San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1893-03-31

llODC. SlIC poiI.
Womanlike again, she must have the
person before her eyes. She must see
him, visible being-that she could take
to her heart with infinite love and pity
and hope-before she could listen to his
message of comfort to her.
He looked pretty old, Miss Lucy.
His hairs grown gray. 1t oughtn't to.
He's a boy still-only a little better than
forty. He could make his life all over
again yet. But he looked old and set
tied down. sad. He's got sergeant
coat on instead of Il generals; but he
looks, into his face. as if he know'd all
generals know, and heap more"
My dear father" interjected Lucy in
the midst of Voltaire's description. And
she thought what a beloved task it
would be for her to renew and restore
that ruined life.
And now, Voltaire," she said, 'can
he protect me-"
I'VE talked it all over. He didn't see
anything he could do. He said he was
too broken hearted to plan for any
body"
Poor Lucyi all her hopes thus dashed
down! She could almost hear her own
heart break.
But Voltaire continued: He had
guv''-(no Tombigbee, old boy9-"given
it all up, and | was goin off feelin
mighty low-mighty low, l tell you,
Miss Lucy. | started off for the woods
and sot down, lookin for a squerril hole
to git into and die like fourlegs. Jess
then, jess before I'd found my dyia bed,
/ heerd somebody screech, 'Voltaire,
Voltairer like mad. Fust | thought
twas the holy angels. Then l thought
praps twas the black debbls prowlin.
| looked around the woods pretty
skeered, and heered chestnuts drap
Then come the yell again, and your ia
ther lighted right down on me and
dragged me back like go-cart. Ididn't
know what was comm, but he yanlled
me up the bank to the old we'll a-frOnt
of Squire Van Wyck's farmhouse, and
there | saw
At this point of his eager recital Vol
taire's ancient below had to pause and
draw breath.
Saw" cried Lucy, equally eager,
peopling this pause with great legion
of upstart hopes all in buff and blue
fine old Continentals complete from
boots to cues, but strangers to her, and
therefore without faces.
Saw Major Skerrett" gasped Vol
taire.
All that legion of hopes in Lucy's
brain suddenly condensed into single
heroic Continental vision, with the name
Skerrett for face. She was sure this
newcomer meant help. She could feel
her just now breaking heart tie itself
together with a chain, each link letter
of the name Skerrett.
Another major!' she said, half i'm
patiently.
There was almost shade of coQuetry
in her little protest against this stranger
parsonage. The woman was not dead
in her yet.
"Anudder major OBJ anudder stuff.
De good God, not de debbl-he make
dis one"
"Oh, Voltaire, don't talk SOL"
Did she object to his fact in physiol-
Ogy or to his pronunciation?
Voltaire, with bellows rested. now
began to describe the new hero with en-
thusiasm. His touches were crude, but
picturesque-a charcoal sketch.
Major Skerrett, Miss Lucy. Oh, my!
what a beautiful mustache he had! jess
the color of ripe chestnut leaves and
curling down on each side, So"
The black foretinger described an ogee
on either black lip.
Lucy did not interrupt. She must
have her correct image Of the new actor
before she inquired his role. She per.
ceived already that he was not to be q
sicklied Hamlet.
Her first picture Of the hero had beer
figure in q Continental uniform, With
the name Skerrett instead of u face.
Second picture: Lucy sees the mere
name vanish. Two chestnut leaves. fine
gold as October can point them, broad
in the middle, blunt at the butt, tape
toward the point, serrated along tn,
edges, dispose themselves to her mind
eye in the air and form amustache. Sh,
looks at her vision of this isolated fca
ture and thinks, 1T is much prettie
than Major Emerick's."
"a go ahead nose" continues Voltair
without pause.
Lucy inserts go ahead nose into tn
blank, over and little ahead of tn
mustache. Third picture.
mo mumps round his cheeks an,
chin" the describer went on.
Not mump had ever disfgured tn
cheeks Lucy hereupon balanced on eithe
side of the nose and the chin which sh
nod 1o"ota1 undar the two chastnu