San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1897-09-19

nciu anu upptdIcu W ItsuIuo ftduiuk
it, but minute afterward he said, less
irritably:
why didn't you tell me you didn' I
want to marry himf That's Just like
you women, and yet you will stick
your noses into public business You
never know what you want at time
which let's the knowledge be Of the
least possible use. i didn't want to
force you into the marriage. child TN
not brute or Bluebeard.
The last connection was not very
clear. but it let Beryl turn the question.
"Bluebeard married all the women
himself, dad. she said Laughing and
placing her hands ON his shoulders, she
leaned over him from behind, her face
so close to his that she could rub her
cheek against his and kiss him at every
pause. "And you don't want me for q
wife yourself. you know, do your That
would be horribly improper, and all the
county would make hullabaloo, and
you'd lose your workmanship of this,
that and the other and be sent to Gov
entry, and I'm not worth that am II"
She was SO rarely demonstrative in
this way that he was quite perplexed,
and when she had kissed him and
made him agree with her view of Sir
Jaffray's engagement and had gone
smiling out of the room he sat a couple
Of minutes in puzzled thought till the
light broke in on him, and he smiled.
Pm afraid I've been bit blind. l
thought she cared for him a bit, and
now here she is SO internally glad to be
out of it that she can't help kissing and
hugging me. Bless the child, il I'd
known I'd have broken it off long ago,
much as wanted it, Heigho! II only
the boy had lived, there'd have been no
worry of this kind" Aud then he re-
sumed his reading. interrupted by
pauses of thought.
But he never doubted for a moment
that he had now read Beryl's feelings
accurately, and she was careful to keep
up her spirits and keep down her feel
ings until her father was quite recon-
ciled to the fact of the arrangement
having come TO an untimely end.
With Sir Jaffray, Beryl took some-
what similar course.
"Of course I guessed it long ago.
Jaffray." she said. ''Do you think you
and have been like brother and sister
without my being able TO read q good
many Of your thoughts? OF course not. +"
And she laughed without the least ap
parent restraint.
He noticed that she was unusually
demonstrative.
81 thought it would surprise you,
he said.
"If it surprised me, it was because it
didn't come sooner. | We always known
would happen on your side or mine
she laughed again as she said this
land l always wondered how it would
feel if Were to be first, you know, and
had to tell you, just as If you were real
ly my brother Cften wondered how
should do it or how you'd do it if you
were first l never thought you'd think
Of keeping such a thing secret. And
I've watched you, you know, and seen
it growing and wondered why you new
or uttered word. should have told
you what l guessed the other night at
Torquay-the night the mother wrote
us those most ridiculously mistaken let
ters-only, if you remember, Mrs. De
Witt came out and stopped us In the
middle And, after all, you can't make
an opportunity for that sort Of conf
dence. 1t has to come naturally"
He listened to her closely, comparing
the unusual manner with her custom
airy calm reserve, and he got much near
er to the real state of her feelings than
had her father. 1t hurt him, but he
showed no sign of this in his manner,
seeming to fall in with her humor.
"She's a good little soul, the little
woman" he answered. "but she does
put her foot In it sometimes. wish
now had told you about this. Beryl
1 hope you'll get ON with Lola
A chill seemed to touch the girls
heart at the sound Of the name, but she
answered quickly and with warmth:
81 hope So We've not seen SO much
or one another iately as We useu 'o Ous
she'll be nearer when she's at the man.
or. How is Lady Walcote?"
"She is coming over to see you today
some time, think. She saw Lola the
day before yesterday. you know. She
went to Mosscombe, to Mrs Villyers.
81 am glad she has given way, Jaf
fray" said Beryl pleasantly. "Of course
1 know what she thought. 1t would
have been a great pain to her and to
you il she had not been able to do what
you wish. / am very glad.
1T find every ones awfully good,
returned Sir Jaffray, and then Beryl led
away the talk to other subjects, striving
hard to make her cousin believe that, SO
far as she herself was concerned, she
was not anything but perfectly pleased
at the news.
a. sY, faa