San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1892-05-28

| tackle. He was in luck for once! For
| tune had smiled on him.
| Halo" cried voice, rudely inter-
rupting his revery. What's that you've
| gotg'
Caspar started in alright and hor-
rible sense of guilt overcame him. He
shook like an aspen leaf until his dszed
senses discovered who had spoken. Then
his fear left him and he grew angry
and defiant. A fellow fisherman with a
string of fish and a net stood beside him,
having approached unperceived from be-
hind the cragS.
Whats that you've got?" repeated the
newcomer.
Caspars hand closed over the gold
piece like q wise. Nothing" he re-
torted.
"But l saw it 1t was gold. Does
gold grow in the sand or on the rockss"
and he laughed coarsely.
Caspar hesitated. He knew il would
be useless to attempt any denial, so he
replied indifferemtly: II seld some fish
to lady AMI she paid me for them.
Now are you satisfied" and he frowned
| darkly.
What l0ckT exclaimed the other,
y wish she'dEbopght of me-" Then he
added, with tlnge of suspicion, Did
she carry them herself"
No, she had a servant" answered
CaspaT angrily. he did not wish to pro-
long the conversation. 50 ne turned
away, remarking, Good night" in a
sarly accent
But you'll treat frsty called the
other after him I'm chilled to the
bone"
"No, let me alone; I've something to
do at home" and he strobe on.
"You'lFgive all the lads drop at The
Bull tonight, anyway cried the man.
| When one sas such luck as that he
doesn't forget his friends. I'll tell the
lads to expect you"
Lame Caspas's anger arose. He NUT
tered an oath as he limped on in the
| darkening twilight. Treat! Not he!
He meant to keep the gold piece for him.
self. 1t was hard, indeed, if man
| couldn't keep what belonged to him.
But it doesn't belong to you" a voice
seemed to cry within him. 1T belongs
| to the golden haired boy" Caspar
turned to see If any one was following
him. Re saw nobody, yet a peculiar
dread possessed him. When he reached
his hut, on the outskirts of the settle
ment, he carefully bolted the door be-
fore he lighted the candle that he stuck
| into the neck of bottle. He sat down
| by the rickety old table and examined
the gold piece leisurely. 1t scintillated
in the dim, red candle light like living
thing. He was afraid to sit there hold
, ing it in his hand for any length of time.
Il had already been discovered in his
possession and soon the whole village
would know of it. Possibly the news
might spread to the little boys ears, and
then
AS this thought occurred to him his
fingers trembled so violently that the
gold piece fell gathering on the table.
He began to regret that he had not given
it to the boy, but it was too late now,
and besides he wanted it. He loved to
look at it. 1t was the most beautiful
thing he had ever seen; but he must hide
it away somewhere-hide it until he
made up his mind to spend it. He there
fore placed it in cup and locked the
cup in a closet. After this he cooked
his supper and went to bed.
Through his feverish dreams all night
long brilliant showers of gold danced
and twined themselves into fantastic
shapes. Sometimes they seemed to fall
from an immense height and threaten to
crush him beneath their weight, and he
cried out in desperate terror. His rest
was broken and frightful visions as
sailed him. Once or twice the face of a
golden haired boy rose before him alter
nately wreathed in smiles and bathed in
tears.
With the advent of the dawn Lame
Caspar awoke, troubled and unretreshed.
AS he walked to his boat, that was
noored some distance away, a woman's
fresh voice called tohim from window;
Good morning, Caspar. | hear that
you have gold piece that a lady gave
you for few fish. What luckw
He stopped short and scowled back at
her. We'll, what of it?' he snapped
i've right to my own, suppose"
Nobody said you hadn't, but the lads
, seemed to think you might treat fol
once. They waited for you at The Bull
last night and were vexed because you
didn't come. Are you going to treat to
night?'
moi" he answered and passed ON out
of sight into the dull tinted morning.
All day, sitting among his nets ant
tackle, he reflected upon what he hat
done and the possible result. It would