San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1897-12-19

witching red pompons Under the gwen
circumstances she considered her father
in laws selection of the word NEEDLE"
as not only inappropriate but bordering
on the offensive
Finding discussion Of the Martins
and their domestic affairs inevitable,
the governor resignedly laid his spec
tacles across the pile of unopened papers
and went into the subject with some
acerbity.
Eyes, NEEDLE. That was the word
used / have come to look upon the
whole Martin brood as an ungrateful
and stiff necbed lot Really, have,
Adele, my dear.
"Why?'
"Well, Eben stood out so stubbornly
for reduction in the price had placed
ON Neck or Nothing. never would
have sold the land at all had not that
boy Seth stubbornly refused to remain
on the place unless would sell him
land to start small place for himself.
As for the second son, my namesake,
| Strong, his attitude is nothing short of
incomprehensible He refused point
blank to be Adrien's travelling compan-
ion, although the fellow is so quick and
intelligent would rather have paid his
expenses twice over than to have sent
Adrien off with that dullard, Spencer.
"Mr. Spencer belongs to very good
family, father, and he is not likely to
embarrass my son by any social blum
ders Perhaps young Martin thinks he
has accepted enough at your hands.
Moreover, it is quite time he was get
ting to work l believe the plan is for
him to study under DR.. Whitcomb?"
"Was, but, hang it all, he positively
refuses to go into Whitcomb's Office. "
Refuses? Refuses to study medicine
under one of the best practitioners in
the south?"
$50 Eben told me yesterday"
"What does he propose to do, pray?"
HE is going to move on to the pc
ninsula."
Meek or Nothing? IMPOSSIBLE What
would he do there?',
"Open it for Seth, is the plan. At
any rate, he is going there to live or
work or rust'-the governor gave an
impatient outward sweep of his delicate
hands-''or rot there. Confound the fell
low, l never was more disappointed in
any one in all my life. /"
''But there is no house on the Neck
1t is brambly wilderness, dreary,
fenceless, out of the way hole.
lit is all that or little less. Zeke's
old cabin is still standing on it Rather
dilapidated mansion to be chosen by a
college valedictorian, with all the world
before him"
Upon my word and honor" Mrs.
Strong's amazement was boundless. He
must be lacking in ordinary perception
of his duty as man of education and
ability. Totally without ambition, l
suppose His class generally is.
The governor caressed his chin reflect
lively.
"No, his entire college record is
against that theory. l am afraid he has
left Singleton under something OF a
cloud. / saw Redmond in town yester-
day and was talking with him about
Strong. He would not speak out plain
", but limited darkly that Strong, in
the last months of his stay at Single
ton, had furnished brilliant record and
stripped himself of well won laurels. F"
"I wonder what he did? Strange that
Adrien should have given you no hint
Not strange, either My son could never
be ungenerous to comrade.
| At re ~ hoH
been Adrien, should have compelled
Professor Redmond to be more explicit
But, to come back to this little girl Of
Eben's, / really do not see that she
comes within your province, my dear.
"Then must bring her within it, :"
she said haughtily, and turned toward
her waiter. Drake, you will watch for
Miss Martin as she rides home. Stop
her, and tell her that want to see her
very particularly this morning She
will find me in the morning room. You
can clear off the table. I"
The governor accepted these orders to
Drake as his own much wished for dis
missal and rose with alacrity. Piling
his arms full of newspapers he went off
briskly in direction of his study. Once
inside of its heavy, carved door no
sound, no intrusion of petty local af-
fairs, would disturb him.
In answer to brakes somewhat flip
PANTY delivered message from 1.-THE
madam, /" Liza sprang from the saddle
as she was riding homeward an hour
later, flung the bride to the boy, and,
gathering her long skirt over her arm,
walked sedately into "the madam's"
presence.
She knew quite well where to find
the object of her search. Before she had
been sent off to that Baltimore school
she and Gabrielle had studied together
in the morning room. 1t looked out over
the heliotrope and violet beds that We're
overshadowed by the crimson pome-
granate bushes and the fame OF the
Towering ounces. The scent of belio-
trope always brought back those days
to her-brought back the pinched, intel
lectual face of the little governess, who
| had discriminated with cruel candor be-