San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1896-01-11

tache, and I'm bound to admit he took
more pains over his dressing that even
ing than was strictly necessary or in
deed desirable in Aggie's interest. He
endued himself with care in his best
afternoon coat and his newest imported
European tie, and he surveyed himself
approvingly in the glass before he de-
scended with slow steps to the drawing
room. I'm sure l don't know what an
engaged young man could mean by tax
ing so much pains over his. personal APP
pearance; he could certainly have taken
no more if it was Aggie herself, not a
strange young lady, who awaited him
in the drawing room.
When he went down he found Freda
Trevelyan already seated before a most
hospitable teapot. You must have lived
in hot climate at least once in your
life in order thoroughly to appreciate
| the art of tea drinking. One would say
beforehand that nobody would care for
hot drinks with the thermometer at 90.
Experience proves the exact contrary,
| The hotter the weather gets the more
hot tea does humanity absorb and the
better does it love it. Phil threw him
self into an easy chair and looked, if
not engaged, at least engaging. He was
considered the handsomest man on the
Boolanuggur hills, and he certainly
looked it that afternoon. There's moth
| ing to make a man look and talk his
best like a pretty woman. 1t was what is
euphemistically described as ''the cool
season" at Bombay, and the windows
of the veranda were flung wide open.
The view over the sea was beautiful
and refreshing Phil could even hear
the gentle plash of the waves on Mala-
bar point, and though that deceptive
surf is by no means so cool as it looks
and sounds, yet it was delightful to his
ear after three long years spent away
far inland. He enjoyed that after
noon more than he had enjoyed any
| thing for months and months. Poor
| Aggie's chances of whole lovers heart
seemed to fade and pale at each success
sive half hour.
For Miss Trevelyan, it seemed, was
simply charming. She talked so admira-
bly,. And besides she was SO frank. She
| had heard beforehand of course that
Phil had come down to Bombay to meet
| his future bride, and when woman
knows a mans already monopolized she
treats him as if he were married-that
is to say, she talks to him like rational
creature and not like an animal special
ly created for the sole purpose of dirta-
ton. The consequence was that before
half an hour was over Freda Trevelyan
and Phil Gilman were laughing and
chatting together as if they d known one
another for half their lives instead of
for just about 80 minutes.
"And your brides coming out on the
Indus?" Freda said after one short
pause. "How soon do you expect her?"
"She was telegraphed from Port Said
this morning." Phil answered, with a
consciousness of profound hypocrisy, for
| he felt the subject was really far more
interesting to Miss Trevelyan than he
himself could pretend to find it.
GLOW anxious you must be for the
steamer to come in" Freda exclaimed,
with fervor, "I'm so glad you came
here. It's SO nice to feel you must both
be so happy"
"Oh, very nice indeed,'' Phil answer
ed, hesitating.
''Have you her photograph Freda
put in. 81 should so much like to see
her.
Eyes, I've got it up stairs-in my
portmanteau somewhere, Phil answer
ed unconcernedly. "I'll bring it down
when 1 go up. It's so Gwfully kind of
you to want to see her "
"Up stairs in your portmanteau ~
Freda cried, smiling establishment
mot in your breast pocket And to be
married in a fortnight Oh, Mr.. Gil
man, that would never do for me- I'm
afraid you're a terribly lukewarm
lover ~
"Oh, not nkewarm, l hope" Phil
interposed, with an answering smile.
"Only you see it's like this-we've been
engaged five years and little bit more,
and by the end of that time one begins
to get-well, calmer and more philo-
sophie.
Freda shook her beautiful head.
"That won't do, she answered
again. 81 hope my lover, if ever get
one, won't talk like that. I never could
stand it. / shall require him to be des-
perately, wildly in love with mel If he
tries to be philosophic, why, he'll have
to go elsewhereP'
Phil was just ON the point of answer
ing, "Ah, but if man was in love with
you that would be altogether different,
but politeness, to say the truth, rather
than loyalty to Aggie, prevented him
from voicing the thought that was in