San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1891-01-09


~ remember our compact" Euerett
dRs1pered gsdOely.
The whistle Of the down river steamer
blew promptly at Standish landing,
sending its snort through every room of
Rose Villa, and scarce had the echo
come back from the hills behind when
she was again moving cityward.
The whistle had been heard by both
girls in Bennie's dainty boudoir above
the porch, and it brought her father and
aunt to the door to greet the visitors.
Sincere and cordial welcome they re-
ceived from both, Miss Tabitha's recent
annoyance melting in surprise at their
changed appearance.
"Why, Dalew she exclaimed: ''if you
are not really man and an officer!
How you have changed! And you, too,
Adrien! Upon my word, should not
have known either of your
because l also am AN officer and a
gentleman Miss Tabitha?' queried the
Creole, with a sunny laugh. well, I'll
promise never to show you conduct I'M
worthy of either again. I'll never be
the mauvais sujet was in Paris
"And will go on his bond for it,"
Dale added. But it does seem strange,
doesn't it? Lieut.. Latour, First United
States cavalry, and Lieut. Everett, of
the Engineers
That's right; drop the unnecessary
Brevet Second" laughed Adrien, as Miss
Tabitha proffered meat and drink and
warm welcome.
Few contrasts could be imagined
stronger than that between these two
new defenders of the flag of the free.
Dale Everett's strong, clear cut features
were somewhat too pale from close con-
finement at study; but, spite of that,
the nameless something, always felt, but
not to be described, spoke plainly the
splinter of Plymouth Rock. A large
head, with crisp, fair hair, surmounted
a tall, strong limbed frame, wherein the
elasticity of the American tempered the
latent power of the Englishman. But
especially in the eyes and mouth the in
ner man spoke out, the calm intensity of
gaze limiting something behind it which
might on occasion, CLEAN out in pow r.
full, even cruel fash; the thin lips-ten-
der now in their mobile curves-belied
the long oval of the jaw if they could
not set hard and relentless as steel.
Slim, 1.-THE, with sinuous grace in
every movement that told of perfect
muscular work, Adrien Latour's bronzed
olive skin showed the veins beneath on
neck and brow. So varying were the
dark eyes as to defy detection of real
color; the small head, with its black
crown of silken hair, never rested still
on the firm neck, and the strong brown
hands showed sensibiEty combined with
nervous power.
In the plain uniform of their new rank
the two men standing side by side in the
bright June sunshine were absolute
types of those antipodal strengths of the
republication and thought. Strong,
steadfast and enduring, the Puritan
scion was the man to breast and break
down barriers ON his life road by sheer
endeavor. The nervous impetuosity of
the Creole would aim to clear them at'a
S10R16 DOuIlu. lnO"u anu Dftucu, Ito
would try again, so long as the hot
strength did not burn away of its own
fire; but he would never pause to tear
down the obstacle, or turn to seek by
path.
Born in bitter struggle, matured by
years of laborious trial, the high caste
New Highlander showed in Dale Everett
"a silent, incarnate strength. Dia-
metric opposites-triple result of blood,
life and climate - spoke as plainly
through every movement of his Creole
classmate. Even the pose of the two
men told its tale. Resting carelessly on
a chair back, the graceful form quite
still and the head courteously bent,
Adrien Latour listened to Miss Tabitha
with rather vague intensity. Only the
nervous tap of the thin solea boot told
that sex, not individual, claimed that
endurance he was fast losing. Dale
Everett was running over the story of
graduation and commission to Mr..
Standish, his quiet position and frank
talk tempered by not too pronounced re-
spect for the latter's age.
But both the black eyes and the blue
turned msrr than once impatientJ