San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1891-08-19

and principle and the Judgment of wise.
men. But defy their laughter and their
sneers, for ! can point to you and say, !
Show me her match among the daugh-
tiers of the proud and wealthy. She is
the peer Of any | disbelieved in the
power of nature to initiate the excellence |
of woman, and | am punished for my |
luck of faith. And how sweet and ex-
quiSte the punishment if only, Alice, |
you will tell nr that my prayer is grant
ed, AMI TINT you will be my wife.
"Ah! bat should only be burden to !,
YOU. can bring you nothing, not even
an untar@lsne,. maine. for though you
see me- Is ! am. you do not know what
Others whose blood IS in my veins have
done"
What is that 10 me- he cried fierce !
Iy; lit is you int love"
But You are striving to become rich. F.,
IT is your am1:Ion. Have you not told
me so? Money is the greatest power on
eartn. You said chat too.
And it was lie mad never loved.
What Is mOIey to me ROW: But. no, |
am wrong. 1t is NY &mbision, ana with
ont your sympathy and affection shall
never attain it.
He gazei at Inc imploringly. and yet,
though my eyes were Overlooking with
tears in the fullnesS of my new founl
happiness, still shook nv head
Listen to ne, Ar. Prime" | said
quietly, after a short silence between us.
Il am very grateful to you-how could
be otherwise-for what you have said
to me. Yours We're the sweetest and
nOst precious words to which | ever
listened You have asked me to become
your wife because you loved ne for my
self alone: that ! can be sure OF since |
have nothing but myself to bring you.
1t makes me more happy than dare
think of; but in spite of all you have said
to me, | cannot accept your sacrifice.
cannot consent to mar your hopes for the
future with all lack. You think you
love me now, and believe you, but the
time might come when you would see
that you had made a mistake, and that
would kill Inc. | am not of your opinion
as to the power of nature to initiate the
excellence of woman. You were right
at first. Ladies are born, not made, and
were you to marry in the station of life
in which you see me, the scales would
some day drop from your eyes and you
would know that you had been deceived
by love. No, Mr.. Prime, | should not
be worthy to become your wife were
to accept your offer. The difference be-
tween US is too great, and the banker
and his hired female clerk will never be
on an equality to the end of the world.
am sorry-ah, 50 sorry-to wound you
thus, but cannot permit you to throw
your life away"
Then you do not love me?" he asked.
with piteous cry.
Love your" gave little joyous
laugh before said, Il shall never love
any one else in the world"
1t would take too long to repeat the
efforts Mr.. Prime made to lead me to
reconsider my resolution. Meanwhile
was racking my brains to find a way of
letting matters rest without depriving
him utterly of hope. As he said, the
knowledge that my heart was his only
increased the bitterness of his despair.
Happy as was, felt bewildered and
uncertain. shrank instinctively from
revealing my identity at once. | wanted
time to think. scarcely knew the
character of my own emotions. At one
moment blushed with a sense of the
web of deceit that had wound about
him, and at another with the joyful
consciousness of our mutual love- What
would he say when the truth was made
known to him? All! but he loves me
for myself alone, was the answering
thought.
had continued to shake my head as
the sole response to his burning petition;
but at last turned to him and said that
if he were content to wait, say year,
and let his passion have time to cool,
might be less obdurate. But in the in
term he was to make no effort to dis
cover my whereabouts, or to follow me.
He must not even write to me perhaps l
had a secret idea that too many letters
strangle love), but pursue the tenor of
his way as though had never existed.
If at the end of that time he still wished
me to become his wife, it might be 1
should no longer refuse. 1t was better
for us both, said, that we should part
for the present. He must consider him
self free as air, and l should think him
sensible if on reflection he strove to ban
ish me from his thoughts.
"A year is long time, he answered.
Long enough, almost, to make
fortune in, as well us to become wise and
prudent"
By making him wait should let the
banking scheme develop itself little