San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1895-09-29


to provide us with what commodities
are necessary to that end. agree with
you that it would be impossible to earn
the meanest livelihood here by dancing.
1t would not be advisable if we could.
For that reason, my knowledge Of va
rious tongues making me very service
able to Sidi ben Ahmed, who is the most
considerable merchant of this town, l
have accepted an office in his house.
This will enable me to keep my engage
ment with you. You will live at my
charge, as l promised, and you shall
want for nothing in reason. If the Moors
drink no wine themselves, they make
excellent for those who will, and you
shall not be stinted in that nartirrlar "
Come, this sounds fair enough,
cries Dawson. "But pray, senior, are we
to do nothing for our keep"
Nothing beyond what we came here
to do" replies he, with meaning
glance at Moll.
WHAT" cries poor Moll in pain.
"We are to dance no more?"
The don shook his head gravely, and
remembering the jolly, vagabond, care
less, adventurous life we had led these
past two months, with thousand pleas
ant incidents of our happy junketings,
we were all downcast at the prospect of
living in this place-though a paradise
for year without change.
Though 1 promised you no more
than Offer" says the don, "yet if this
prospect displease you we will cry quits
and part here. Nay" adds he, taking a
purse from his pocket, 81 will give you
the means to return to Alicante, where
you may live as better pleases you. -
1t seemed to me that there was an I'M
feigned carelessness in his manner, as if
he would as lief as not throw up his
hazardous enterprise for some other
more sure undertaking. And indeed l
believe he was then balancing another
alternative in his mind.
At this generous offer Moll dashed
away the tears that had sprung to her
eyes, Frightening up wonderfully, but
then, casting her eyes upon the don, her
face fell again as at the thought of leav-
ing him, for we all admired him and
she prodigiously for his great reserve
and many good qualities which COM
manded respect, and this feeling was
tinged in her case, l believe, with a
kind of growing affection.
Seeing this sentiment in her eyes, the
don was clearly touched by it, and SO
laying his hand gently on her shoulder
he says:
my poor child, remember you the
ugly old women we saw dancing at Bar
celona? They were not more than 40.
What will they be like in a few years?
Who will tolerate them? Who will love
them? Is that the end you choose for
your own life-that the estate to which
our little princess shall fall?"
"No, no, mop cries she in passion,
clnching her little hands and throwing
up her head in disdain.
"And no, no, no, say l." cries Daw-
son. "Were our case ten times as bad,
I'd not go back from my word. As it is,
we are not to be pitied, and warrant
ere long we make ourselves to be envied
Come, Kit, rouse you out Of your lethar-
gies and let us consult how we may i'm
prove our condition here, and do you,
senior, pray order us little of that same
excellent wine you spoke of, if it be but
pint, when you feel disposed that
way"
The don inclined his head, but linger-
ed, talking to Moll very gravely and yet
tenderly for some while, Dawson and l
going into the house to see what we
could make of it, and then, telling us
we should see him no more till the next
day, he left u.s. But for some time after
he was gone Mol sat ON the side of the
we'll, very pensive and wistful, as one to
whom the future was opened for the
first time.
Anon comes banging at our garden
gate, which Moll had closed behind the
don, and, going to it, we find Moor
ish boy with barrow charged with
many things. We could not understand
word he said, but Dawson decided
these chattels were sent us by the don
by perceiving a huge hogskin of wine,
for which he thanked God and Don San
chez hundred times over. So these
commodities we carried up to the house,
marveling greatly at the don's fore
thought and generosity, for here were a
score of things over and above those we
had already found ourselves lacking
namely, earthen pipkins and wooden
vessels, bag of charcoal, box of car
penter's tools, which did greatly delight
Dawson, he having been bred carpen-
ter in his youth; instruments for gar
dening, to my pleasure, as l have ever
had taste for such employment; some
very fine Moorish blankets, etc. So when
the barrow is discharged Dawson gives
the lad some rails out of his pocket,
which pleases him also nightly.
Then, first of all, Dawson unties the
leg of the hogsllin and draws off quart
of wine, very carefully securing the leg
after. and this we drink TO our great re-
freshment, and next, Moll, being awoke