Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-04-06
CHAPTER XIX.

during the last Two months great
change had come over Marin Marg'et.
Not that she had abated one jot of her eff
ficiency in her daily duties; a speck of
dust was still as abhOrrent to her soul as
ever, and she would have felt that any
disorder in her mistress beautiful home
was as dire disgrace as before, and she
had been guilty of no possible neglect.
Still, during the last two months, great
change had come over Marin Marg'et.
She went about her daily duties sys-
tematically, promptly and efficiently: but
she went silently. In the kitchen her
voice was now never heard high in au-
thOrity OrreprOOf; and the customary rest,
at intervals on the back door steps, was
abandoned; nor was she any longer given
to sOllIOquy, species of conversational
philOsOphizlng, whilOm so dear to her
soul.
A great change had come over Marin
Marg'et. Charlie saw it and worried over
it a good deal until one bright dav, know
ing how sharp-sighted her old nurse had
always been, she fancied she had some
how discovered her engagement, and was
wounded at not being consulted on such
a mOmentOus matter.
Acting on this idea the young girl
had taken the old woman to her room and
with many bushes had told her all. Her
qualification and satisfaction hads been
b0uAlhANooF anu lDA d lew ualS ouE WAS
constantly calling her young mis-
tress of to talk it over, and evil
IDENTIFY enjoyed no little the dignity
and Importance of being first con-
tidante; but, after a week or two, the
novelty wore off, and Marin Marg'et
lapsed back in her quiet condition, and
Charlie gradually grew accustomed TO
and even ceased to marvel at it.
The old SerYiug-WOman was not aSSum-
INC role TO nrOVOkp the PnriOGifV of tho
family; she was not acting part; she had
stumbled on a great secret, and she was
aWed and overcome with the great re-
spOnsibility. She knew, and she believed
that she alone knew, that Mr.. Beltham was
killing his wife!
Without being by nature especially sus-
plclOus she was ObserYant. Yigilant,
shrewd. From Mr.. Beltham's first en-
trance into the family as visitor and
friend she had distrusted and disliked
him. She believed first, that cOYeting her
young mistress, he had designs on her old
master and daily and hourly she watched
him. Whenever he had watched by
Judge Bdrrett's sick bed pair of Sleep
less eyes were perpetually on him. If
ever he had occasion to administer dose
of medicine, Marin Marg'et made some
pretense to take it and submit it to her
own taste before it should be given.
What stratagems she used; what
manGuVres she made to accomplish her
ends, were known only TO herself. But
even her vigilance failed to discover any
plot against her masters life. He died, it
is true, but it was only too evident that
his death was the result Of chronic dis
ease; and so she had to acquit Mr.. Bel
than of any connection with this calami-
ty. But she did not cease watching him.
That he would soon marry her mistress
she did not doubt; "a child" she SAID.
might see so much" but she could not
bring herself to believe in his sincerity,
and it was not many months before she
found the very vital point of all his
schemes-he was in love with Charliel
At this startling discovery her soul was
up in arms. He wanted her mistress
money, and for this he had married her;
and he dared to love Charlie-Charlie, her
pearl OF beauty and sweetnessl Marin
Marg'et's fist was clinched, and Marin
Marg'ets great black eyes flashed fire at
the thought. But her fears had WrOnged
Mr.. Beltham. He was not quite the viii
lain her scOrn and hatred painted him.
lie had never proposed to wrong his
ward or insult her with a married mans
love. He had only hoped by the danger
Gus gateway of crime to win her hand.
This the angry woman could not know at
first, and, aroused and vigilant, she gave
her whole soul to watching over her
sleepleSs role of the detective became
hers, and she did not work TOR naught.
Her shrewd, suspicious intelligence was
brought to bear on every movement of
Mr.. Beltham. If he left the house in
some curious way she managed to know
his whereabouts; if he read, slept, ate,
visited or received visitors, he was
equally under her all-COmpassing espio-
mage. The result was inevitable. She
read his life, his schemes, his crimes as
readily as one might read an open page.
His whole yillainous plan was mapped
out as clearly to her intelligence as to his
own. She knew mOre-Mrs. BeItham,
senior, walking about her house, grave,
quiet, thoughtful, prey to an ever-pres- /
ent fear and anXiety-was no veXing |
problem TO Marin Marg'et, and when at /
last, watching as usual, she saw the |
mother take her son into the locked room, |
Mr.. Beltham knew no better than the old /
servant the subject OF their conference. |
Although only an uneducated negro this |
woman had a shreWd common sense, /
which had stood her in good stead of the /
knowledge which comes of books, and /
she knew that the unsupported assertion (
Of person of her kind would be totally /
to criminate gentleman like /
Mr.. Beltham. She knew him a murderer, /
but she knew she must have proof before I
she dared TO speak.
After days and nights of waiting, she /
believed that at last she had somewhat to /
support her accusation. Her soul rejOiced /
over it, but she was not a woman to sit I
calmly down with weapon in her hand. |
There was no time to be lost. She must /
act, and must act Immediately. At this /
critical moment she did not hesitate. She /
had long ago determined that when the /
time came she would go straightway and I
place the whole thing in efficient hands. /
She would 90 to Mr.. Fearne. He was to /
be Charities husband; who could have |
more interest in Furnishing the enemy of |
their house than he? So, the day after
Charles last visit TO her uncle's, Marin
Marg'et asked fol an afternoons holiday,