San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1892-05-23


a-throb in every atom of her flesh. She
was very sensitive to dreams and omens,
what she called "intimations. Could
it be that something good was going to
happen? How long it seemed since any
thing had happened in the strange mo-
notony of her life. At any rate she felt
stronger and brighter that windy morn
ing with its splendid broken CLEANS.
There was life and excitement in the
air. 1t seemed to stir her languid pulses
She rang for Ann Basket to help her
dress, and would have on her blue
wrapper and white shawl and pink
worsted slippers. She was going down
to the sitting room to take her place by
the window, and her face had little
anticipatory brightness in it as she gazed
out on the bronzing tree tops. One
bough of the big1 maple by the front
gate was already deep crimson, col
or that seemed to blow trumpet blast
as it sparkled in the sun. Sister Martha
found her already down stairs when
Ann had kindled a wood fire on the
hearth, and the smell of the burning
sticks was pleasant in the nostrils. 1t
was the first time they had met since
the "high tea"
''Your party was a great success,
Miss Mayhem said in simple, imper-
sonal way that was touching. lit
seemed real cheerful to have folks com
ing to the house again; | felt as if moth
er would like it if she could know, and
father, too, for he was always fond of
having company. l creep out on the
stairs in tn dark and heard the deacon
telling his old stories-that one about
the coon hanging by his tail, and how
the minister did laugh!'
She went musing along, feeling glad
that the old house had redeemed its
character for hospitality, the ideal SO
dear to her heart, so dread when pre-
sented in concrete form involving re-
sponsibility. Miss Mayhem was more
pleasantly expansive than was her wont
with Sister Martha, who usually acted
ON her nerves like an east wind, but the
latter had fallen into an unwonted sulky.
silent mood; the reaction from the tea
party seemed to have come in as back
stroke, bringing with it sense of dis
illusion. Even the excitement of "spit-
ing" the Woods and fuckers until they
were green with envy had lost some of
its charm.
She said she was going out and might
not be back for some time. She went
to her room, and put on the bonnet with
the red flowers, her best mantle and
kid gloves. She looked in the glass and
remarked to herself that the red flowers
made her face look more "jaundicy'
than ever. The black, baggy spaces
under her eyes were very noticeable.
Her-bad nights were telling tales. "It's
got to be done," she said, through her
clinched teeth, and then her face grew
rigid and gray. If she was going to
lose her sleep and go off in her looks like
that what was the use of living?
She went down the back stairs to
AIMS kitchen with the crumpled invita-
ton in her hand and carefully deposited
it on big bed of Goals in the stove. Ann
sat with her back turned, pan of
apples in her lap she was pairing for pies.
81 may pack up a$l go home by the
afternoon train, Ann" she said abruptly,
"but don't mention it to her quite yet,
for l may conclude to stay"
Ann turned her whole person slowly
around toward Sister Martha, her neck
joint being somewhat stiff.
81 thought Miss Warren had asked
you to tea for Sattday, and that's this
evenin."
$50 she did, Ann, but l may have to
send regret. I'm beginning to get kind
of Uneasy about things at home on the
farm"
Ann gave an incredulous grunt. She
was constitutionally incapable of be-
lieving all that Mrs. Martha Whitcumb
said. The appearance OF the red artifi-
Gals and the kid gloves so early in the
morning seemed rather suspicious. Mrs.
Whitcumb went out the back way aware
that Ann was watching her from the
| window. She made the circuit of a
large square and then darted down
| Spring street until she came to Captain
Bligh's door, where she stopped, painting
and furtively looked up and down with
nervous culver in her legs she had
never experienced until within few
months past, when broken nights hat
begun to be the torment of her life
! Now she glanced up at Captain Bligh''
house as she stood there hesitating and
afraid. 1t was long, low, unadornet
house, dingy white in color, mucl
streaked by weathering, with a higl
| pitched, shingled roof of old style, a dool
in the middle and two windows on eacl
side. The front yard was bare of flow
ers, though in the time of Mary Bligh i