Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-05-11

Academy, you, IN TURN. Tuleu my OTOJneT.
1 never knew a man so hopelessly slave.
And no woman grown could have ruled
with more policy. You kept your slave
in subsection by pandering to every wish
of his"
"Bravo. Miss CharIottei Bob cried. ssIt
/ is still an old grievance with me that she
would never lay down the dry-as-dust
literature she was wading through for his
delectatlOn, to rough with me when I
knew she was aching to be in the fields.'
Il cry quarter" Lois laughed. Il am
willing TO retract every word / have said.
Miss Charlotte never did humOr our auto
crat; Miss Charlotte never was known to
indulge any living creature: her laws
have always been the laws of the Modes
and PeTsians, and she has ruled her
/ household with memorable Justice"
At which outbreak there is a ringing
laugh, for my sisters laXity of rule and
kindness OF judgment have always been
prOveTbial.
Il have been thinking a great deal of
| Lis6a latterly," l said to Lois, when the
talk was flowing freely again. "DO you
/ think you could spare her to us this win
! ter?p
''You are very kind; but it will break
I into all your plans"
.'Indeed it will not,0 Charlotte inter-
rupted, grasping my idea at once with
that quick intuition which has made her
( ALWAYS the dearest of sisters. Il have be-
I come so much attached to the poor child,
and / think the sea air Will benefit her.
She isn't thriving in our Southern eli
mate"
..Liska doesn't seem altogether well -
Lois assented, reluctantly; ''she is queer
child"
"She will require very careful train
ing" Charlotte began; then, as Liska
came through the door, she continued:
1--WE were just speaking of you, dear.
| Do you think you could be happy this
winter with my brother and me in a quiet
country home very near the sea, where
there are ever so many beautiful jersey
COWS and fancy fowls and immense water
oaks, and a yard full Of flowers that the
frost rarely killsP'
She had drawn the child very close to
her, and spoke rather quickly, enumerat-
ing in a breath all the charms which
would appeal most strongly to the child's
nature.
"With Mr.. Maxwell and you?' Liska
asked, her eyes Frightening and the color
rushing to the cheeks which had grown
/ paler since her coming. ''Just with you
I and Mr.. MAXWELL" glancing nervously
I towards the other members of the house
/ hold. sob. it will be so nicer'
"And you would really like to leave me,
/ Liska?' Lois asked, softly.
ono! no! If | could have you alone;
1 but that is impossible. You belong to
I others. And l cannot always understand
their words"
! She put her arm around Lois neck, and
/ spoke with all the acute refinement and
/ tenderness of her nature.
! Il believe you, my dear. l only want
/ ed to hear you say it. We may consider
( the matter settled then, if uncle Conway
doesn't object"
(Which he will not do" l affirm, ''fOr
/ have already spoken to him."
! But uncle McRhea," Liska said, timid-
/ "; Il cannot promise to come unless I'M
! Gle McRhea consents"
/ Il shall ask him about it tonight, my
dear. 1 think | can answer for him." l
/ replied. "And now you must remember
! that you haven'tvery much time in which
( to get your traps together" l added,
/ pinchlng the pale checks.
/ Later in the evening, as | stood within
( the recess of a window, McRhea came up
/ to me.
"Liska tells me you have been kind
/ enough to invite her to spend the winter
with you"
You haven't seen Bob, then?"
! mo. Why?"
Because | stated the matter somewhat
/ differently to him. Pve a strange affec-
I ton for the child. I'd like to keep hCf al
/ together until she has received her educa-
/ ton"
CHATS rather a strange DESIRE" he
said, looking sharply into my face.
Doubtless it seems so at the first hear
/ ing. But l think l have reasonable
/ grounds. AS you haven't seen Bob,
/ guess l might as well explain to you that
] | have accidentally discovered many
! things relating to the child's history. l
/ have overheard several conversations.
/ Among others that one in which you in
/ sisted upon Liskas silence concerning
! her mother. | wanted to tell you this be-
/ fore, but could find no fitting opportuni-
1 ". | hope YOU will do me the justice to
/ believe that ] have gained my infOrma-
! ton by purest accident, and that, If |
| could have chosen, l would have preferred
| to know nothing Of the whole unfortunate
matter"
/ While | was speaking there spread over
/ his face the same pallor which | had seen
! there once or twice before, and the stern
! bitterness settled about his mouth. But,
| as I continued, his features relaxed, and
into his eyes there cTept sOrrOwful ten
derness which revealed to me new
( and wOndrOus beauty.
Il cannot doubt your words" he said,
1 when | ceased. There was a cOnstraint and
huskiness in the sweet voice. ''It would
be a great relief to me to tell you the
| whole affair, but l cannot. There will
I L
/ myself and the child. Until that time
| comes. if you will befriend one so utterly
/ friendless as she is likely to be, and if you
| will develop for her the comfort and
! peace to be found in the riches of her own
nature, l shall be very grateful. 1t is per-
haps due you" he continued, with a
slight return of the half-bitter tone most
common to him; sit is perhaps due you
that l admit frankly how very much /
have been tempted to dislike and distrust
YOU. l hope you will forget and pardon
nv mistake. 1t is cOmical how prone we
( are to misjudge and misunderstood one
another" he added, YEARLY. "And now,
if it suits you, we Will hear my Cousins
/ music"
1t was always in this way that he spoke
! of Lois. Never suffering himself to for
get that she was Roberts wife, and there
fore his cousin.
''What about the branch road?'' /
asked, taking a seat by DIR. Hayward.
"Nothing definite as yet. Northern
capitalists still haggling. I'd like to sell
out; but there are no buyers now, OF
course"
SLOW much stock does Robert hold ?"
IAN alarming amount, an alarming
amount. More than that, if this enter
prise is failure, it will involve Cotton &
Conway. There's BOb's danger"
But the bank is safe, surely"
mo bank can be relied on if Il heavy
draw upon it is begun without warning.
Bob's been dealing heavily in cotton, too.
L lectured him sOundly to-day. 1 tell you
cotton is the very most devilish form of
gambling"
His impetuOus words were fortunately
drowned in the opening chords of Lois
song.
did not reply, but turned my attention
to the piano.
l shall never forget how beautiful Lois
was that night. The last-if we could
have known it-Of untrOubled pleasure
taking.
Her dress was of some soft, pinkish
material, which lay in graceful curves
and folds around the pianO-stOOl and far
out on the floor. The whole of the shape
" throat was dimly visible through the
tulle with which she had filed up the V
shaped bodice of the dress. In the mass
of dark, wavy hair she had fastened a
camellia, and among the ribbons at her
waist she had placed bunch of the same
snowy flowers.
very beautiful and gracious she was,
and very pure and nObly strong with a
woman's truest strength, as she glanced
tenderly into her husbands face and
smiled him arequest TO turn a page of the
music.
The hours flew by jOy-laden. No one
seemed to heed the pathetic shyness of the
Fif4Io DoIfsb u,oidop nd M hart with