San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1892-01-08

All turned expectantly toward the
door, pausipg in their several occupa-
tons; even Warmers eyes were raised
from his book, although his attention
was involuntary and grudging. The at
titude of the little circle attested the in
huence which the coming man welded
over every member of it; an influence
which extended insensibly to every one
with whom Nesbit Thorne's association
was intimate. He was Mrs. Smiths
nephew, and much in the habit when
ever he was IL New York of making her
house his home-having none now of his
own.
He was a slender, dark man, with
magnificent dark eyes, which had
power of expression so enthralling as to
disarm or defy criticism of the rest Of
his face Not one man in fifty could tell
whether Nesbit Thorne was handsome
or the reverse-and for women-ah WE'LL
they knew best what they thought.
In his air, his carriage. his expression,
was that which never fails to attract and
hold attention-force, vitality, individu-
atty. He was small, but tall men never
dwarfed him; plain, but the world-his
world-turned from handsomer men with
indifference, to heap consideration upon
him. To borrow the forceful vernacular
of the street, there twas something
in him" There was no possibility Of
viewing either him or his actions with
indifference, of merging him In and
numbering him with the crowd.
There are men whose lives are intag-
| los, cut by the chisel of destiny deerS,
| into the sard of their generations; every
line and curve and faintest tracing preg-
nant with interest, suggestion and emo
ton. Men who are loved and hated,
feared, adored and loathed with an mr.
tensity that their commonplace fellows
are incapable of evoking. They are load
! stones which attract events, whirlpools
which draw to themselves excitement,
emotion and vast store of sympathy.
Some years previous to the opening
of this story, Nesbit Thorne, then a bril-
| liant recent graduate of Harvard, lead
er in society and a man of whom great
things were predicted, whose name was
| in many mouths as that of a man likely
to achieve distinction in any path of life
he should select. made hasty, ill adj
vised marriage with Miss Ethel Ross,
New York belle of surprising beauty
and acumen. A woman whose sole
thought was pleasure, whose highest
conception of the good of life was con-
stantly varied menu of social excite
ment, and whose noblest reading of the
word duty was composed in having
well ordered house, sumptuous enter
tainments and irreproachable toilets. A
wife to satisfy any man who was un-
emotional, unexacting and prepared to
give way to her in all things
Nesbit Thorne, unfortunately, was
none of these things, and SO his married
life had come to grief The first few
months were smoothed and gilded by
his passionate enjoyment of her mere
physical perfection, his pleasure in the
admiration she excited, and in the envy
of other men. Life's river glided smooth
ly, gayly in the sunshine; then ugly
snags began to appear, and reefs, fret
ting the surface of the water and hint
ing of sterner difficulties below; then a
long stretch of tossing, troubled water,
growing more and more turbulent as it
proceeded, boiling and bubbling into
angry whirlpools and sullen eddies. The
boat Of married happiness was hard
among the breakers, tossed from side to
side, the sport of every wind of passion;
contesting hands were on the tiller
ropes. The craft waved and jerked in
its course, spectacle for men to weep
over and devils to rejoice in; ran aground
on quicksands, tore and tangled its cord
age, rent the planking, and at the end
of cruise of as many months as it
fro RE oNNTTEUED.1