San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1891-04-15

heart needed breaking. up 10 Cnat ClIne
had lived perfectly selfish life. was |
the center of my circle. lived for my |
own happiness, not sinful happiness, but
my happiness. And love, that most
selfish of the virtues, as my dear uncle |
once called it, aggravated my disease.
But in my dark day light came finally,
and it was my uncle brought it. 1 was
pining; frankly said had lived enough. |
Very well, said my uncle once. Con |
slider then your OWL IFS done. There, it |
4 eEer. Now liye for others, for duty, |
to help people. Help me for instance
and oh, Windward, he used to be so
tempted then!-'do church work, nurs-
ing, take any crotchet, live for anything
any body but self-that, we agree, is
dead and buried
''Oh, how | studied over these words!
Of course had always been told it was
wrong to be selfish, and | supposed
was very good and unselfish; so at first
couldn't understand what he meant, but
l knew he meant something, for he
always does when he speaks at all,
so l brooded and brooded, and final
ly l began to see what the words
meant, and | thought them brutal; l re-
sented them; L almost hated him, and
with him everything good. But at last
l was given a better mind
She paused, as if her story was fin
ished, and Windward felt he certainly
had no right to interrogate her further.
"Your uncle is fine man" ne said; II
like and admire him very much. A Gu
rious man, too Tell me, was he always
so calm and laconicy'
He has grown more so of late years."
she replied, land / don't mind telling
you that it is largely due to the care no
| is obliged to take of his health He suf.
fers from an affection of the heart of
such a nature that any sudden extreme
of emotion, either of joy or SORROW,
would probably prove fatal. He has &C
customed himself, therefore, to a sto-
| icism, though to be sure it comes easil J
| to him, as it fits his nature. His 'tele-
| graL hic brevity,' as no doubt you have
heard him explain, Is due chiefly to the
value he sets on time and speech, but he
was always a silent man. For years
and here the narrator smiled merrily-
che pretended to be little deaf, so as
the better to ward off volubility, and he
suffers from occasional attacks even yet
1t used to be very amusing sometimes.
The longer his tormentor talked the
deafer he would grow, till he got him
fairly shouting, and so actually wore
him out.
Quite scheme, =" laughed Windward
Yes, I've had many laugh over it
could always tell when he was bored
Excuse me, he would say, 4 am little
hard of hearing That would set me of
tittering. Alas, I'm past the titterine
age nowp
And l am glad of it," exclaimed
Windward. "And speaking of titterins
reminds me of Miss Willis"
| why, Mr.. Bassett" said Louise de
murely, $50 soon? Remember, you hav,
week"
We'll, l don't care. She has laugl
that is half way between giggle and
smoker. Oh, like it, thought he added
resolved on sadness.
You haven't told me anything abou
it, said Louise, who no doubt felt she
had a right after her own confessions t.
hear those of her friend.
why" said Windward, with hang
dog air, 'she said she didn't suppose, ant
so forth and so on, and hoped we should
always be friends, you know, and sh,
said she was engaged"--
Engaged" exclaimed Louise.
well, that was to be a secret; l for
got" said Windward, looking sheepish.
"Oh, a secret" Louise spoke so scorn
fully that Windward looked at her for
an explanation.
why" he asked. reading her expires
sion, don't you believe it,
''Oh, she may be, said Louise. "Sh,
is, off and on, most of the time
You ought to have told me NOR,
about her at first, said Windward, color
ing deeply and looking down.
That is So" Louise replied frankly
Il should; and l own my fault. But
hate gossip, and didn't suppose till yer,
lately that you were in any danger. AnC
then when |, or rather my uncle, die
speak we-didn't think you were partic
ularly pleased"
Windward was silent. He saw he wa
no match for these people. He would
change the subject.
Il think, Miss Sheffield he said. %.
will give up working the claim. Ny
trouble with Miss Willis unsettles me, O
course, and want to leave town on tina
account; but apart from that, see an
of very little use here, and l can do a