San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1892-01-09
She ,cas thinking of Jim.


Backward and forward, from pantry
to sideboard, from sideboard to china
closet, fitted Pocahontas Mason setting
the table for breakfast. Deity she laid
out the pretty mats on the shining ma
hogany, arranged the old fashioned blue
cups and saucers, and placed the plates
and napkins. She sang at her work in a
low, clear voice, more sweet than power
full, and all that her hands found to do
was done rapidly and skillfully, with
firm, accustomed touches and an absence
of jar and clatter. In the center of the
table stood corpulent Wedgwood pitch
er filled with geraniums and roses, to
which the girls fingers wandered low
ingly from time to time in the effort to
coax each blossom into the position in
which it would make the bravest show.
On one corner near the waiter stood a
housewifely little basket of keys, through
the handle of which was thrust a fresh
handkerchief newly shaken out.
When all the arrangements about the
table had been completed Pocahontas
turned her attention to the room, giving
it those manifold touches which, from a
lady's fingers, can make even q plain
apartment look gracious and homelike.
Times had changed with the Masons,
and many duties formerly delegated to
servants now fell naturally to the daugh-
ter of the house. Perhaps the change
was an improvement. Berkeley Mason,
the young lady's brother, maintained
that 1t was.
Having finished her work, Pocahontas
crossed the room to one of the tall, old
fashioned windows and pushed open the
half shut blinds, letting food of sun
shine and morning freshness into the
room. Under the window stood an otto
man covered with drab cloth, on which
the fingers of some dead and gone Mason
had embroidered dingy wreath of roses
and pansies. Pocahontas knelt on it,
resting her arms on the lofty window
sill. and gazed out over the lawn and en-
il Z d the dewy buoyance of the air. The
September sunshine touched with golden
glory the bronze abundance of her hair
with joyous, rollicking breeze, intoxi-
Gated with dew and the breath of roses,
tangled and tumbled into a myriad
witcheries of curl and crinkle The face,
glorifed by this bright aureole. was pure
and handsome, patrician in every line
and curve, from the noble forehead, with
its delicate brown brows, to the well cut
chin, which spoke eloquently of breadth
Of character and strength of will. The
eyes were gray, ana IN Unem lay the cnleI
charm of the face, for their outlook was
as honest and fearless as that of a child
true eyes they were, fit windows for
brave, true soul.
The house, neutral tinted with years
and responsibility, stood well back from
the river, to whose brink the smooth,
green lawn swept in scarcely perceptloie
uudulation. The river here was broad,
almost resembling an arm of the sea 1t
was moving languidly to join. There
was no haste about it, and no fret OF
ever active current; as all large bodies
should, it moved slowly, and the eye
rested gratefully on the tranquil fow
Across the water, apparently against the
far horizon, dense line of trees, firing
ing the farther shore, rose tall and dark,
outlined with picturesque distinctness
against the soft, warm blue. The sur
! rounding country was fat, but relieved