Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-05-25
THE SAVANNAH MORNING NEWS: SUNDAY, MAY %, 1884.

sane. 1 may have been. have dim
remembrance Of excuses of fury and in
dignation, but they have passed. l will
tell you what / want you to do. l should
have gone long ago myself; 1 have made
many attempts, but l am a prisoner.
When ask any one to go l am promised
that the journey shall be made directly.
After while / am told that it has been
made. But it is all falsehood. Do you
wonder that my chains fret mes'
For the first time now her eyes seemed
to dart dangerous fire, and for the first
time l really asked myself if she were
insane.
''What shall I do for you?v 1 asked
gently.
"Win you go to New York?'
EYES," l said .unhesitatingly. Others
had promised, but would certainly do it.
She went on now with great rapidity of
utterance, like one who for a long time
has thought almost in silence upon a sub
ject, and now gives voice fully to those
thoughts.
For many wears everything was dark
and uncertain TO me but the one fact that
Eyerard was not dead; then, about three
years ago, light and knowledge seemed to
come TO me. know not how, but the IL
Elimination in my mind has been perfect.
| not only know that Eyerard is not dead,
but | know where he is. Think what it
has been to me to be called insane and to
be helpless. At last, however, feel as il
| had found some one who Will aid me.
VIII YOU go to this place in New York?''
she was now standing at desk and
drew forth a card on which was written a
certain number on Fifty-third street.
took the card.
at is a FOOLS errand,' l said to myself
''but L viii go, for have promhed."
She wished me to take money for my
expenses, but did not quite wish to do
that.
Il shall not see you again until l come
to tell you what luck have had" 1 said,
and hade her good bye.
1t was easy to see that there was unu-
sual animation in her manner.
Salome, the maid, came to let me out at
the street door.
Has Miss Sidonie been asking you to
go to New York; she asked respectfully.
"Yes."
1T is her mania. You told her you
would go?'
'sYes,D
''That is right. 1t is the only way" she
returned.
did not tell SalOme that had not only
said was going, but that l intended 70
keep my word.
As | threw off my bonnet in nv own
room l exclaimed aloud at my folly in
having so solemnly promised Sidonie Pace.
But II did not occur to me 10 break the
engagement | had made with her. l could
not see how any one could look in that
noble and suffering face and utter any
untruth. Did the suppOstiOn that she
was not wholly sane exOnerate any one
from such guilt? Had done a very fool
ish thing? Wen, it only involved Jour-
ney that / would make as comfortably as
L could. Was she insane? But why
should | doubt that? This very idea of
hers that she knew where her old lover
was was surely Indication sufficient that
her mind was unbalanced.
must be getting to be a demented old
woman in that I had undertaken so foolish
an GRAND as this. l was quite sure that
L would, at least, refrain from telling any
one of my intention.
The next morning l took the Washing
tOn-bOund train. / renamed over night
in that city and in the morning strOlled
about the Capitol, pretending that / was
interested in the lovely prospect before
me. In reality, I saw nothing but the
face and figure Of Sidonie Pace: l heard
nothing but her thrilling and pathetic
voice. Perhaps When I had really been
10 that house on Fifty-third street the
girl still called her that-would take
my word that her lover was not there.
and that delusiOn might finally drop from
her. 1 would be honest with her. at any
rate. 1t occurred to me that perhaps her
father really had been to New York, as he
said to her. How could she know SO pos
ltiYely? Would she say TO me also that /
lied to her when l should return and tell
her the disappointing truth?
In New York L took a carriage at the
ferry and was taken to Fifty-third street.
l sent of the driver and mounted the steps
alone and rang the bell. A man-servant
opened the door and Of him l asked if Mr..
Everard Adams lived there.
Mr.. Adams! No, ma'am; don't know
such a man."
"Who does live here?' inquired, re-
solved to be thorough in my inquiries.
"Mr. Irving. There he is now"
turned. A gentleman was mounting
the steps. BE took off his hat and asked
if he could do anything for me.
i was inquiring if Mr.. EYerard Adams
lived here,v L repeated.
He looked at me in silence an instant;
then he said:
"Will you oblige me by coming in for
momentf''
room and placed a chair for me. He did
not himself sit down. however.
Was 1t possible that this gentleman
could tell me anything? 1t seemed so.
The effort to adjust my mind to such a
possibility made me far from calm. The
stranger stood before me and asked:
''W hose name did you mention: Per-
haps | was mistaken"
The somewhat flOrid face had assuredlv
lost something Of its color; the handsome
brown ewes appeared to have a startled
look in them.
I said again the name Of the man for
whom / was looking.
'How came you to think of coming
here and lnQuiTing for that mau:' he
asked, almost with harsh information.
i came out Of kindness to Sidonie
Pace" l answered.
saw his hands suddenly shut tightly.
He turned away and exclaimed:
"G0od God! Sidonie Pace. SidOnie!'
There was no installing the passionate
tenderness of that last utterance of her
name.
l rose, anger in my heart. to see this
prosperous man in his lovely home, and
to think Of the woman on whose behalf l
had come.
You are EYerard Adams then" I said,
and did not care if face and tone showed
the contempt l felt,
Little he cared for what I thought Of
him.
lis she happyg' he asked. Then gent
~: Il certainly hope she is happy; but
it was long before / could bring myself to
wish that she might be happy without
met
Being woman. OF course my heart
sOltened to him a little as he said those
words in that tone. Briefly 1 related to
him what knew. He did not speak while
! told the story. I did not ask him for
any explanation. 4 certain kindness of
feeling kept growing for him; but l was
sure l despised him for having failed that
woman who sat day after day in her
Richmond home and thought only Of him,
of the love and hope of her youth.
Adams had averted his head as he list
ened, and L only had a glimpse of his
face, but that glimpse revealed something
Of the agony that was in his heart. My
pity grew stronger and stronger.
The man before me was one OfthOse whom
women always and Immediately like. He
was tall and strong physically, but he had
a peculiar gentleness in his bearing, an
involuntary Difference to you for being a
woman, which never fails to touch a femi-
nine heart.
He did not reply when ceased speak
ing. After moment he left the room,
and returned with a small box like a dis
patch-boX in his hand. With a key at
tached to his watch chain he unlocked
this receptacle. Still in silence he drew
out folded paper, and handed it to me.
l understood that | was to read the paper,
and I unfOlded it. 1t was short enough. I
saw that it was dated years back-in
fact, when came to reckon, it was q month