San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1892-03-11

getting bucket of carp for them TO
stock the little pond.
They assembled the side of the ravine
by path a good deal higher up the
creek than the one they had used in
coming down, Mrs. Beverley walking
first, with Anthony close beside her, and
feeling trifie annoyed because of his
neglect of the proper observances and
the knowledge she had that Miss Cor
nelia was being sighted and most prob
ably growing resentful. Had she been
sure of the man beside her she would
have hidden him remain behind and
help her aunt; but she was not sure of
him.
As likely as not he would have de-
clared that the old lady was as well able
to mount the slope unassisted as any of
them-which would have been the
truth, since Miss Cornelia was a hale
and singularly healthy woman for her
age, in spite of the complaints she con-
tinually made Of untold suffering from
mysterious maladies, and her assump-
ton, upon occasion, of the airs of IN
validism. Or, if he should do her be-
hest, it might be in fashion that would
complicate matters further. Mary was
afraid to take the risk, and walked on
gravely, scarcely answering him by
more than monosyllables, which. how
ever, proved in no way disconcerting. for
Anthony was full of the new house he
was about to build, and quite willing to
do the talking.
Half way up the side of the slope a
branch from one of the trees had fallen
across the path, obstructing it little.
Most men would have kicked it aside, OF
else have rendered some assistance.
Anthony did neither, from the simple
fact that neither occurred to him. He
stepped over the branch and went on
talking, letting Mary step over it as he
did. A few steps further on Mary
turned instinctively to see that her little
boys performed their devoir, and An
thony turned with her. Ran had laid
hold of the branch to drag it aside, and
Hector stood ready with his hand. All
would have gone well if Miss Cornelia
would have waited, but she was nettled
and impatient, so she told Ran testify to
let it alone, and stepped forward just as
the little fellow gave it final jerk; her
heel caught, she stumbled, and would
have fallen heavily if Hector's shoulder
had not been in the right place at ex-
actly the right moment and saved her.
Mary gave quick little cry, and An
thony-laughed aloud.
It was funny. Miss Cornelia was
stout, and her face, from exertion and
anger, had become the color Of peony.
She had an old Tapping straw hat on her
head that was lined with faded blue
muslin and had ends of ribbon stream
ing down behind; her dress was hooked
up Enthusiastically by the twigs Of the
branch. the end of which Ran still held.
and her two fat hands on Hector's bend
ing shoulders gave her the appearance
of being about to take flying leap over
the boys back. Surely, if it is ever ex-
cusable to laugh ut another's misfor-
tunes, Anthony was excusable then.
But Mary did not think so. She was
so angry with him that she could hardly
speak, and would not look at him at all.
Retracing her steps she drew her aunt's
hand firmly through her arm, with a
few quick words of sympathy, and call
ing to the boys to follow led the morti-
fed and now trembling old lady down
the path again and around by the other
way to the house, leaving Anthony
standing where she had forsaken him,
astonished and indignant.
He was at loss to know what could
possibly be the matter. He always
laughed at people when they fell; they
looked 30 ridiculous that he could not
help it. II they hurt themselves very
badly he would help them and be handy
and considerable after his laugh was
over. Had Miss Cornelia rolled to the
bottom of the slope and broken her leg,
he would have gone for q shutter and
have helped to lay her upon it and to
cheney than most men, but he would
have laughed at the grotesque figure she
cut during the tumble. But she had
not hurt herself at all, and because Of
his natural appreciation of the absurdity
of her aspect Mrs. Beverley had treated
him in a way which, If he did not quite
comprehend. he disliked intensely. The
old lady was as inimical to him now as
ever, he told himself morosely, and in
stead of blaming himself he blamed her
and detested her more than ever.
f,rI A uTHD WI