San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1895-08-11

her cherry room in that pickle, to soil
her best furniture and disgrace her
house, and babe the fellow carry us into
the kitchen to take off our cloaks and
change our boots for slip shoes, adding
that if we had any respect for ourselves
we should trim our hair and wash the
CRIME off our faces.
So we enter the kitchen nothing loath,
where couple of pullets browning on
the spit, kettles bubbling on the fire and
pasty drawing from the oven filed the
air with delicious odors that nearly
drove US mad for envy. And to think
that these good things were to tempt
the appetite of some one who never
hungered, while we, furnishing for want,
had not even a crust to appease our
cravings! But it was some comfort to
plunge our blue, numbed fingers into a
tub of hot water and feel the life blood
creeping back into our hearts. The
paint we had put on our cheeks the
night before was streaked all over our
faces by the snow, so that we did look
the veriest scarecrows imaginable, but
after washing our heads well and strok-
ing our hair into order with a comb
Mistress Cook lent us we looked not so
bad, and thus changed, and with dry
shoes to our feet, we at length went up
stairs, all full of wondering expecta-
ton, and were led into the cherry room,
which seemed to us very palace, being
lit with half dozen candles-and they
of xrav f11al NTH IL
by the blazing logs ON the hearth reflect
ed in the cherry hangings. And there
in the midst was table laid for supper
with a wondrous white cloth, glasses to
drink from and silver forks all set out
most finely.
His worship will be down ere long,"
says the drawer, and with that he makes
pretense of building up the fire, being
warned thereto very like by the land
lady, with an eye to the safety of her
silver.
"Can you tell me his worship's name,
friend!" whisper, my mind turning at
once to his worship of Tottenham Cross.
mot I, were you to pay me, I" says he;
tits that outlandish and uncommon.
But for sure he is some great foreign
grandee. "
He could tell us no more, so we stood
there all together wondering, till pres
emily the door opens, and tall, lean
gentleman enters, with high front,
very finely dressed in silk stockings, a
long wasted coat and embroidered waist.
coat, and rich lace at his cuffs and
throat. He wore no peruke, but his own
hair, cut quite close to his head, with
pointed beard and pair of long mus
tachios twisting up almost to his ears,
but his appearance was the more strik-
ing by reason of his beard and mus
tachios being quite black, while the
hair on his head was white as silver.
He had dark brows also, that overhung
very rich black eyes. His nose was long
and hooked, and his skin, which was of
very dark complexion, was closely
lined with wrinkles about the eyes,
while deep furrow lay betwixt his
brows He carried his head very high,
and was majestic and gracious in all his
movements, not one of which, as it
seemed to me, was made but of fore
thought and purpose. / should say his
age was about 60, though his step and
carriage We're of younger man. To my
eyes he appeared very handsome and
a pleasing, amiable gentleman. But,
Lord, what can you conclude of a man
at single glance, when every line in
his face, of which he had score and
more, has each its history of varying
passions, known only to himself and Sc
cret phases of his lifel
He saluted us with most noble bow,
and dismissed the drawer with word |
in an undertone. Then turning again to
us he said, 81 had the pleasure of see
ing you act last night, and dance, he
adds, with a slight inclination of his |
head to Moll. Naturally wish to be
better acquainted with you. Will it
please You to dine with me?"
l could not have been more dunn
founded had an angel asked me to step
into heaven, but Dawson was quick !
enough to say something.
"That will we, ;" cries he, "and God
bless your worship for taking pity ON
us, Tor doubt not You have heard OF
our troubles. "
The other bowed his head and set
chair at the end of the table for Moll,
which she took with pretty courtesy,
but saying never word, for glee did
seem to choke us all And being seated
she cast her eyes ON the bread hungrily,
as if she would fain begin at once, but
she had the good manners to restrain
herself. Then his worship Gas we called
him), having shown us the chairs ON
either side, seated himself last of all, at
the head of the table, facing our Moll,
whom whenever he might without dis
courtesy he regarded with most scruti-
nizing glances from first to last. Then,
the door flinging open, two drawers
brought in those same fat pullets we had
seen browning before the fire and also
the pasty, with abundance of other good