San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1892-02-16


most fatal"
$50 Pathie says. When man of Mr..
Clitheroe's age is not at peace within,
he goes into war with his circumstances.
He cannot conquer them, so he runs
away. He has always before him a
shadow of dream of what he might
have been, and that ghost drives him
and chases him until it wears him out"
"Yes; but it is not only the forlorn
and disappointed that this pitiable dis
ease attacks Very rich and prosperous
suffer, become drapetomaniacs, sell
houses and build new, change neighbor-
hoods. travel furiously, never able to
escape from that inevitable companion
of reproaching self"
"Mr. Clitheroe is chatting to be gone.
start train for the States tomorrow
the last chance to travel with escort
this season-a small typographical party
going back. He has been for the last
few days in q passion of Impotence, al
most scolding me and your party, his
| daughter and circumstances, lest you
| should not arrive in time for him to CO."
"To go where? What does he intend?"
"He is full of great schemes. / do not
know of course anything of him except
what l have picked up from his COM
municativeness; but you would suppose
him duke from his talk. He speaks of
his old manor house, should know it
by sight now-and says he intends to re-
purchase it and be great man again.
He is constantly inviting me to share his
new splendors. Really his pictures of
life in England will quite spoil me for
another winter of cooling my heels in
this dismal place, with scalp on my
head and hundred Sioux looking at it
| hungrily."
"Ke must be deranged by his troubles.
am sure he has no basis for any hopes
in England. Sizzum stripped him. He
has alienated his friends at home. His
daughter is his only friend and guardian,
except ourselves"
'He sprang up when he saw you COM
ing and was frantic with joy. not for his
daughters safety, but because he could
start with the train tomorrow. sup
pose she is a tested traveller by this time"
"As thoroughly as any man on the
plains"
"She can go very comfortably in the
train. Two or three soldiers wives CO."
"The chance is clearly not to be lost.
/ do not like to part with my fascinating
comrade. It was poetry to camp with
such woman. Travel will seem stale
henceforth, / wish we could keep her,
| for Brent's sake"
"Poor fellow! Pathie looks very doubt
full. You must tell me your story more
fully after supper"
Miss Clitheroe had yielded to fatigue.
after all the wearing anxiety of our trip
l was glad to lie down on white buffalo
robe, with the Sybaritic luxury of pair
| of clean sheets, and show my gratitude
to Ruby by twelve hours solid sleep.
A drum beat awaked me next morn
ing. 1t was not reveille, it was not
breakfast, it was not guard mounting. l
| sprang up and looked from the window.
How odd it seemed to peer from win
dow after the unwindowed wilderness!
|. The four white hooded wagons of the
little homeward train were ready tostart.
| The drum was calling in the escort. The
| fifty soldiers of Ruby's garrison We're
| grouped about, lending hand to their
luckier comrades, homeward bound.
Ruby was taking leave of his brother
| officers. Armstrong stood little apart
with his horses. A busy scene and buster
| when some vixenish pack mule shook
| heels and scattered the bystanders into
that figure known to packers as the Blaz-
| ing Star.
Aloof from the crowd, Mr.. Clitheroe
| was striding up and down beside the
wagons, with the eager, unobserving
tramp of man concerned with nothing
but morbid purpose of his own.
"Drapetomaniar / thought, "and
hopeless case"
A knock at my door and the brawny
corporaless summoned me to Miss Clith-
| eroe.
"We are going," she said. Take me
| to him!"
Did she love him?
braved DR.. Pathie's displeasure and
led her to the bedside of her lover.
Brent was still in stupor. We were
| alone.
She stood looking at him moment.
He was breathing, but unconscious; dead
to the outer world and her presence. She
stood looking at him and seeming with
her large, solemn eyes to review those
scenes of terror and of relief since she
had known him. Tears gathered in the
brave, quiet eyes.
Suddenly she stopped and kissed his
forehead. Then she passionately kissed
his Inns She grew to him as If she would