San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1892-01-26

it no sounding name and sought it open
ly. Self-from first to last, the same
under all names and all disguises. Nay,
the wicked were truer than the good, for
the self seeker inflicted no lasting in
jury on any save himself, while the ar
dor with which the self immolator -four
ished the sacrificial knife imperiled other
vitals than his own.
Truly, Thorne was getting into very
bad way. His was not the nature that
emits sweetness when bruised; it cank-
cred and got black spots through it. And
he knew no physician to whom he coulo
go for healing; no power greater than
his own to set his disjointed life straight.
Love and faith alike stood afar off. The
waters of desolation encompassed his
soul, without sign of olive branch or
dove.
Norma, watching him with the eyes
of her heart, as well as those of her IN
Outstanding, learned something of all
this. Thorne did not tell her, indeed, he
talked little in the days they spent to-
gether. walking or sitting on the warm,
dry sand of the coast, and of himself not
at all. His pain was a prisoner, and mis-
breast its Bastile.
But Norma learned it all the same,
and learned, too, that never while that
stormy heart beat in a living breast
would it beat for her. She faced the con-
clusion squarely, accepted it and took
hav raco1rfinp a y,rnt,H w
man, and she never finched; the world
should know nothing of her pain, should
never guess that her life held aught of
disappointment.
A letter from Blanche to Berkeley,
written within the following month,
contained the result of Norma's resolu-
ton.
"You will be surprised" Blanche
wrote, "to hear of Normas sudden mar
riage to Hugh Castleton, which took
place three days ago, at the house of the
American minister here in Paris. We
were amazed-at least mamma and
were-when Hugh Joined us here, and,
after long interview with Norma, in
formed us that he had cabled father for
consent and that the ceremony was to
take place almost Immediately. Hugh,
as perhaps you know, is brother of
Mrs. Vincent, Norma's intimate friend,
and he has been in love with Norma
time out of mind. l do not like the
marriage, and feel troubled and sick at
heart about it, 1t has been so hastily
arranged, and Norma isn't one bit in
love with her husband and don't pretend
to be- Hugh is patient and devoted to
her, which is my strongest hope for their
happiness in the future 1t seems to me
SO unnatural to make loveless mar
rage. | can't understand woman's
doing it.
''Nesbit is going to Palestine and the
east. He is miserably changed; his hair
is beginning to streak with gray at the
temples already, and the lines about his
mouth are getting hard. 1t makes me
miserable to think about his life and his
future. l can't help feeling that he has
had hard measure melted out to him all
around. 1t is cruel to touch happiness
but never grasp it. l know what you ali
think about the affair, Berkeley, but I'm
SO wrought up about poor Nesbit, must
and will speak. He ought not to be made
to suffer SO; it would be far kinder to
take pistol and kill him at once. You
don't think about him at all-and you
should. know that I'm just silly little
thing and that my opinions don't amount
to much, but / must say that l think you
are wrong about this matter. A human
soul is worth more than scruple, be the
scruple ever so noble, and l believe the
Heavenly Father thinks so too.
eff you who are strong and large
minded will put prejudice aside and
think the matter out fairly you will be
obliged to see that Pocahontas is doing
wrong. She is killing herself and she is
killing him, and you ought not to let her
do it. You know your influence over
her-I believe it is you and your mother
the dread of disappointing you OF
lowering herself in your estimation or
something of that sort that holds her
back. Don't do it any longer. Berkeley.
Be generous and noble and large hearted,
as God means us all to be toward each
other. 1t is awful to be so hard. Excess
of righteousness must be sinful-almost
as sinful as lack of righteousness. There,
I've said it all and shocked you, but l
can't help that. Nesbit's face haunts me
so that can't rid myself of it, sleeping
or waking. / am all the time picturinS
terrible possibilities. Think of all that
Nesbit has had to enddre.
"Think of how that selfish woman
wrecked his past, and ask Yourself If
there is any justice-not mercy-bare