San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1893-02-18

god might love his beautiful sister; it
augured well for his OVID prospects; and,
too. he had feared that the celestial Wis
itor might have claimed, and justly, his
OWE ,betrOthed Aimee, whose life he had
saved. And he, being a lover and an
ardent one, felt a sincere and cordial
sympathy for Gilbert; so, with a nat
ural tact and delicacy, he moved away,
leaving the others almost unconscious
of his departing, returning to the city
to explain that the god had caused the
thunder and destroyed a huge rattle
snake, news which set the gossipS'
tongues wagging at once.
The little grassy knoll wherein Leila
was resting was in the bright sunlight,
and Gilbert led her to a shady spot,
where he dropped into the grass beside
her and looked up into her face, drink
ing in its rare beauty with the same
sense of ecstasy which certain music
had often reused within him. A riotous
stirring Of the heart and wild throb-
bling of his pulses accompanied this
ecstasy, and a trembling joy mingled
with an uncertain feeling very like pain
He could not have expressed in words
the new and suddenly acquired wealth
of feeling Of which he found himself
possessed, but he felt a great wave Of
happiness sweeping over him, divine
content, and realization of the mere
JOY of living and being beside such in
comparable loneliness. He knew now
that he loved; that something had come
into his life that filled and rounded it
out and made it worth living. OF the
signs of love he knew nothing, yet he
knew somehow that Leila loved him.
She sat with averted face for several
minutes, then slowly turned her head
and rested her eyes upon his face in
straight, earnest gaze. Her eyes were
full of soft, tender light, deep, ques-
tiOning yearning, and as they met his
true, tender gaze her head slowly sank,
she drew long inward breath, her
bosom rose and fell in quick throbs, and
it seemed to Gilbert that she was about
to faint. His hand stole over hers, which
came to meet its warm grasp, and as the
wild thrill rushed through him he drew
her to him, and her golden head fell upon
his shoulder. She was really almost
faint with emotion, and her eyes closed
as a great cOntented sigh escaped her
lips. Their lips came together as two
long parted mates and mingled into
one with a wild, delicious food of bliss.
In another moment she had turned,
and her shapely arms were clasped
tightly around his neck, and she was
kissing him with a hanger and a fury
that made his blood dance in his veins.
Then as suddenly she drew away and
covered her burning face with her hands
i'll maidenly shame, yet her bosom pal
plated and her breath came in quick
gasps. He drew her hands down and
gazed into her eyes. They met his with
such pure, deep tenderness, such steady
calmness, that he drew her to him again
and kissed her noble forehead in rever-
entail awe.
They sat there hand in hand, while
the light fell on her hair in gilded CLEANS,
and gazed into each others eyes, read
ing there the story that needs no Ian
guage-both SO filled with unspeakable
happiness that it seemed difficult to
breathe freely. After awhile he drew
her closer, and she rested her head upon
his shoulder again and laid her soft
cheek against his. Her breath was like
some sweet wild flower as it came from
between her perfect lips in long, happy
signs.
What need for words when two such
hearts met and when two pairs of eyes
could speak such volumes of love? Yet
Gilbert murmured "my darling" again
| and again into her ears, and the words
sounded sweeter than music to her hun
cry heart. She felt their meaning and
| repeated them after awhile with a soft.
| lingering infection that made Gilbert
| clasp her closer to him. So they sat I'M
| til the deep shadow about them told that
night was close upon them and they
must return. Taking her hand, Gilbert
rose and led her toward the city. They
had wandered far down the canyon, and
the way led through winding paths
| among great powders and dense woods,
but Leila knew every foot of it, and she
| guided her lovers steps.
Gilbert took Leila to her home, and
then sought his own quarters and went
to bed, too happy to sleep. He lay far
into the night looking out upon the stars
and wondering at the great bliss that
filled his soul and thinking of the hap
Ply future-a future in which every day
would hold her in its golden frame and
every hour be one of joy unspeakable
He saw her sweet face in the darkness
with its luminous eyes looking into his
with unspeakable tenderness and devO
ton. and he seemed to feel aoain the