San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1891-01-05

ly involved. Even if he had demon
strated his proposition and obtained her
assent to it, he would not have been a
bit nearer his goal A woman overpow-
cred by passion will act in direct oppo-
sition to the most elementary dictates of
reason: and the same woman will not
swerve hairs breadth from the path Of
rectitude if the most unanswerable logi
cal demonstration do not tally with her
emotional preposseSsion. The fatal flaw
in Jocelyn's syllogism was Jocelyn him.
self. Man may sometimes be led by the
intellect, but woman only by the heart
and by curiosity.
After the above discussion il became
vaguely apparent to Jocelyn that the
prima donna was drifting away from
him. She parted his attempts at famil.
lar intercourse gently but effectively
he had in fact done her service against
his own interests. lie had assisted her
to formulate her instructive recoil from
the view which he sought to inculcate
1t was incumbent upon him, therefore, to
take some practical step. The close Of
the season was at hand.
While he was racking his brains as to
what he should do, accident came cppor-
tunely TO his aid. AS he was walking
about one evening behind the scenes.
while the opera was in progress. car
penter, who was tinkering a defective
joint in the scenery up somewhere iii the
wings, let fall chisel which struck
Jocelyn on the head. infiicting a super
-
fetal but alarming looking wound along
the right side of his forehead. He stag
gered and fell, and blood streamed down
his face. A surgeon was sent for, and
meanwhile Jocelyn was removed into
the prima donnas dressing room. Just
then the prima donna. warm and palpi-
tating from her scene, came in with
glowing cheeks and sparkling eyes, the
thunder Of applause still sounding in her
ears.
Jocelyn's CHASTITY aspect filed her with
compassion and tenderness. She knelt
down beside him where he lay upon the
sofa, dipped her handkerchief in water,
and with soft mnrmurs of sympathy and
ruth washed the blood away from his
wound He recognized his good luck
and lay still for time, apparently in the
dead faint that precedes dissolution.
But watching his opportunity when they
were left alone for few minutes he fall
tered out an entreaty to be lifted to q
sitting position, and when she clasped
her strong young arms about him to &C
complish his desire she found herself I'M
awares entangled i'll his embrace, and
before she could extricate herself she
felt his lips on her cheek.
She placed HIM in the attitude he
wished, and then got slowly and YEARLY
to her feet, her face pale and her eyes
dark. ..rs.
$50" she said, with perceptible in
tonatiol of contempt, Il was not mis-
takeni"
Forgive me, Beatrix," he sighed out,
still affecting to be overcome by weak
ness. 81 could not help it. Darling
girl, 1 love you so! | can fight against it
no longer"
81 might have known that you were
like the others-or worse, said she, "but
| could not believe it till now. l shall
never be mistaken again"
"Oh, Beatrix! have you no pity-no
consideration for-for my condition.
Heaven knows how l have struggled!
Take off this bandage." he continued
querulously, snatching away the hand
kerchief from his forehead. Let me
bleed to DEATH will not live without
your
"It will take you long time to bleed
to death, Mr.. Jocelyn." returned she
quietly. II shall not be able to wait for
you. Perhaps Madame Bemax will
Shali I call herr
"You shall not speak to me in that
toner exclaimed sJocelyn, raising him
self on his couch in real or feigned pas
sion. 81 have not deserved it! Have
not done everything for you? Have you
forgotten what you owe me?"
"You cannot have forgotten that /
long since told you could never marry
you, SO how could you expect that ]
would pay you what l owe with my
selfr'
Il an not man to make cold blooded
calculationsr' said he, getting impul-
svely on his legs. IF you had any
heart you would understand, Beatrix,"
he went on, suddenly changing his tone
and attempting to seize her hands; 81
do not ask an irrevocable oompact-I do
not hope that you can love me always
You will go on, know, and leave me
behind. But. oh! my dearest one, would
you regret in the future that is before
you. and which my poor aid will have
helped you to enjoy-win you regret.
then. having made man who loves you