San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1895-10-13

| al ll'b TDOLuS! says III dltTu
"Surely you have not counted the cost
of what yoa propose "
II suppose have enough to keep my
house i'll aI;table condition. I"
Without doubt, though expect such
work as Sigaor Dario's must command
high price y
''All 1 ask of you, then" says she,
sis to bid my steward have e5, 900 ready
for my uses, and within a week, lest /
should need it suddenly. Should he raise
objections
"As assuredly he WILL" says I, who
knew the crafty, subtle character of old
Simon full well by this time GA thou
sand, and not one you can pick hole
in.
''Then show him this and tell him
accept Mr.. Goodman's offer unless he
can find more profitable means of raising
money"
With that she pets in my hand let
ter she had that morning received from
one Henry Goodman, tenant, showing
how, having heard that she had disposed
of a farm to his neighbor, he humbly
prayed she would do him the same good
turn by selling him the land he now
rented, and for which he was prepared
| to pay down in ready money the sum of
e5, 000
Armed with this letter, sought ST.
mon and delivered Moll's message. AS
expected, the willy old man had good
excuses ready for not complying with
this request, showing me the pains he
had taken to get the kings seal, his
failures to move the kings officers, and
the refusal of his goldsmith to furnish
further supplies before the deed of sue
cession was passed.
"These objections are all very Just, ,"
says /, $50 see no way of pleasing our
lady but by selling Mr.. Goodman S farm,
which she will have done at once if
there be no alternative"
So l give him the letter, which he can
scarce read for trembling with anguish
What" cries he, coming to an end,
II am to sell this land which I bought
for 5000 and is now worth $4,000? II
would rather my mistress had bid mel
have the last teeth torn from my head. ~
"We must have money!" says l.
"Thee shalt have it in good time
Evans hath been paid, and thy debt
shall be discharged. Fear not"
II spoke as representing our lady.
For ourselves we are content to wait her
better convenience. And I told him
how his mistress would lay out her
money in embellishing the court with
paintings, which put him to new talk
ing to think so much good money should
be wasted in such vanities.
But" says he, "this work must take
time, and one pays for nothing ere tits
done. By quarter day our rents will be
coming in again.
"No," says I, cutting him short, ''the
money must be found at once, or be as
sured that your lady will take the man
agement Of her affairs out of your
hands. "
This raised a fresh cutlery and more
lamentations, but in the end he prom
ised to procure the money by collecting
his rents in advance if his mistress
would refuse Mr.. Goodman's offer and
wait three weeks, and on Moll's behalf
l agreed to these terms.
A few days after this we were called
into the dining hall to see the finished
ceiling, which truly deserved all the
praise we could bestow upon it and
more, for now that the sky appeared
through the opening, with little pearly
cloud creeping across it, the verdure
and flowers falling over the marble cop
ing, and the sunlight falling on one
side and throwing t'other into shade,
the illusion was complete, so that one
could scarcely have been more astonish-
ed had a leaf fallen from the hanging
flowers or a face looked over the balco-
ny. In short, twas prodigious.
Nevertheless the painter. looking up
at his work with half closed, critical
eyes. seemed dissatisfied, and asking us
if we found nothing lacking we, not to
appear behindhand in Judgment, agreed
that on one side there was vacant
place which might yet be adorned to ad
vantage.
"Yes," says he, II see what is want
ed and will supply it. That" adds he, |
gently turning to Moll, will give me
still another day."
"Why, what charm can you add that
is not there?" asks she.
Something" says he in a low voice,
(which I must see whenever do cast |
my eyes heavenward
And now Moll, big with her purpose,
which she had hitherto withheld from
Dario, begs him to come into her state
room, and there she told how she would
have this ceiling plastered over and
painted, like her dining hall, if he
would undertake to do it.
Dario casts his eye round the room
and over the ceiling, and then, shaking
his head, says, ''If were in your place,
would alter nothing here. "
but will have it altered" says
she, nettled because he did not leap at
once at her offer, which was made rath-