San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1896-01-30

cessantIy as II she beneved MN to De
infatuated with her conversational pow
ers
Tom could not lat admit that her
voice was exquisitely sweet and we'll
modulated. 1t vibrated most pleasantly
upon his sensitive ear. and its charm
was not diminished by the use of poor
diction and faulty pronunciation. II
would have been a delight to him to
listen to her could he have sat with
closed eyes, even though she talked only
of trivial things. She reminded him of
the characters portrayed in some of the
novels which were supposed to represent
society as it was between the years 1870
and 1886. In his fine condemnation of
that age, as represented by Daisy, he
failed to see that he himself showed
share of the inheritance handed down
by the parents of those days in that love
of luxurious ease which had been suf
iciently strong to tempt him to place
himself in his present unhappy position.
II think, Mr.. Wainwright, said
Daisy quite suddenly, that already you
repent your proposal Am not good
enough In your opinion to help you
evade tax which every honorable man
should be willing to pay? Or do you
think yourself worthy of the best, no
matter what use you wish to make OF
her? Does your exquisite taste rob you
Of the instincts of true manhoodY"
There was touch Of sarcasm in the
soft voice that cut Tom like knife. He
tried to give her to understand that he
would not tolerate such insinuations,
even from a woman, but he could not
speak. She had shown him q picture Of
himself which he despised, yet which
he could not deny.
81 intend" continued Daisy, rising
and confronting him, 81 intend to hold
you to your proposal, because it suits
my convenience to do so, but wish you
to understand that you have not inspired
my respect and that do not care to see
you except when you must appear as my
escort l am disappointed in you. / had
thought, judging by what my cousin
wrote, that you were gentleman.
MAY ask how have displeased
your" asked Tom coldly. ...
"You have shown that you are disap-
pointed because am less beautiful than
Sander pictured me- Do not try to deny
it. have seen it in your eyes from the
first, but should like to ask who and
what you are that You give yourself the
right to criticise my personal appear
ance. A man who, to continue his selfish
indulgence, will resort to such methods
as am helping you to carry out, and
who, instead of showing proper appre-
citation Of my good intentions, sulks in
a manner most conspicuous and insult
ing because am not beautiful as pic
turel You shall carry out your part Of
our contract, Mr.. Wainwright, or suffer
the consequences / shall expect you to
be here in good season to escort me to
Mrs. De Quincey's, but do not care to
see you again in the meantime. You
need not fear that shall exact much
attention from you when once we are
there. / am not quite so unattractive as
that would imply"
She swept him a mocking bow, and,
walking away with the air of an en-
press, joined the party of young people
who had gathered around the piano in
the music room. The next moment Tom
heard her singing with young De Quin-
cey, and, angry as he was, he could not
help paying a silent tribute to her beau
tiful voice.
IF she were only half civilized" he
unused, land not quite so ugly-but, no,
even her voice does not make her en-
durablep'
Tom quietly left the house, without a
word of parting to any one, and made
his way to his own room. He had never
been more thoroughly wretChed. He felt
that, in one respect, Sanders descrip-
ton of his cousin had not been at fault
she did have temper
Heavens, he thought, what
punishment it would be to a man to be
obliged to so through life with such
viragop"
CHAPTER ".
nurino the DAYS which followed Tom