San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1892-05-11
Clasped the necklace around her throat.

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Cldsped the necklace around her throat.
Mr. Birchmore shook my hand cor
daily, yet | fancied that he betrayed
signs of embarrassment or uneasiness
He seemed glad to meet me on my own
account, and yet to feel constrained by
my presence. Had he any reason for
wishing to conceal from me the fact that
he had daughter? 1t now occurred to
me for the first time that in her CONVEX
sation with me Miss Birchmore had never
alluded to her mother. Perhaps her
mother was dead-had died in her child's
infancy. Perhaps the silence concern
ing her arose from some other and less
allowable cause; there might be some
matrimonial disgrace or tragedy at the
bottom of the fathers and daughters re
serve. The idea had a certain PLAUSIBLE
ity, and yet | found it unsatisfactory.
The true explanation of the mystery
might not be worse than this, but fan
cied it must be different-it must be
something more unusual and strange.
This is an unexpected pleasure said
!, for the sake of saying something, as
we descended the steps down the river
embankment to the ferryboat.
1.-The world is not SO large place as
people pretend, !" replied Mr.. Birchmore.
Have you been long in Dresden?"
f, "a week or so. I've been doing the
neighborhood and was told that Saxon
Switzerland must not be left out of the
list. came near going by the boat
Here suddenly recollected that if Mr..
Birchmore had gone by boat, as his
daughter said he had, his presence in
Schandau before us was wholly inexpli-
cable.) "How did you manage to get
here so quickly" l exclaimed; "the
steamer can't be due for three hours
yetw so.
; He looked at me in apparent perplex-
ity. and Miss Birchmore. too, seemed
taken aback rather than sharing my own
establishment. There was a pause of a
few moments; then she said, in low,
hurried tone: -r
"You know, papa, got word that from
some misunderstanding you had taken
the steamer instead of the train" .8I
'Ah, to be sure" he rejoined, with a
short laugh, 81 see the difficulty. You
must look upon me, l suppose, as sort
of magician, able to transport myself
about the country on some new tele-
graphic principle. Well, I'm afraid
can't lay claim to any such supernatural
power. | shall lose credit by the expla-
nation, but you shall have it neverthe-
less"
mo, no; give us room for the exer-
else OF. our imagination" cried |, laugh
ing. The fact was felt as if my query
had been in some way unfortunate.
There was certain effort in Mr. Birch
more's manner and want of sponta-
neity in his laugh, and the awkwardness
seemed shared to some extent by his
daughter. In my ignorance of the truc
lay of the land | was continually max
ing some irritating blunder, and the
more tried to make myself agreeable
the worse was my success.
Mr.. Birchmore, notwithstanding that
deprecated it, chose to make his ex-
PLANTATION. Kate was right" said he.
my first intention was to go by train.
Afterward decided on the boat. and
left the hotel with the purpose of get
ting our passage that way and sending
Kate word to meet Inc at the landing.
But the boat turned out to be so crowded
that / changed my mind again. 1t was
then so late that hadn't time to reach
the Central railway station. My only
chance of catching the train was t.
jump into a drosky at the steamboat
landing and drive as the 'kutscher
never drove before for the lower sta
ton, which was half mile nearer.
got there barely in time, and Kate, il
seems, was waiting at the Central all tn,
whiler'
"And of course" added Miss Birch
more eagerly, 1.-The people at the hote
fancied that he had gone by the boa
and sent me word. Oh, yes, under
stand it all now-don't you, Mr.. Gains
borough
II don't take it kindly of your fathe