San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1893-04-06

great, OOld smile Oh Ttllel anu SColH.
For the sleeper is her husband. He lies
dead with knife in his breast.
mo-" Kissed Jierck, dashing away
this picture from his eyes. I'll not
kill myself to please her"
Rum! Unjust have rum, or shall
60 mad. The old mans jug will be in
the old place in the kitchen cupboard"
he continued.
He skulked along rapidly through the
woods, like beast of prey. The great
dull agony in his heart paused mo-
ment. He could keep it down from
maddening him while he thought of his
sorry consolation to come.
1t was growing dusk now, and he was
reckless. He stopped by the kitchen
window of his fathers house and peered
in.
The family were at supper. These
were the early years of the Revolution,
and war had not yet utterly desolated
this region. Squire Dewitt's was still
prosperous household, and he, a fine old
patriarch, presided at a liberal board.
Opposite him sat the mild mother of the
house.
The harmony of lifetime of love and
companion thinking on companion cares
had made her expression almost identi-
cal with her husbands. Pretty Kate,
daughter of her parents old age, hustled
the meal along and hoped her Hendre-
Gus was not getting hungry. Jierck's
only sister, widow. was making two
smiles grow in the place of one on her
boy Tommy's round face by cutting his
gingerbread fatter than usual. The cat
from a dresser watched every morsel
and every sip with a feline look, which
is a thief look.
This homely scene, instead of sOOth-
ing poor Jierck, was double bitterness
to him.
Curse the woman l made my WIFE"
he thought. "She has spoiled my chance
of home and freside, of happy age and
children to love and reverence me.
Curse her for making me hate my life"
He turned away, half mean, half fierce,
and stole in by the back door to the cup
board.
There sat the great jug as of yore. 1t
was of gray stOneware with blue splash
es. Its spout was fashioned into a face
on the broad grin. Comfort here!" the
grinning mask seemed to wink, and did
not reveal how short lived and bastard
was the comfort it promised. Jierck
heaved up its clumsy heft, balanced it
upon his lips and swigged.
There is sage and honorable law that
limits the robbing of orchards Eat
your fill, but don't fill your pockets"
Jierck was rash enough to violate this
also. He pocketed pint of his sorry
comforter. He found an empty bottle
labeled Hair Oil" There were name
less unguents before Macassar, and this
bottle had held one of them. Jierck filled
it from the jug, and made for the barn
just in time to evade pretty Kate carry
ing supper to the others and her Hen
drecus.
Supper was done. Dusk was come.
Jierck set out with his party for the rem
devious. The peril was considerable
Hanging was the penalty for being
caught. So they sharpened their eyes,
pricked up their ears, trod softly and
tried to persuade the runt pony to do the
same. Jierck brought up the rear in a
state of sullen contempt.
At the cross roads Major Skerrett and
his companion met them. 1t was night
now in the woods. A red belt of day
behing Dunderberg stared watchfully at
the party.
81 will go down to the house alone, as
1.-The negro will admit me to the dining
room. Do you be ready on the lawn by
the window at half past eight! 1t will
be dark enough for safety by that time.
When l open the window and whistle,
jump in and take our man. That is my
plan. If anything goes wrong l will
alter it. But nothing will go wrong.
Goodby"
He moved away through the darkness
The party waited in the woods, listen
ing to the sounds of evening. 1t grew
chilly. Jierck Dewitt retired again anG
again, and slipped from his bottle labeled
Hair Oil" He was ashamed of himsel
for violating his pledge to the major
But he soliloquized, Il am only takin!
just enough to keep my spirits up-jus
enough to make man of me after IN,
making baby Of myself at sight of tina
woman"
Just enough! II. is not pleasant to be
tray the errors of the past but it is
truth grave in this history that the un
happy fellow had much more thai
enough when, at half past eight, he halt
ed his party under cover of the shrub
berry on the lawn at Brothertoft mano
house.