San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1892-02-17

HN
Isprdng up and rushed out.
swell, you have done the world good
and made your fortune"
yours too, old fellow, if you like.
Pack up that model and the drawings,
go to England, France, Germany, wher-
ever they know steam from tobacco
smoke, take out patents and introduce
it. Old Churm says he will let me have
half a million dollars if l want it. You
shall have free tap of funds and charge
what percentage you think proper"
SO | took steamer for England, with
Shorts Cutoff to make known.
1t was June when l reached London.
Business, not fashion, was my object. l
wished to be at convenient center of
that mighty huddle of men and things;
so | drove to Smorley's hotel, Charing
Cross.
London and England were not strange
to ne; but great city is ever new, and
after two years inane staring at quartz
mine, town and townsfolk were still
lively contrast to my mind.
Twas quietly entertaining myself, sip
ping meanwhile my pint of port-fine
old crusty it was charged in the bill,
when / saw coming down st. Martins
lane, between the cabs and the balus-
trade of the square, two gentlemen /
knew.
Brent and Biddulph! Biddulph, sure
ly. There could be no installing that
blond, manly giant, relapsed again into
modified Anglicism of dress; but walk
ing freely along, with step that re-
membered the prairie.
But that pale, feeble fellow hanging
on the others arm! Could that be John
Brent? He was slouching along, looking
upon the ground, a careworn, detected
man. 1t cost me sharp pang to see my
brilliant friend so vanquished by sor-
row could comprehend.
| sprang up, snatched my hat and
rushed out. Eight quiet men, dining
Systematically at eight tables in the cof-
fee room, were startled at rapidity of
movement quite unknown to the pre-
cincts of Smorley, and each of the eight
choked over his mouthful, were it OK
tail, salmon, mutton, bread or fine old
crusty. Eight walters, caught in the
act of saying, "Yessir! Directly, sir!"
were likewise shocked into momentary
paralysis.
| dashed across the street, knocking
the nosebag off the forlorn nose of a
hungry cab horse, and laid my hand on
my friends shoulder. He turned in the
hasty, nervous manner of a man who is
expecting something, and excited with
waiting.
81 was half inclined to let you pass"
said l. "You have not written. l had
no right to suppose you alive"
81 could only write to pain you and
myself. | have not found her. / am
hardly alive. | shall not long be-"
"Come," said Biddulph, with his old
friendly, CHEEKY manner; "now tina:
Wade has joined us, we will have a
fresh start and better luck. Walk on
with us Wade, and Brent will tell you
what we have been doing"
"Why should tire him with the weary
story of a fruitless search?'' said Brent.
"Your search, then, is absolutely fruit
less" said l. "Well, if she is not dead
she must have forgotten us?'
SIS she woman to forget? said Brent,
reused little by my willful calumny.
Like other women, suppose"
"You must have forgotten the woman
we met and saved, and had for our COM
rade, to think So"
l rejoiced at the indignation / had
stirred.
"Why, then, has she never written" /
queried.
81 am sure as faith that she has, but
that her father has cunningly suppressed
Der letters"
"rhe same has occurred to me- The
poor old fellow, ashamed of his Mormon
life, would very likely be unwilling that
any one who knew of it should be in
formed of his whereabouts"
"l1e might, too, have an undiscrimi-
batting, senile terror of any letter going to
America, lest it should set Danites upon
Two days Biddulph solaced himself on
those rare luxuries of Ruby's menage;
the third we started.
Brent was himself again. We rode
hard. Biddulph was as fine fellow as
my grandmother England has mothered.
Tia3 an Englishman vital enough t. IN