San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1892-12-26


and it may so 'appcn that yOu are look
ing on my face for the last time. Ii 1t
should be so. William. remember the
words | am now about to speak and lay
them to art This world is full of pit
falls: and some of us walk CirCumSpcct
and keep ont of EN-, and some OF us,
/ William-sOmp of us don't If there s
auv places more Astounding in pitfalls
than what others are. it is the uONiOuS
| localities known under the deCcittul ap-
DyllatiOn of pleasure gardens And
YOU NAV take that as the voice of one
! calling to you from the bottom of about
as deep a ole as a mortal man was ever
pumped into. And if ever you find
taste for statuary growing on You,
William. keep it down, wraStle with 1t,
and don't encourage it, Farewell,
| William! Be here at the usual time to-
morrow. though whether you will fnd
me here is more than | can say"
The boy went away, much impressed
by so elaborate and formal a parting
which seemed to him a sign that, in his
parlance, "the guv'nor was going to
make bolt of it" Leander busted him
|. self in some melancholy preparations for
his impending departure, dissOlutiOn,or
incarceration: he WIS not very clear
which it might be.
He went down and put his "labatry"
in order There ne had worked with all
the fiery zeal OF an inventor at the dis
, cOveriss which were to confer perpetual
youth. in variOuS-Sized bottles, upon d
grateful world. He must leave them all
with his work scarcely begun! Another
would step in and perfect what he had
| left incomplete.
He came up again, with a heavy
heart. and examined his till. There
was not much: enough, however. for
Williams wages and any small debts.
He made q list of these, and left it there
with the coin. They must settle it
| among themselves" he thought, weari-
| ": a. can't be bothered with business
| now"
He was thinking whether it was
! worth while to shut the shop up or not,
| when q clear voice sounded from Dove:
| Lcuuder, where art thou? Come
| hithcr." And he started as if he had
| been snOt. I'm coming, madam" he
| called NJ, Obscrui0uSly. IN be with
| you in one minute"
Now for it, " he thought. as he went
M to his slt-ia~-I1on. Il wish wasn't
al OF a tTiyter. J wtshI knew what
was coming next"
! The room was dark. but when he got
| light he saw the statue standing in the
centre of the room, her hood thrown
back and the fur-lined mantle hanging
loosely about her: the face looked stern
and terrible under its brilliant tint.
Have you made your choice?" she
demanded.
"Cnoicc." he said. a haven't any
choice left me-"
1t is true" she said, triumphantly.
"Your friends have deserted you;
mortals are banded together to seize
and disgrace you; You have no refuge
but with me. But time is short. Come,
then, place yourself within the shelter
of these arms, and while they infold you
tight in their marble embrace repeat
after me the words which complete my
power"
"Theres no partickIer hurry" he OBJ,
icctcd. Il will directly II only want
to know what will happen when I've
done it. You can't have any objection
to a natural curiosity like that"
"You will lose consciousness, to re-
cover it in balmy Cyprus, with AphrO-
dite mo longer cold marble, but the
actual goddess, warm and living 10y
: your side. All! imperviOus one can you
linger still? Do you not tremble with
: haste to feel my breath tanning YOU
cheek, my soft arm around your neck
, Are not your eyes already dazzle6 by
the CLEAN of my golden tresses?"
"Well, | can't say they are; not a
present" said Leander. "And you see
: it's all very well; but, as l asked yOl
: once before, how are you going to &c
} me there? It's a long way, and I'm tel
: stone if I'm an ounce"
, "Heavy-witted youth, it is not you
body that will taste perennial bliss"
= "And what's to become OF that. then?
i he asked, anxiously.
t THAT will be left here, clasped t
Il this stone, itself as cold and lifeless."
:. "Oh" said Leander. "Ididn't bargain
c for that, and don't like it.
a "You will know nothing of it; yo
c will be, with me, in dreamy grOttOe
strewn with fragrant rushes and tn
n new-stript leaves of the vine, where tn
l. warm air wOOes to repOse with il
it languorous softness and the water q
Il it wells murmurs its liquid laughter
:; All! no Greek would have hesitate
Y thus"
IS "Well, amt Greek; and, as bus
st ness man, you can't be surprised if
want to make sure it's a genuine thing
Y, and worth the risk before 1 comm
,r myself l think l understand that it
k the gold ring which is to bind us ivy
4, together?"
n, at Isl" she said; "by that pure ar
as ! noble metal are we united"
WELL" said Leander, that beir
ly ! so, I should wish to have it tested, ell
to there might be a hitch somewhere
n, other"
IN "Tested!" she cried, "what is that
IS "Trying it, to see if it's real gold
to not, " he said. ave can easily have
done"
IT, at is needless, " she replied, haught
DIS w IL will not suffer mKlDover to