San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1892-03-30


lieu DenInu ner; money ana silver ana
all the small valuables in the house gone.
1T was the tramp to whom l gave
supper yesterday" said Mrs. Fairfax,
when they released her. sit did not
seem right that an unfortunate fellow
creature should need food while had
plenty. told him to sit at the kitchen
table and eat decently. He must have
gone up the back stairs and hidden in
the garrett until nightfall."
The men of the neighborhood secured
the country for the tramp, but he had
escaped and was never found.
Misfortune followed misfortune. A
! week later the young servant in lighting
a fire FASTENED it by applying the spout
| of a kerosene can. She escaped with a
few burns, but Grandma Fairfax sat
upon log on the farther side of the
road and watched the home to which she
had been brought bride burn to ashes.
Every now and then she breathed a
quiet sigh. She had caught from the
wall of her bedroom black silhouette of
her late husband, which she folded in
her handkerchief and held tightly.
Every one was beseeching her to come
to them; invitations were plenty, but she
continually answered:
II am obliged to thee, friend, but in
times when we had overmuch company,
Thomas and have taken hammock in
the barn and shall try it once more.
shall no doubt be comfortable there until
my grandcpn Franklin returns"
And so tire few odd things that We're
saved-a C. air or two, table, a little
charcoal st0ve-were arranged in the
barn, an excellent one, it is true, and
people at LIT ceased to come and beg the
| old lady to go home with them. The
| warmest neighbors must chill at last be-
fore such cold decision, and people have
prefer that place of residence.
Doris, however, was nearly beside her
self with grief over the matter. Sic
braved the lioness in her den with
bowl of soup in her hand, and begged %
be allowed to be of use. But the classic
profile only was presented to her, the
bowl of soup was declined. The old
lady looked ut the rafters instead of into
the great, brown, velvet eyes of Doris,
and replied to everything, THANK thee;
have no occasion"
Doris used to sit at the window nearly
all night watching the barn. She did
not know where to address Franklin, for.
but one letter had yet come from him,
and that babe her wait until she heard
next Another came which said the
same thing, then silence, strange, tear
breeding silence,
At last news! News came too terrible
to believe! Franklin Fairfax had disap-
peared!
They were approaching certain place
in South America at which letters could
be posted, and in his Impotence the
young man had left the larger party and
ridden on before them. When they
reached the town he was not there.
They had not seen him since. But his
hat had been found, also the packet OF
letters he intended to mail. All his in
terests were bound up in rejoining his
party. That he did not do so or send
some message proved they thought that
he was dead. They waited h5%d by for
many days, securing the country. There
were precipices over which the horse
might have fallen. Ravines, impetuous
waters that could have swept both
horse and rider away. There were
people who would murder for handful
Of coin to be met on every road. They
had given up all hope of finding even
his dead body at last.
When this news came, Doris, sick
with anguish as she was, found her way
to the barn.
ooh, let me come to you nOw," she
pleaded. 'Now you must need some
one?' But white hand was lifted to
ward her away.
"The Lord hath afflicted me-" said
Hannah Fairfax. "He will console. l
have no occasion for the company of
friends"
Doris went home and flung herself
upon the floor of her room.
When Uncle Matthias came to her, in
curing as to dinner, she lifted piteous
eyes to him and moaned:
81 cannot think, cannot do anything.
hope am dying"
"Wbat is it, Chills?" the old man
asked.
After awhile, finding that his niece
lay still and would not answer him, he
sent for the doctor.
One day, some weeks after, Doris was
able to sit up, to put on dress and her
Iippers and creep to the window. Peep
inr Ehrnn9h- tina names Sba saw that