San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1891-02-18


never bestowed thought upon her."
Oh, no, never" says Miss Penelope, after
Whlch both the Misses Blake grow silent
ana seem to be slowly sinking into the land
of reverie.
But Monica, having heard the ''enemy'S
name mentioned, becomes filled with de-
termination to sift the mystery connected
with him. now, to the end.
Aunt Priscilla" she saws, SOFTLY, booking
at her with grave eyes across Miss Pene-
lope's knees, tell me, now, why Mr.. Des-
mond is our enemy"
"Oh, not noto," says Miss Penelope, nerv-
| ously.
Yes, now, please" says Monica, with
eVer-increasing gravity.
1T may all be said in few words, Mont
ca. says Miss Priscilla, slowly. And what
have to say affects you, my dear, even
| more than u.s.
| "Ney'
Yes in that it affects your mother. Twen-
| ty years ago George Desmond was her af-
fanced husband. Twenty years ago, will
| fully and without cause, he deliberately
broke with her his plighted trOth."
"He threw her oyer?' exclaims Monica,
aghast at this revelation.
well, never heard he used actual vio-
Ience to her, my dear" says Miss Penelope,
in distressed tone; ''but he certainly broke
off his engagement with her, and behaved
as no man of honor could possibly behave"
And mother must have been quite beau
tiful at that time, must she nOt?" says Moni-
ca, rising to her knees, in her excitement,
and staring with widely-Opened eyes of
pureSt amazement from one aunt to the
other.
Beautiful as the blushing morn," says
Miss Priscilla, quoting from some ancient
birthday-bOOk. But, you see, even her
beauty was powerleSs to save her from in
suit. From what we could learn, he abso-
lutely refused to fulfill his maTiage-contract
with her He was false to the oath he had
sworn over our fathers dying bed"
Nothing can exceed the scOm and solemn
~ of Miss Priscilla's manner as she says all
| this.
And what did mother do?" asks Monica,
| curiously.
What could she do, poor child? have
no doubt Invent nigh to breaking her heart"
Her hearth says Monica.
She suffered acutely. That we could see,
or rather we had to guess it, as for days she
kept her own chamber and would see no
Que, going out only when it was quite dusk
for solitary ramble. All! when sorrow
| afflicts the soul, there Is no balm so great as
solitude. Your poor mother took the whole
affair dreadfully to heart"
You mean that she really fretteds' asks
Monica, still in the same curious way, with
her eyes fixed on her aunt. There is, in
deed, so much unstudied surprise i'm her
manner as might have produced q CORE
spending amount in the Misses Blake, had
they noticed it.
"YeS. my dear, of course. Dear, dear,
dear what sad thingit all was! Well, now
you understand all that it is needful you
should, Monica" says Miss Penelope, with
glance at her sister, who really seems quite
overcome. 80 we will say no more about
it. Only you can see for yourself how i'm
possible it is for any of our blood to be on
friendly terms with Desmond
''rhey may not all be like tlGt Mr.. Des-
mond,' says Monica, timidiy, cOlOring to
her brow.
Yes, yes. Like father, like son; you
know the old adage; and nephew is as
| close relation almost. We can know no
one at COOle."
| II would almost rather see you dead than
| intimate with one of the NAME" says Miss
| Priscilla, with sudden harShness
II don't think We told Monica about the
Penelope, hastily; with the kindly intention
of changing the conversation. "A very pref
| ty woman came there about a week before
your arrival, child, and is to remain, / be-
lieye, for some time She is widow, and
young, andy the bye, wonder if she can
be any relation to your friends in the South
of France
why"
"Hpr name is ROhun and--v
mot Olga BOhun?" says Monica, springing
to her feet. "A widow, you say, and young.
Oh! auntie, if she only might be Olga"
'Well, certainly she has heathenish-I
mean, a Russian-name like that" says
Miss Priscilla. ''She is very little woman,
with merry eyes, and she laughs always,
and she has the prettiest, the most courte-
Gus manners. Quite a relief found her,
after the inanties of Bella Fitzgerald"
''She is even smaller than am. Yes, and
her eyes do laugh~ says Monica, delight
making her cheeks warm. ''She is the pref
test thing. All! how happy shall be if
may see her sOmetime?r
"YOu shall see her just as often as ever
you and she wish" say the two old maids
in breath, glad in the thought that they
can make her home ut MOyne happy to her.
Il hope y0lC like her." says Monica, glanc-
ing from one to the other of them.
Yes. / thought her quite fascinating"
says Miss Penelope. Some people say she
is rather-rather fast, l believe is the word
they use nowadays" getting the word out
with difficulty, as though afraid it may go
off and do somebody an injury. But for
my part, L don't believe word of it. She
is quite natural, and most pleasing in man
ner, especially to those who are older than
herself. A great charm in these times, my
dear, when age is despised."
Plainly, the little widow at Aghyohillbeg
has been playing off her sweetest graces up