San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1892-05-19

Co. .''' l:sas4e II.
In a moment Sister Martha iDas in the
room,
The station hack stopped at Miss May
hew's door, thereby causing a state of
flutter and agitation in the breast of
Miss Mayhem truly pathetic to contem-
plate. The idea of company was always
present to this lonely lady as a sweet,
sympathetic longing, but the reality
brought with it undisguised dismay,
Now she clasped her pale, chilly fin
gers together and leaned forward in her
invalid chair, craning her neck from be-
hind the curtain, as a small, black,
shiny trunk was taken off from the back
of the carriage, and a short, stout wom-
an in gray travelling dress, with large
straw hat tied down over her ears, max
ing rather aggressive poke in front,
stepped briskly out of the carriage and
pointing her parasol with businesslike
air directed the driver to take in her lug
gage.
Miss Mayhem gave faint groan as
she fell back among her cushions with
an air of passive injury. The evil was
upon her, and she had been warned and
had not needed the warning. Events
with Miss Mayhem generally cast their
shadows before, and she learned the full
meaning of the"'signs" after they had
come to pass That very night Miss
Mayhew had dreamed of ship in full
sail, which always betokened misfortune,
and now Sister Martha had arrived bag
and baggage, and she felt griered that
the presentiment had not weighed with
greater force upon her mind.
Sister Martha was not own kin to Miss
Mayhew, only sister-in-law having mar
ried her half brother. She was woman
thought to be rather hard on her help,
but an excellent manager and shrewd
in affairs. She owned large farm in
another part of the county and man
aged to make good income out of ii
even in years of drought and of short
crops. Her habit was to command. II
was said that sister Martha rode around
her place on horseback man fashion, and
that nothing ever escaped her lynx eyes
Two of her hired men had come down
with typhoid fever one fall after being
driven nearly to death through harvest
time. and she had Dursed them like g
mother. One of the men died and she
had nice tombstone put up to his mem
ory in the graveyard If as folks said
"Marthy Whitcumb, the Wilder Whit
cumb, druv folks to death she still had
some kind of a heart in her bosom"
Now Miss Mayhem, when she heard
Martha Whitcumb enter her front hel
like a strong northeaster, shivered
turned paler, if it were possible, anC
shrank into her shawls and wraps il
which she was enveloped like a butter
fly In its chrysalis. She was afraid o
Sister Martha; not afraid of bodily IN
Jury from her hands, but of harsh judg
ments and hard eye beams and skepti
cal looks in return for her accustomed
plaintiveness over the facts of life. Ii
a moment Sister Martha was in tn
room, and Miss Mayhews face had gon
into eclipse under the poke and her deli
cate cheek was rubbed against Mrs
Whitcumb's bristles. Miss Mayhem ha
shrinking from the hairiness of he
sister-in-law's lip that was quite pa
thetic. 1t was a terrible trial to thi
nervous invalid to kiss Sister Martha
and she never did if she could help i
merely allowing that energetic woina
to rub her brush against her sensitiy
skin.
There was a frightful frankness abor
Sister Martha that Miss Mayhem dreade
like a cold douche. Now the first WORD
she uttered were characteristic:
81 know you amt glad to see IN
Vinie, didn't expect you would be, al
Ann Basket will be mad enough to tie;
her hair because I've come. But harve
was over. 'twixt corn and pig KILN
YOU know, and could get away as W,
as not, so took notion to come. v
don't always know what's good for I
Vinie, and thought squirt of compal
might liven you up a bit. And as
Ann, I've brought her a linsey woods
piece for petticoat. so guess she wol
lite me"
Miss Mayhem pulled herself togeth
and looked at her sister-in-law with "
terry eyes. She made no direct respor
TO this candid speech, nor was any {
pected from her u s'pose you're hu
gry," she said anxiously "Our Dime