail of her slight girlish figure
that bespeakS the child rather than the wO-
man, L eIlIedG YOU w hd'o hClCy uPoh
| yourself"
But what is the matter with it?' asks
Monica, peering into the boat. 1T looks all
right can't see hole in it.
ITS nothing but holes, in my opinion"
says the strange young man, peerlng in his
turn. ITS a regular coffin. You will be
committing nothing less than suicide if you
put your foot in it..
in
impressed in spite of herself, Il do think
am the most unfortunate person alive. Do
you know" lifting her eyes to his, II didn't
sleep a wink last night, thinking of this row
on the river to-day, and now it comes to
nothing! That is just like my luck always.
was so bent on it; wanted to get round
that corner over there" pointing to it, ito
see what was at the other side, and now |
can't do it."
There is no reason why You shouldn't"
he is beginning, anXiously, when she con-
tradicts him.
After all, she says, doubtfully, bending
over to look into the clear bed of the river,
II don't believe, if things came to the worst,
! and | did get Swamped, | should be drown
ed"
Certainly not, If you could swim, or il
there was any one watching over your well
fare from the banks that could"
well, / can't" cOnfeSses Monica. with a
sigh; land unless yOlL,'' with an irrepresSi-
BILE laugh that shows all her white and even
teeth, will promise to run along the banks
of the river all the afternoon to watch over
me, don't think there is much chance Of
my escaping death"
II shouldn't mind in the least being on
guard in such q cause" says the stranger,
politely, with the same carefully-suppressed
smile upon his lips (Which are very hand
sOme) as had moved them while ago.
Command me if you will; but would have
you remember that, even though l should
come to the rescue, it would not save you
an unpleasant ducking, and-and your pref
| ty gown" with glance that is almost af-
fectionate atthe white Indian cotton, would
be completely ruined
Even that dire idea doesn't daunt me-, -
says Monica, gayly; you forget that the
more limp am the more aesthetic | Shall
look Well" with a sudden relapse into
| melancholy, Il suppose / must give it up,
and not go round the corner to-day"
But lOhy not" eXclaimS he eagerly. MY
boat is at your service. DO take it. | have
quite done with it, have indeed, and it is
lighter than it looks
Too heavy for me am afraid" says
Monica, with a sigh.
As it? Then" with desperate bOIdneSs,
"let me row you"
'Oh, nor returns she, bluShing warmly.
you forget" with swift glance at him,
you are quite a stranger to me-"
Yet he is not quite such a stranger as she
thinks. She is not such stranger to him
at least, because her face, seen Cor minute
about week ago, has haunted him persist
emily ever since.
AS we live in the same neighborhood. We
| cannot long continue strangers" he says,
gently; land, in the mean time, why lose
| this lovely afternoon, and that corner you
! were speaking of? The view of the sea,
| when you get round it. is really worth see
| ing"
Yes, yes, I dare say" reluctantly turn
ing to leave him. Il shall see it some day"
Look here" says the young man, very
| earnestly, following her as she moves IF
You will come with me you will see it nOlC.
| will only be your Oarsman: won't say
word to you unless you wish ii; | won't
| even took at you. Think of me as a common
bOatman You have hired by the hour; or,
better still, don't think of me at all. With
little care you might bring yourself to i'm
| aCine | wasn't there"
But if we met any one?' says Miss Beres-
| ford, visibly relenting.
impossible! There is never n soul on
! this stream save myself have been here
now every day for ten days, and never yet
came upon even the ghost of anything hui
| man."
Very WE'LL, says Monica, though still
with palpable hesitation. Now, remember,
| you have pledged yourself not to speak to
| me, or 10 look at me-" At this he fixes on
her so prolonged a gaze that one may readily
understand he means it to be a last one for
some time