San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1891-11-30

stand more than you think"
81 fear you may understand in q wrong
way"
"Well, here we are at the house, and
here comes Uncle Sandy and Mary. II,
in parOxysm of hospitality, my unc.s
asks you to supper, do not stay. / know
the menu, and you would not like it."
Then fastening to meet them, she ex
claimed
81 have brought you each letter, bat
there is none for me from Madame Deb
risay. fear something must be the mat
ter with her"
CHAPTER XXH.-THE BIRD HAS FLOwE.
Lisle hGd never before been so piquel
and frustrated as he was by Mona's mode
of receiving his advances.
Had she shown cOldness or resentment,
he could have understood his position. But
her sweet friendliness was utterly battling.
His impotence, the eager fire that quick
cned his pulses. urged him perpetually to
seek her; while pride and his habitual re-
luctance to commit himself, held him back.
1t was running fight between these
two forces, through the couple of weeks
which succeeded Mona's visit to Strath-
airlie; but the strongest finally prevailed,
and telling himself he really ought to let
that old boor at Craigdarroch know that
the right of fishing question was settled,
he started in wonderfully good spirits for
his mornings sport, intending to end the
day in Mona's society. It was an especial
stroke of luck, he thought, to have a tete-
d-tete walk with her; but when he reviewed
their conversation in the evening, while
his friend and partner slumbered, he was
obliged to confess that he had made very
little way.
Did sheer did she not resent his throw
ing her over, as he undoubtedly had, when
her grandmother came to griefs
She was so young and inexperienced at
the time that she could hardly realize the
impossibility Of a man like himself risking
marriage, even with richly lowered girl
"a more enlightened, more mature wo-
man, would have seen and understood the
difficulty. nor loved him the less for being
ready to give her up to q richer rival.
Women are awfully selfish and unreason-
ablel Nov that Mona had seen more Of
ffe-the seamy side Of it too-she ought to
appreciate the motives which actuated
him; perhaps she did, for she never avoided
him, or said sharp things, only she was so
Internally calm and frank 1t was quite
possible she might have fallen in love with
someone else IN the interim. Who could
it be,-some brute Of n foreigner9
Isle felt savagely jealous. as though his
sacred rights had been infringed. He
would do. or sacrifice anything to call the
conscious color to her cheek-to win con-
fession of love from her lips, even the sac
rifice of himself to the letters of matri-
mony. And if she loved him (Which. if he
once surrendered, and asked her to marry
him, she would. warmly, deliciOusly), she
would yield to him in everything. The
thing was really worth risking. Life with
Mona would be very charming for year
or so.
Having made up his mind more thorough
ly than he was perhaps aware, Isle found
shooting, and even Devastating, less
satisfying amusement than it used to be,
and two or three days after his chance en-
counter with Mona, he started for Craig
darroch, determined to begin the siege in
earnest.
1t was crisp, clear afternoon, and sell
dom had This bosom's lord sat so lightly
on its throne" OF his success he never
doubted. The only question that he de-
bated mentally, was how soon 1t would be
in good taste to declare himself. They
were not strangers. She must know that
he had been a good deal smitten with Eer
nearly four years ago. 1t was only taking
up the dropped stitches in the web of their
lives. He would be guided by circum-
stances.
"Is Mr.. Craig at home, and the young
ladies2" he demanded Of the little maid
who came when he rang.
"The masters in, but" she was begin
ming, when Mr.. Craig himself appeared,
with his inevitable stick, at the library
door.
"Eh, come your waysp' he cried. 81
saw ye as ye walked up the drive. Pm
glad to see you. I'm here alane; they're a.
oOt."
"Indeedp said Lisle, following him into
the library. intending to give the old man
few minutes, to find out where Mona had
gone, and to follow her What has be-
come OF your nieces?"
MARY Black is no niece of mine. She IS
a nice-like grille, but have no kin except
Mona and Kenneth Well, they are AVA
to set Mona on her road" (He called it
''rodm
ION her roadl Where?" asked Lisle.
"To Glasga'. She'll get there this even
ing, in time to catch the London night ex-
press"
"Londonr' repeated Lisle, in angry sur
prise HAS she gone to London"
Yes. She had letter frae madame
may be you'll mind Madame Debrisay, the
Teddy wha took nv niece in when you
grand folks turned her DOT. Weel, the let
ter wasna frae herself. 1t was the land
lady-an honest-like woman-wha wrote,
at madame's order, to explain why she
could not write. She was varra sick with
bronchitis, and the landlady she added
.l,o. che ,,,os friobtnpad harSpI for she