San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1892-12-28

wnere 1 can't see IT, ana / won't stu
out till it's all over. Win that satisfy
you? You know why I'm so anxious
about that ring: and now, when the
| gentleman tells you he's almost sure til
gold
at is gold" said the goddess.
"If you're so sure about it," he re-
/ taliated, why are you afraid to have it
proved?"
81 am not afraid, {" she said: "but re-
quire no proof"
Il do" he retorted, "and what 1 told
you before l stand to. If that ring is
proved-in the only way it can be
proved, / mean by this gentleman
J testing it as he tells you he can-then
there's no more to be said, and I'll go
away with you like a lamb. But
without that proof won't stir a step,
and so i tell you. 1t won't take mo-
ment. You can see for yourself that l
couldn't possibly catch up the ring from
here!" .....
"Swear to me-" she said, "that you
will remain where you now stand; and
remember" she added, with an accent
of triumph, "our compact is that should
yonder man pronounce that the ring has
passed through the test with honor,
you will follow me whithersoever bid
you!"
"You have only to lead the way" he
said, "and ! promise you faithfully I'll
follow"
Goddesses may be credited with some
knowledge of the precious metals, and
Aphrodite had no doubt of the result of
al - =
with an air of serene anticipations that
she left Leander upon this, and ad-
vanced to the chemists counter.
prove it now" she said, quickly,
that l may go!"
The chemist, who had been waiting
in considerable bewilderment, prepared
himself to receive the ring, and Lean
der, keeping his distance, felt his heart
beating fast as Aphrodite slowly drew
the token from her finger and placed it
in the chemists outstretched hand.
Scarcely had she done so, as the
chemist was retiring with the ring to
one of his lamps. when the goddess
seemed suddenly aware that she had
committed fatal error.
She made stride forward to follow
and recover it: but, as if some unseen
force was restraining her, she stopped
short, and a rush of whirling words, in
some tongue unknown both to Leander
and the chemist, forced it's way through
lips that smiled still, though they were
freezing fast.
Then with strange, hoarse cry of
baffled desire and revenge, she succeed
ed, by violent effort, in turning, and
bore down with tremendous force upon
the covering hairdresser, who gave
himself up at once for lost.
But the marble was already incapable
of obeying her will. Within a few
PAGES from him the statue stopped for
the last time, with an abruptness that
left it quivering and rocking; grayish
hue came over the face, causing the
borrowed tintS to stand forth crude
and glaring; the arms waved wildly
and impotently once or twice and then
grew still forever, in the attitude con-
ceived long since by the Grecian sculp-
tor!
Leander was free! His hazardous
experiment had succeeded. AS it was
the ring which had brought the passion
ate imperious goddess into her marble
counterfeit, so-the ring once with
| drawn-her power was instantly at an
end, and the SPELL which had enabled
her to assume a form of stone was
broken.
He had hoped for this, counted upon
it, but even yet hardly dared to believe
| in his deliverance.
He had not done with it yet, however;
for he would have to get the statue out
of that shop and abandon it in some
manner which would not compromise
himself, and it is by no means an easy
matter to mislay life-size and invalu
able antique without attracting an in
| convenient amount of attention.
The chemist, who had been staring
meanwhile in blank establishment, now
looked imploringly' at Leander, who
looked helplessly at him.
j At last the latter. unable to be silent
any longer, said, "The lady is unwell
| sir"
@WhY," Leander admitted, "she doe,