San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1892-06-28
CHAPTER V.

CHAPTER V.
A moment-it seemed an hour-of
| significant silence followed Miss
Lebourgeois question, in which Paul
felt that he was being closely scrutin.
lied. In coming forward to greet her
he had advanced near the doorway
Such light as managed to struggle in
through the windows in the hall fell
full upon HIM. Miss Lebourgeois stood
in the .hadow with her back to the
doorway. He could not tell whether
the picture drawn to him of her beauty
was an exaggeration or not. She did
seem to him to have graceful figure and
| dignified carriage. which needed no art
of Worth to set. them forth. The fine
outlines adapted to their own proper
tons the simple gown she. wore, leav-
ing the impression of severely classic
drapery. The naughty look seemed a.
natural inference--one did not need to
see it to feel it. AS fOr the melting
tenderness, in the eyes, if it existed, it,
was of course lost. Paul imagined in
stead flashes of fire, sparks of indigna-
ton at the unwarranted intrusion.
Perhaps, that was all imagination.
Miss Lebourgeois first, broke the si-
hence.
Then" she said, "you are not the
gentleman I supposed when re-
ceived your card. You are
not the Mr.. Paul Terry who was o,ass-
mate of my brothers at Yale; whom.
= hoped to meet in New York; and on
Chose account he puts off, he writes
sis return to st. Louis. Yet, mrst
say, You look very much like hiln--at
least like what L imagine him to look
like from-my brothers description"
All this was said rapidly, in surprised
protest, as much to herself, as if think.
ing aloud, as to himself paul There
was fearless naivete about it and
hint of hesitancy in the last words,
''from-my brothers description" that
made Paul feel more than ever that he
was an impudent intruder. The vul-
gar errand of his visit grated on him
even more than it had in anticipation
He had not looked for this sort of re-
| ception. He had not counted upon be.
| ing recognized. His disgust with him.
| self was at the full. He felt
| like beating a hasty retreat with his
| object left even untried. Yet Frank
| would soon be in St. Louis, be sure to
be told of the visit, and seek him out
All would then have to be explained to
him. There would be no lodging
| Frank. If he left in his real PERSONAL
| ty-that of common reporter-per-
haps Frank would not discover his
identity. He did not believe that
Frank would stay long in st. Louis,
which he always declared he hated
They might thus never meet, which
would be better, far better, since they
would no longer meet on an equal foot
ing. Frank did not know that
he had abandoned law for
journalism. He would have no
clue to put him on the track
beyond the coincidence of identical
names Frank, from his letter to him
self received at his cousins office that
morning-the mysterious epistle which
he had crumpled up to Immediately
fold out again and carefully save
believed him still in the East. Yes, he
would battle Frank and remain ineog.
This was the quickly formed plan
which governed his reply to Miss
Lebourgeois.
Il did once have relative-a distant
cousin, in facial Yale years ago."
Paul said, ga young lawyer now. But
whatever his relations may have been
to any member of your family-a thing
| never guessed would be the last
one to try to use his name as an intro
duction to further my present errand.
Imay as well tell yoa at once who l
am and why l am here. l am
reporter on the staff of the
Orb. When / came l asked the
servant for either your mother or your
self. In fact l hopedsto see you to-
gether. You may not know the Gus |
tom here now-having lived so long |
abroad, / am told-except by hearsay; |
but on the occasion of great semi-pub-
lie balls, like that at the Southern, the
papers publish full descriptions of the
costumes of the ladies. To make these
accurate they get them in advance as
far as they can. 1t is not question
whether d lady's gown and jewelry will
or will not be described in the papers
Paul laid great stress on this point
because the staff is on hand to see
them and write them up. 1t is simply
a question whether a lady prefers
to have her toilet go in as
the reporters can catch hasty
glimpses of it. or whether
a lady prefers to have it go in accurate
ly. Go in it must and will in any case.