San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1893-01-10
II cannot, Harryi"

| "10u mean you Won I, hate, AM
there's an end of it.
Then the girl whispered somethin:
that l did not catch, but l could hea
the man half push her from him as h
exclaimed:
Il am a ruined man without it, ant
you won't lift finger to save me-"
This would never do; they evidently
fancied me still asleep, and would b,
talking over sll sorts of private affairs, st
coughed. moved uneaSily, rustled my
newspaper. and, as the first distant
CLEAN showed that the train was near
ing daylight. planted myself firmly il
my corner prepared for apology or de-
Tense, and when We rushed out of the
darkness found myself absolutely alone.
This was absurd: had been asleep,
indeed. but yet. as l looked around and
turned to the window to see trees and
fields gliding past, | knew | was wide
awake now, and began TO dislike the
situation. For l still heard the two talk
ing, though not so clearly, and could
only conclude that they were in the COM
partment occupied by the racing set,
that these last had got out at the station
we had evidently passed while 1 slept,
and that their places were filled by the
two whose voices reached me with such
unnatural distinctness. And yet how
improbable that the men who We're so
evidently going to the races had got out
before the junction. Horror! Thought,
the blood rushing to my face at the bare
idea, cannot have slept past the juno
ton too! No, my watch showed that ]
had not been forty minutes in the train.
pulled myself together and looked
around.
The carriage in which | sat was old
and dirty, as | have said: opposite to
me. just where. with my eyes shut.
could swear that man and a girl sat
talking, the dingy brown cloth was
somewhat stained, and there was long.
jagged slit, apparently cut with knife.
out of which the stuffing of the cushion
hung miserably.
This slit would account for the dis
tinCtness of the voices | heard. | ar
gued with a sOphistry | would have
scOrned in another. No, it would not
account for it, urged common sense:
but it must or my eyes were playing
me false.
just as decided this, half heartedly.
a loud guffaw from the racing men as
sured me that they at least were still in
the nj boT commandment
Then where We're my two companions:
Talking in whispers, pleading, disput-
ing, with four or five rough. noisy NEIL
side by side with them, their voices
coming to Inc through the horrible lag
ged cut in the faded cloth opposite. Or
Or where: Here with me. not to be
seen, though | rubbed my eyes and
looked ont Of the window. and forced
myself to look back at the spot where
the voices sounded, Just above that hor-
rible slit in the cloth. For it was hor-
rible. confessed this to myself at last.
and drew my feet up on the seat of the
carriage and felt the cold dampneSs of
fear creep down my face as | heard a
girls voice, hoarse and eager, as it
seemed to me, striving for calmness
against growing terror.
Listen, Harry" she said. This
money is not mine. You do not under
stand, so must tell You. though it is nv
fathers secret. He has owed this sum
for ten years, and for ten years has
worked and saved and starved for it.
Little by little he has gathered it all.
and | have watched him growing older
and palcr and seen the stoop in his
shoulders and the dimness IN his eve.
until, Harry, my heart has nearly broken
for pity. But a week ago the last pound
was put in the hank and he was free"
"A week ago" the mans voice mutt
tered harShly; and why not have paid
it week ago and have saved tempting
me"'
The last words were said so low that
| scarcely heard them, and the girl took
no notice of them, and hardly even an
swercd his question.
1T was for my brothers sake. dear.
the brother You never knew. who is
dead. and who, but for his father, would
be disgraced as well. He was weak.
poor fellow, i'll body and mind He was
a clerk, and betted and lost, Harry"
and the poor little voice grew so pitiful
here that could fancy saw pleading
eyes raised to the others face, land he
took money. two hundred pounds, from
his master and'-
4" Two hundred pounds The shout
with which these words We're uttered
made me tremble. Never mind the
story, Kate; tell it to me another time:
it's common enough, God knows! Where
Is the money
mo, Hawy-no." she painted: "you
shall not have it. My father Oh.