San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1892-04-13

ing stories told in the first person, to see
how the narrator makes himself out, as a
matter of course, to be a perfect and spot
less man. All around may have their
passions and weaknesses and vices, but
he remains a cold and blameless nonen-
tity, running like colorless thread
through the tangled skein of the story.
shall not fall into this error. see my
self as l was in those days, shallow
hearted, hot headed and with little prin-
ciple of any kind. Such was, and such
depict myself.
From the time that / finally identified
our visitor Digby with Achille Wolff,
the diamond robber, my resolution was
taken. Some might have been squeam-
ish in the matter, and thought that be-
cause he had shaken their hand and
broken their bread he had earned some
sort of grace from them. l was not
troubled with sentimentality of thiss sort.
He was criminal escaping from justice
Some providence had thrown him into
our hands, and an enormous reward
awaited his betrayers. never hesitated
for moment as to what was to be done
The more thought of it the more
admired the cleverness with which he
had managed the whole business. 1t was
clear that he had vessel ready, manned
either by confederates or by unsuspecting
fishermen. Hence he would be indepen-
dent of all those parts where the police
would be on the lookout for him. Again,
if he had made for England or for Amer
ca, he could hardly have escaped ultimate
capture, but by choosing one of the most
desolate and lonely spots in Europe he
had thrown them off his track for time,
while the destruction of the brig seemed
to destroy the last clew to his where
abouts. At present he was entirely at
our mercy, since he could not move from
the island without our help. There was
no necessity for us to hurry, therefore,
and we could mature our plans at our
leisure.
But my father and showed no change
in our manner toward our guest, and he
himself was as CHEEKY and light hearted
as ever. 1t was pleasant to hear him
singing as we mended the nets or calked
tenor and one of the most melodious /
ever listened to. l am convinced that
he could have made name upon the
operatic stage, but like most versatile
scoundrels he placed small account upon
the genuine talents which he possessed,
and cultivated the worst portion of his
nature. My father used sometimes to
eye him sideways in strange manner,
and l thought knew what he was think
ing about-but there made mistake.
One day, about a week after our con-
versation, was fixing up one of the rails
of our fence, which Lad been snapped in
the gale, when my father came along the
seashore, plodding heavily among tine
pebbles, and sat down on stone at my
elbow. went on knocking in the nails,
but looked at him from the corner of my
eyes as he pulled away at his short black
pipe. could see that he had something
weighty on his mind, for he knitted his
brows and his lips projected.
Dye mind what was in yon paper"
he said at last, knocking his ashes out
against the stone.
L rs, i answered. SuOIbly.
well, what's your opeenionP' he
asked.
"Why, that we should have the re-
ward, of courser' replied.
1.-The rewardr he said with fierce
saarl. you would TAX the reward.
You'd let the stane that's worth thoo-
sands an thousands gang ava back tae
some furrin Papist, an a for the sake o
few pund that they'd fling till ye, as
they fling bane to dog when the
meats a gone. It's clean fiingin ava
O. the gifts O Providence"
swell, father" l said, laying down
the hammer, "you must be satisfied with
what you can get. You can only have
what is offered"
"But if we got the stane itser," whis-
pered my father, with leer on his face.
"He'd never give it up" l said.
"But if he deed while he's here-if he
was suddenly
"Drop it, father, drop ity' cried, for
the old man looked like a fiend out of
the pit. saw now what he was aiming
at.
"If he deed" he shouted, "wha saw
him come, and wha wad speer where
he'd ganged till? If an accident hap
pened, if he came by dud on the held,
or woke some NIGHT to find knife at his
trapple, wha wad be the wiser?"
"You mustn't speak so, father, said,
though I. was thinking many things at