San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1896-01-31
THE TAX BACHELORS
By EFFIE W. MERRIMAN.
copyright, 1895, by the Author.l
Continued from yesterdays ISSUE

Continued from yesterdays issue
years as there have been since Miss Daisy
came to the city,
Tom frightened up under the influ-
ence of the lawyers information. 1t is
wonderful how much easier it is to en-
dure a person when one discovers that
he is sought for among the idlers of So
ciety. Tom began to think that he might
at least endure what De Quincy and
Humphrey deliberately sought. He be-
gan at once to make preparations to at
tend the reception at the De Quinceys.
Half an hour ago he had decided to send
word that he was too i'll to go, trusting
that she might accept the excuse. He
decided to dress himself with even more
than his usual care and to appear so
brilliant that his unhappy manner dur
ing that last evening at the Ridgways
would be credited to the premonitory
symptoms of the indisposition which
had followed. He was grateful now to
Parkhurst for having spread the report
that he was not feeling well, although
he had been annoyed when his friends
first began dropping in to make inquiries
concerning his health.
Tom never looked better than he did
when standing before the CRATE in Mrs.
Ridgway's sitting room, waiting for
the appearance of Daisy. He heard her
voice in the hall, and, summoning po-
lite smile to his face, turned to greet
her. The heavy draperies before tho
door were pushed aside. Tom advanced
step or two and stood face to face
with vision of loneliness which fairly
took his breath away. The smile became
more genial as he softly explained that
he was expecting to see Miss Blake.
81 am Miss Blake" replied the girl
quietly.
1t was Daisy's voice surely, but what
had become Of the gray hair and the
smoked glasses? Where were the heavy
eyebrows which had met SO sternly over
the glasses? Where was the unsightly
black patch which had adorned one
cheek? Where was the ugly wart which
he had seen on the side of her nose?
lyon are disappointed once more, I
perceive" said Daisy, breaking the IN
comfortable silence which had fallen be-
tween them.
81 presume I might as we'll explain,
Mr.. Wainwright, that I have been act
ing a part. / wished to convince myself
that you were as perfect as my cousin
Sander represented you to be- Shall we
60 now? 1t is growing late"
"You were fortunate in having such
able assistants to make your little com
edy so enjoyable" said Tom coldly.
ooh, you need not blame your friends
No one wanted to do it at first, but
persuaded them to change their minds.
Sander may not have told you that
usually have my own way"
Once more Tom was speechless. 1t
was not difficult for him to believe that
so charming girl always had her own
way. He would have turned against any
friend he had for the sake of pleasing
her, but to have his friends turn against
him was different.
"I suppose Parkhurst knew" he said
after he had helped Daisy into the car
riage and taken a seat beside her.
"Oh, yes" replied Daisy, changing to
the seat opposite, ''Mr. Parkhurst knew.
He was difficult to persuade, however ~
Tom thought how Parkhurst had tried
to persuade him to appear perfectly sat
isfed with his engagement to Miss
Daisy, and he could see that if he had
followed his lawyers advice he would
now be in a position to laugh at his tor
mentors. Tom realized that he had
blundered, and he did not know how to
retrieve himself. He cursed himself and
all his friends, but that did not help
matters in the least. In few moments
the carriage would stop before the door
of the De Quinceys, and the silence be.
tween himself and that vision of lowell.
ness opposite was rapidly becoming more
uncomfortable. Tom would have liked
to establish friendly relation before he
met his friends, thinking that by SO do.