San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1892-01-09
should have lasted years, it lay a hope
less wreck on the grim bar of separation.

Anore was gossip, OF cOurSe-Cnero al
ways is gossip-and public opinion was
many sided. Rumors circled around
which played the whole gsmut from in
fidelity to bankruptcy; these lived their
brief span and then gave place to other
rumors equally unfounded and therefore
equally enjoyable. The only fact au-
thenticated was the fact of separation,
and the most lasting conclusion arrived
at in regard to the matter was that it
had been managed very gracefully.
The divorce which seemed the natural
outcome of this state Of affairs, and to
which every one looked as a matter of
course, was delayed in this instance.
People wondered little, and then re-
membered that the Thornes were Ro-
man Catholic family, and concluded
that the young man had religious scru-
Piles. With Mrs. Thorne the matter was
plain enough; she had no reason as yet
sufficiently strong to make her desire
absolute release, and far greater COM
mand over Thorne's income by retaining
her position as his wife.
When his domestic affairs had reached
crisis Thorne had quietly disappeared
for year, during which time people
only knew that he was enjoying his re-
covered freedom in distant and little fire.
quented places. There were rumors of
him in Tartary, on the Niger, in Siberia.
At the expiration of the year he returned
to New York and resumed his old place
in society as though nothing untoward
had occurred. He lived at his club, and
no man or woman ever saw him set foot
within the precincts of his own house.
Occasionally he was seen to stop the
nurse in the park and caress and speak
to his little son. His life was that of a
single man. In the society they both
frequented he often encountered his wife
and always behaved to her with scrupu-
lous politeness, even with marked cour
tesy. If he ever missed his home or ex-
perienced regret for his matrimonial
failure, he kept the feeling hidden and
presented to the world an unmoved
front.
In default of nearer ties he made him
self at home in his aunts house, fire.
quenting it as Familiarity as he had done
in the days before his marriage. In his
strong, almost passionate nature, there
was one great weakness; the love and
admiration of women was a necessity to
him. He could no more help trying to
make women love him than the king
fisher can help thrusting down his beak
when the bright speckled sides of his
prey flash through the water. 1t was
from neither cruelty nor vanity, for
rhorne had less of both traits than usu-
ally falls to the lot of men; it was rather
from the restlessness, the yearning OF
strong nature for that which it needed,
but had not yet attained; the expert
mental searching of soul for its mate
That sorrow might come to others in
the search he scarcely needed; was he to
blame that fair promises would bud and
lead him on and fail of fruition? To
himself he seemed rather to be pitied;
their loss was balanced by his own.
Thorne had never loved as he was capa-
BILE of loving; as yet the ego was FREEDOM
inant. .....
As he entered the room, after an alb
sence Of weeks, with smile and pleas
ant word of greeting, the younger mem
bers of the circle fell upon him clamor-
ously, full of themselves and their indl-
vidual concerns. Even Warner in whose
mind lurked a jealousy of his cousins
influence, forgot it for the nonce and
was as eager to talk as the rest. Nesblt
found himself listening to demand for
advice, an appeal for sympathy and a
psan of graduation before he had made
his salutations or gotten himself into
chair.
Hold onr he cried, putting up his
hand in protest. "Dont all talk at once.
can't follow. What's the matter, Nor
MAJ
His eve turned to his favorite involun-
tary, and an almost imperceptible bright
ening, lifting of the clouds on that
young ladys horizon began to take place.
She answered his look, and assisted by
the irrepressible PercivaD unfolded to
him the family plans. Thorne, with
good humored enthusiasm, threw him
self into the scheme, pronounced 1t de-
lightful and proceeded to indulge In all
manner of cheerful representations.
Percival was enchanted, and, establish
ing himself close beside the arm of his
cousins chair, commenced series of
vehement whispers, which lasted as long
as the visit. Norma's brow cleared
more and more, and when Thorne de-
clared his intention of paying them a
long visit during the hunting season, she
allowed a smile to wreathe her full
crimson lips, and snubbed poor little
Blanche numerically for still daring to
be lachrymose.