San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1895-05-05


suffocated with the pressure of this
secret; it was the first and the only one
she ever had, and when it is known
that she carried all the details of her
innocent little life TO her husbands
ears-each little Joy and disappoint-
ment, each little light and shade-it
will be better understood what,a tre-
mendous responsibility had lain upon
her heart when she had set herself the
task to try and help to earn few
pounds to go toward the household ex-
penses, and to say nothing of her at
tempt until it had proved itself n SUGGEST
1t had been one morning nearly year
before that the idea had come to her.
The parochial taxes came first. A little
deep and heartfelt swearing from Paul
had followed next, and then the idea
had burst suddenly into being.
1t was not born of a solitary thought
that idea-it was hedged about with
thoughts that were some of them sor-
rowful enough, for they recalled old
troubles, bitter words, breach be-
tween herself and her girlhood's home
and something more that had never
been definitely explained to Flora's
mind, so subject as it was to her love
for her husband, which the world, at
the time of their marriage, had
summed up pretty correctly as disap-
pointment for Paul Meredith.
1t had been, perhaps, vague con-
seriousness that the comfort and luxury
that had surrounded her when Paul
had first met her had played not I'M
important part in the history of their
love and marriage that had helped the
idea of work to formulate itself in the
girls mind. However this may be,
Flora had seized on the suggestion as
on treasure, and had rushed off to
Margaret Lloyd as to the only one of
her friends who could be able to help
her to turn the idea into action. She
had, of course failed miserably in the
beginning, although Margaret spent
many an hour in putting the chaos of
the girls thoughts into some definite
channel, and had also drudged away at
the question of mechanism, which is as
fundamentally necessary to the work
of the pen as it is in every other profess
sion; but little by little she improved.
She had her heart in her brain and she
profted by her friends instructions.
When she had taken her first long
story to publisher, she had carried a
letter of recommendation from Marga-
ret also.
DO not expect anything brilliantly
good, strong, or original in the story"
Miss Lloyd had written. You will
find nothing of the sort; it is, however,
the work of an educated girl with
very fair idea of telling story and an
abundance of charming thoughts,
which, if a trife sentimental, cannot
fail to please a large class of readers.
hope you will give the book chance
if you possibly can"
The strip OF paper hidden away in
the jewel case had been the outcome of
all this. Ten pounds was not much to
earn for story that had cost almost
as many months to write, but to Flora
it represented, as we have seen, more
than wealth-it gave her a sense of
Importance, it brought her a little
nearer to Paul, intellectually speaking.
She had sometimes, frequently, indeed,
WINGED at a little contempt that had
been mingled in with his affection for
whatever disappointment there might
have been in the mans mind when he
realized that his marriage without con-
sent meant a marriage without money,
too, there was no question of Paul Mer-
ediths affection for his wife). And now
this would be all changed.
HE has always loved me. Now he
will be proud of me, too!' the girl said
to herself, and yet she shrank from
speaking out her secret, even to obtain
that measure of appreciation from him
which was all that was necessary to
make her happiness complete.
You look very beaming tonight;
what have you been doing with your
self Ell, young woman" Mr.. Meredith
asked lightly, as they discussed their
modest dinner.
~ had tea with Margaret" Flora
said, hurriedly. She felt she was pre-
varicating and she hated herself for
such an act.
Margaret Lloyd! Howtfond you are
of that strong-minded old maid.
81 love Margaret"-Flora paused an
instant-''and you know she is not
really old, Paul don't fancy Marga-
ret is more than thirty-four or five"
"She is the sort of woman who is
born oldv' observed Mr.. Meredith, as
he twisted himself round in his chair
and gave a glimpse at the evening
paper before starting to work. ''She is
one of that Independent sort of crea-
lures that have no right to call them
selves woman. They arc alibel on their
SEX" Mr.. Meredith strangled a yawn.
The art of studying the verb Sc
sufire-belongs exclusively to men," he
said, when the yawn was over. Flora
was silent
Don't you think that circumstances
make every"
Mr.. Meredith clicked the paper at his
wife mo, l don't, my dear little
Floss, he said, good humoredlY. Come
and kiss me, and then you can get all
my things ready. must hurry up or
l sha'n't get through with this lot u
nodding his head at the bulky brown