Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-08-03

He fell back from her a few steps.
Il wonder if you are insane" he muir
INJURED.
ITO allude to my child? Why do you
ask me such questions then? / tell YOU
| the simple truth. / take every care of
this one. l am older and wiser. The other
one was a complete mistake; he had no
right to eXist.''
"Why didn't you kill him then with
/ your own hands, instead of that tor
I ture?"
"Why didn't 1 kill myself? That ques-
ton would be more to the point. You are
looking wonderfully well,' she broke of
DOWN."
q didn't come here for the advantage
OF conversation, Benyon answered. And
ne was going on, but she interrupted him.
: gu came to say something dereadful,
1 very likely; though hoped you would see
| 1t was better not, But just tell me this be-
fore you begin. Are you successful, are
you happy? 1t has been so provoking, not
knowing more about yOu.''
There was something in the manner in
which this was said that caused him to
break into loud laugh; whereupon she
added:
"Your laugh is just what it used to be.
1 How it comes back to mel You haze inn
/ proved in appearance" she went on.
She had seated herself, though he re-
manned standing; and she leaned back in
a low, deep chair, looking up at him, with
| her arms folded. He stood near her and
/ over her, as 1t were, dropping his baffied
/ eyes on her, with his hand resting on the
! corner of the .chimneypiece.
HAS it never occurred to you that /
/ may deem myself absOlYed from the prom
| Use made you before l married you? -
every often, of course. But | have in
4 cTanfIu dfCr11fscaA baiAn0 Hour x-Orr
/ be 'absolved? One promises, or one
doesn't. | attach no meaning to that, and
/ neither do YOU" And she glanced down
/ to the front of her dress.
! BenyOn listened, but he went on as if he
/ had not heard her:
''What / came to say to you is this ::
| that | should like your consent to my
! bringing a suit for divorce against you"
"A suit for divorce? Ineyer thought of
| that"
$50 that l may marry another woman.
/ l can easily obtain divorce on the ground
of your desertion.n
She Estared a moment. Then her smile
| solidiied, as it were, and she looked
grave; but he could see that her gravity,
with her lifted eyebrows, was partly as
sumed.
"Ah, you want to marry another wo-
manw she exclaimed, slowly, thoughtful
". He said nothing, and she went on:
"Why don't you do as | have done?'
Because don't want my children to
be-
Before he could say the words she
sprang up, checking him with cry;
Don't say it; it isn't necessary! OF
course l know what you mean; but they
won't be if no one knows it,"
Il should object to knowing it NY
self; it's enough for me to know it Of
yours.7
"Of course I have been prepared for
your saying that
II should hope SOL" Benyon exclaimed.
''You may be a bigamist if it suits YOU,
but to me the idea is not attractive. l wish
to maryland, hesitating a moment,
with his slight stammer, he repeated-'I
wish to marry"
''Marry then and have done with itp'
cried Mrs Roy.
He could already see that he should be
able to extract no consent from her; he
felt rather sick.
Its extraordinary to me that you
shouldn't be more afraid of being found
out, he said after a moments reflection.
"Ihere are two or three possible acct
dents.''
Chow do you know how much afraid |
am: have thought Of every accident, in
dreadful nights. How do you know what
my life Is, or what it has been all these
miserable years"
"You look wasted and worn, certainly.0
"Ah don't compliment me.' Georgina
exclaimed. IF bad never known you
if had not been through all this-I be-
Heye | should have been handsome. When
did you hear ofmy marriage? Where were |
you at the timer"
cat Naples, more than six months ago,
by mere chance"
Chow strange that it should have taken |
v-fy t. T,CT -. g
They don't mind what they do over /
there"
~ have no information to give you be- I
yond what / Just said," Benyon reininad
''1Iy lite doesn't in the least regard you.'' /
"Ah, but it does from the moment | re- I
fuse to let you divorce me-"
s'YOu refuse?" Benyon said, softly.
"Don't look at me that way! You /
haven't advanced so rapidly as | used to |
think you would; you haven't distinguish /
ed yourself so much," she went on, ir- |
relevantly.
81 shall be promoted Commodore one of /
these days. Benyon answered. You |
don't know much about it, for my adj |
yancement has already been extraordina- /
rily rapid" He blushed as soon as the I
words were out Of his mouth. She gave a
light laugh on seeing it; but he took up his |
hat and added: ''ThInk over a day or two I
Nudl i nave IJ1OiOoCO " Ohs 4A4lAh VI Tic 4
temper in which l ask it,"
''The temper?" she stared. "Pray, what I
have you to do with temperW And as he /
made no reply, smoothing his hat with his |
glove. she went on: Years ago, as much I
as you please! You had good right. ] |
don't deny, and YOU raved in your letters, /
to your hearts content. That's why | /
wouldn't see you; didn't wish to take it /
full in the face. But that's all over now, /
time is healer, you have cooled off, and I
by your own admission you have cOnsoled /
Yourself. Why do you talk to me about |
temper? What in the world have l done |
to you, but let you aloneT'
What do you call this business p Ben |
yon asked, with his eye flashing all over
the room.
"Ah, excuse me, that doesn't touch you |
it's my affair. ! leave you your liberty, |
and [ can live as / like. If l choose to |
live in this way, it may be queer { | admit |
itiS.awfulIy), but you have nothing to say
to it. If | am willing to take the risk, you
NAV be. If / am willing to play such an
internal trick upon a cOnfding gentleman
/ will put it as strong as you possibly
could, | don't see what you have to say
to it except that you are tremendously
Glad such woman as that isn't known to
be your wifev' She had been cool and
deliberate up to this time; but with these
words her latent agitation broke out.
.'Do you think have been happy-do you
think | have enjoyed existence-do you
see me freezing up into stark old maid?
II wonder you stood out so longl" said
Benyon.
ii wonder did. They were bad years."
81 have no doubt they wereW
stYou could do ss you pleased Geor-
gina went on. S'You roamed about the
world; YOU formed charming relations. !
am delighted to hear it from your own
lips. Think of my going back to my
fathers house-that family vault-and
living there, year after year, as Miss
Gressie! If you remember my father and
mother-they are round in Twelfth street,
lust the same-you must admit that paid
Tor my folly"
II have never understood you; l don't
understand you now" said Benyon.
She looked at him a moment. 81 adored
you"
went on.
The moment he had spoken she grasped
his arm and held up her other hand, as
if she were listening to sound outside
the room. She had evidently had an i'm
SEPARATION, and she carried it into instant
effect. She swept away to the door, flung
it open, and passed into the hall, whence