San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1892-11-29
can't see anything, why have 1t e.:

they went east, and that WEI But sAe
gets no further. The pearl pendant is
rising and falling like u storm tossed
shallop. Her slender fingers are nerv-
Ously twisting and untwisting her filmy
handkerchief. Tramp, tramp. tramp,
| echoing the drum beats, the column of
fonrs is striding away down the APP
plauding thoroughfare. Then, as the
| band clears the left flank of the line and
opens out across the street, joyous.
spirited, ringing, it b1rsts into martial
song. Where had she heard that intro
| ductiOn before? Surely there's some
| thing familiar. But she has no time to
think of that now.
Il suppOsed-yOu never cared for
detached service" she falters. But
is it your woundF"
He shakes his head:
"'Three months ago | would not have
left the regiment. Now | am better
anywhere away from it."
oh, Curly, Curly! What fools these
mortals bei' You should have sense
enough to see how utterly the situation
has changed. You ought to know that
something more than gratitude has
prompted all old Berrien's clumsy eff
forts at cordiality. You ought to see
by Mrs. Berrien's unaffected kindness
that the cloud has been dispelled. Why
stand in your own light, a victim to this
bumptious pride, striving to persuade
yourself that had it not been for the for
tunes of wal her father would have in
terposed today as sternly and positively
as he did before and. she-she would
probably have as meekly, tamely sub
mitted as she did hat bitter night of
parting at the gate? Can you never for
give that u~nresponsive hand, that half
shrinking, constrained goodby?
He is silent, waiting for her reply.
He will not look at her, for her beauty
dazZles, almost drives him wild with
passionate love and longing. He has
worshiped her, adored her as loyal knight
might worship his queen of love and
beauty. Down in his heart of hearts her
image has lived through every instant of
the fierce campaign and reigns there
now, rebel against it as he may. Her
SllCllIC uuullUo hlll. IL lc udu blOuSuJ
to pique or trap her into questioning, it
was unworthy of his love and her. Her
little hands are clasping now. She has
started, raised her head, is listening in
tently. Absorbed only in her, in his
love, in his wrongs, Brewster has lost all
ear for the thrilling, martial music
growing fainter and fainter down the
street, but the look in her sweet face
startles him. The color has fled. The
dark eyes are dilating. One little hand
is uplifted, as if to ward off any other
sound. Borne on the night wind the
strains come full and rich upon the ear.
No wonder the girl is silenced, stunned.
Oh, for the ~clasping mothers arms now!
Oh, for the love, the wordless sympathy
that was hers that cold, gray wintry
morning when the battalion with its
loved ones strobe %buoyantly away down
the winding road at Pawnee! All the
heart breaking sorrow, all the vague.
throbbing, ~quivering pain, come back to
her again as now she leans breathless
against the easement listening to the
same sad, sweet, fearful old song: &.
Love not, love not, we hapless sons of clay!
One instant only she stands trembling
there, then a great sob surges up in her
throat, and, burying her face in her
hands, she bursts away, she runs she
knows not whittier. Out into the de-
serted corridor, along the carpeted aisle
she speeds. Then to her left, wide open,
brightly lighted, she spies the elevator.
and, with the leap of hunted hare to its
form, she springs within. No one there.
She tries to shut the sliding door. but
now.some one is Observation-Disclosures
his one arm is too strong for her two.
An instant more and he is with her,
blessing the fates that had carried off
the attendant for a surreptitious look at
the departing regiment. With quick de-
cision Curly pulls the starting rope, and
when the car has glided softly upward
just half way to the next floor checks its
motion, then springs to her side. Never
till that instant had he known the full
misery of a crippled and useless arm.
"Winifred, sweet one, listen!' he cries.
seizing a slender wrist and striving to
draw her hand away, as, sobbing, she
erouches in the corner of the cage, while
his brave young heart is humping with
a joy and exultation it never knew be-
fore. His blue eyes are a1ame with
love and gladness. !
Listen! Don't cry sol! | must tell
you" .
R-r-r-r-ring! goes the COMPOUNDED ele-
vater bell. She springs to her feet, sti.
fling her sobs, conquering her womanly
weakness. ,
"Oh, do let me outr' she cries, dash
ing away the tears.
81 won't" he answers, with such a
joyous. teasing triumph in his deep
tones. Though a million men a min