San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1892-03-16

surrender at the first charge.
''The man is of low BIRTH" she snap
ped Indignantly. "He isn't a fit associ-
ate for you. It's disgraceful, his being
allowed to visit here.
Mary's eyes blazed. eff the man were
the son of a scavanger, born in work
house and reared in the streets and had
no faint of crime upon him, l should
treat him like gentleman if he came to
my house, so long as he conducted him.
self like gentleman while in it. That
is all have to say on the subject, now
or at any other time; and as this discus
sion is bootless and exceedingly disagree
able, | must beg you to drop it.
Mrs. Beverley spoke firmly, emphat-
ically; but she reckoned without her
host, or rather without her Cornelia, if
she counted on a request to drop the
subject ending the discussion. The old
lady was for moment stunned by the
comprehensive democracy of her niece's
statement, but only for moment; rally.
ing all her forces, she took the field pre-
pared to do battle for her own way until
she should rout her adversary or wear
her out. Mary, knowing by experience
what was coming, settled herself to en-
dure with what patience she might.
For twenty minutes the battle raved
and ragged and howled, until poor Mary
was driven to wish herself deaf and
dumb and senseless. She stood to her
guns and defended her position gal
lantly; but such contests always ex-
hausted her, mentally and bodily, and
the victories she achieved were as de-
pressing to her as defeat could have
been. In one of the pauses Of the
engagement Miss Cornelia suddenly
brought her heaviest gun, held in re-
serve till now, to the front. what do
you say to this?" she demanded, produc-
ing crumpled envelope from her pocket
and spreading it out right under Mary's
eyes. 1t bore the New York postmark.
and was addressed in neat, clear hand
to Edward Jackson Anthony, Esq"
81 picked that up in the ravine yester-
day afternoon when was coming home
from my walk. 1t was so near dusk l
couldn't see the name without my
glasses, so put it in my pocket and for
got all about it until | put my dress on
this morning. AS soon as laid eyes on
it remembered. that boys whole name
Edward Jackson Anthony. | ought
to have remembered it before, because
my brother Hector named him after an
old college mate. 1t was his looking so
different from the rest and calling him
self Ned that misled me. That yellow
fever report was false, it appears, and
your fine Mr. Anthony resolves himself
into Jack Anthony, our overseer's son.
Will you forbid him the house now?"
"No," responded Mary positively. 81
wonder you dare ask me such thing,
when you know that his father was
with your brother in that awful charge
at Shiloh, and that he saved my hus.
bands life at the risk of his own.
Those very brothers-the slothful men
you scorn-died, saber in hand, fighting
side by side with Hector and Archer
and Randolph and Boiling for us and
for Virginia"
"Perhaps you have known of this all
along?" sneered Miss Cornelia, almost
foaming with passion.
81 have known it good WHILE" &C
knowledged Mary briefly; mot even
since | have known him, for Mr.. An
thony does not thrust his affairs on any
one. He waited for fitting opportu'
nifty, and then he told me, as gentle
man should. He isn't ashamed of his
origin, and he has no cause to be; his
father was poor man and an ignorant
man, but at the same time he was good
and respectable man."
"And suppose it is your intention to
introduce the son of this good and re-
spectacle father into my fathers fam
ilyl' ranted Miss Cornelia. "But tell
you, Mary Beverley, if you do you will
live to repent it. The man is low born
and common and odious, and the very
idea of putting him in Hector's place is
enough to make the bones of all the
Beverleys for generations turn in their
graves. You may stultify yourself with
what excuses you please for this man,
but think he has acted most dishonor-
ably, and | shall take care to let my
opinion be known. | wash my hands of
you and of the whole affair. will not
remain in this house, either, to see my
family disgraced by such an alliance. i
will not countenance you single mo-
ment. shall leave for Richmond to-
morrow"
Mary bowed her head in acquiescence
in her punishment and endeavored 10y
ally to hide the look of relief that stole
from her heart to her face. She was
accustomed to these stormy with
drawals of her aunt's countenance, and
was perfectly aware that within week
I,t rnclstat 1,f ln1ncr