Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1885-10-02
CHAPTER XXI.

Inspiration, as a rule scars above the pet
tiness Of detail, and Of all inspiration that
one whose wings are worked by religion flies
the highest and freest from trammels of
custom and caution. A man or a woman
inspired with an ethical mission to hui
manity feels fully convinced that, provided
the eyes are kept steadfastly on the glorious
result, the brambles which have for ages
choked the path leading to the great goal
will in some mysteri Gus manner get cleared
out of the way; without faith of this kind
inspiration sinks to the dull level of wisdom
Sarah Miller was woman with mission;
mission, however, Of a personal, not of a
general nature. Her mission, as she read it,
was to insure the worldly happiness of her
beloved mistress, and her faith in the in
spiraJion which prompted the task was such
as to tsake her believe that she would sue
coed.
Everything in this woman's life turned on
her devotion to Beatrice. Her mind was
like a dark, sunless ruin, in the center of
which springs one pure white marble column,
and that column her love for her mistress
The wild words she once used when telling
Frank Carruthers what she could do for
Beatrice's sake, if any thing, fell short of the
truth.
1t is absurd to suppose that any one of us
is entitled to such alteration from fellow
creature. Very probably David himself did
not deserve Jonathan's unparalleled devo-
ton any more than Beatrice deserved that
of Mrs. Miller. Nevertheless, if human
affection were doled out into thescale against
personal merit most Of us would fare ex-
tremely i'll in this world. Simple justice,
like pure republicanism, and many other
,f,I
theory than in practice. Mrs Miller's strange
worship of Beatrice must be sought for in
causes other than the girls merits or even
her servants gratitude.
This then was the emissary who went
forth on behalf of Beatrice this, the bearer
of the flag of truce between her and Maurice
Hervey. A strange intermediary yet pos
sessing some valuable qualifications for the
office, insomuch as she was devoted to her
own side, hated the foe, and, above all, was
full of the belief that in some unknow Ii way
she would be guided so as to enable her to
bring the negotiation to a satisfactory ISSUE
She listened with apparent attention to
Beatrice's many and clear instructions but
her thoughts were in reality far away, In
this matter she believed she was called upon
to act more the part of a principal than that
of an agent Beatrice, who was anxious to
know how Hervey was 10 be found, had to
rest satisfied with the assurance that Mrs
Miller would experience no difficulty in
tracing him. Provided that Hervey was
still in London her assurance was justified,
for as his time on ticket-of-leave had not
vet expired his address could no doubt be
obtained upon application in the proper
quarter,
This was about the only detail Sarah had
as yet stopped to consider. She had not yet
thought how her end was to be gained,
whether by threats or by entreaties. She
felt that all she had to do was to meet the
man face to face, and then she would find
herself guided to act for the best.
Beatrice, who had some misgivings on the
score Of allowing her faithful servant to
make SO long a journey unprotected, had
carefully looked up routes and trains She
fancied that Sarah would travel in greater
ease and safety if she went to England via
Paris by the great through express train
which runs across Europe from Constan-
tinople to Paris, stopping only two or three
times in each country which it traverses.
So Mrs, Miller Travelled in such luxury as a
railway train can offer.
She reached London without any mishap,
Here she went to d friends, the one to whose
care Beatrice's correspondence had been in
trusted, After nights rest bad dispelled
the fatigue of the journey she began the first
part of her mlssion-that of finding Maurice
Hervey
1.-The task was simple one, She inquired
until she aseerta1ned where the register of
tieket-ef- leave men resident in London was
kept; then, upon applying at the proper
office and satisfying tne authorities that she
sought the man for no evil purpose, the adj
dress was given her. She took cab and
drove straight to it.
Hervey who had by eff1uxion of means
been thrown f>om the lap of luxury on to
the hard floor of hare existence was housed
in what was little more than garnet. In
deed the money which Mr.. Field paid him
on behalf of Frank Carruthers was the ons
plank between him and starvation. He had
parted with his rings and ether valuables.
All that he could call his OWL was a decent
suit of clothes This lie had chung to tena.
ciously. knowing that if it comes to beg
glng, a fairly dressed man has betiHf
chance of awakening sympathy tban one
who is in rags and tatters. The contrast
between decent broadcloth and empty pocls-
cts is so painful that when asked one feels
compelled to do something to tone it do,yn.
He was sitting in his cherries, soTdid
room, smoking his short pipe and working
out schemes of vengeance and plumber much
as he had worked them out in his secluded
state in Portlan1 prison, He was cursing
his own olumsiness and want Of foresight,
as indeed h. cursed them at least a hundred
times a day, He was unwashed and un-
shorn, and his right arm, although nearly
mended, was still in one of those shiny
black sings. Altogether the man was in a
condition Of body and mind far from envi-
able