Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-03-15

self assaulte the cobwebs with a kind
OF tender vigor. They had not laid aside
their bonnets and nantes, and to the ig-
norant eye OF u spectator their move
ments might not have looked wholly rea-
sOnable. To Mr.. Keator, however, who
came limping into the pariOr where the
war some moments later reached that re-
gion, they were quite ineligible. But
the frequent sight of his sister engaged in
this species OF temporary belllgerency,
though it had accustomed, had not
Injured him 10 the stirring spectacle, and
it seemed to him he would do as well TO
return at more suspicious reason. He
was turning away from the door when
Constance caught sight Of him, and drop
ping her broom came swiftly TO him with
both hands Outstretched and her Illumi-
mating smile upon her lips.
''Ah, Mr.. Keator!" she exclaimed, joy
Ously, as he took his hand from his
cTutch to be free to receive her double
clasp, Pm so glad. l hoped you would
see US and come up at once"
She led him to a sofa draped in its IA
tigue costume Of brown holland, intro
ducing her aunt en- the way.
surely you weren't going to let our
broom and buster drive you OFF, She I'M
pinned her apron quickly. I'VE were
only trying to make it seem more home
like,' she added as she folded the apron,
land that" said she, as she put the apron
out of sight. sis unnecessary since YOU
have come"
She pointed her pretty flattery with a
kindly smile, and sne did not see the look
of happiness that possessed the ministers
face as she went on:
Chow can say how glad l am to see
you again, Mr.. KeatOr? Pve been trying
to make it all seem natural. 1t seems
nprfpCtlV natural now -
She began to ask him many questions.
How was the garden looking? She had
not yet been out to see. And the Olean-
der-was it alive still? Did the sickel
pear tree yield as abundantly as usual?
Who owned her fathers Oid horse 'Fan-
cy' nOwy Had the man who bought her
kept her, and had be treated her we'll?
Benicia-was she still with him? Con-
stance found time between her rapid
questions to wonder that so many inter-
ests remained to her in Judea.
Mr.. KeatOr sat lingering his crutch, an
swering as well as he might and gazing
absorbedly at her unconscious face.
''And your sisteTT' asked Constance,
suddenly. "SOme one tells me that you
have been importing sister, Mr.. keatOr.
Where have you kept her hiddenP You
never said anything about her"
"She was so far away and did not eX-
pect her soon then"
sit must be great pleasure to have her
with you. Please tell her ho% glad we
shall be to know her. What is her
name?"
Rose" answered Mr.. Keator, alb
stractedly. keeping his impOtent eyes on
her face.
'Rose-Rose Keator. What a pretty
namel"
''She will be very happy to CALL" said
the minister, formally.
Constance paused abruptly and regard
ed him in thoughtful absence. His glance
was turned toward Mrs. EchOls. whom
he began To ask some perlunctOry ques-
tiOns. she WAS not thinking as she looked
at him of his unfailing courtesy Of which
this polite inquiry was one of the exam
pies. She haa suddenly come to the end
of her queries, and she was quickly con-
sciOus that she had prosecuted them
rather as a means of defense than for the
satisfaction of her curiosity. She asked
herself what she had found it necessary
to defend herself against, and the instant
answer caused her TO accuse her imagina-
ton for its failure to warn her. She had
given no thought to this meeting with
Mr.. KeatOr, and she felt that her manner
wore rather obviously the air of having
been manufactured to meet an eXIgeDcy.
Those who have made her acquaintance
things disturbing to her. she detested
artticialily of every sort, but she had a
great liking for fOreknOwiedge as a means
toward torearming. She wished to be
prepared and to have worked out it's adj
vance to plan for meeting certain cOntin-
gencies. The clumsy PEG lie who adj
mIred her excellent faculty of doing the
right thing at the right time usually spoke
Of her readiness; but it was the readiness
aE f.fra L.
alert in emergency, but she had dis
taste for emergencies and would have
banished them altogether il it had lain
with her. Whatever htr success in deal
ing with suddenly-preselted questions
she always iamented that she should not
have guessed they would present them
selves.
you have come back to see about the
hospital" asked Mr.. Keator, turning
again to her, ''0r have you been better adj
vIsed? You know Miss Van Cleefs
plan" he added, TO Mrs. Echols. ut
was my endeavor to discourage her when
she proposed it. 1t seemed like doing too
much"
''She does it for her father. You must
remember that. In that way you won't
think she can do too much?' Mrs. Echols
returned, with her courteous smile.
But it comes 10 the church"
Aub CuulCu uldJ blubu db Il uudbttI "a
FORM said Constance; shut you must
take it. There is no questiOn-there need
not be; need there, Mr.. KeatOrf'
1--WE can't prevent your gift, / sup
pose, If you are determined" he said,
with smile, land, I think, ! can make
the elders see-yes, | may promise their
assent, believe"
Mr.. Keator had not made Constance's
proposition known, and in his Utmost
ha hot 4 / Iftr
might be made about ner standing in the
church. He took the burden cheerfully
on his shoulders, and he did not permit
them To suppose that it existed.
They talked for n long time Of the hos
pitll, especially canvassng the proper
sight, and when he rose to 20, Constance
said:
Il shall have to leave it all to you, Mr.
keator. It's pleasant to take up the
old custom of relying on your generosity"
She gave him a 10 k which she meant
to express all the kindness and sympa-
thy for hum that was il her heart. She
had 2lwaJ liked him, ard in This renew
al of their intercourse she liked HIM more
than ever. How much this feeling may
have tad TO do with compassion for a sit
uatiOn whose peculiar misery, until she
saw him she seemed never to have fairly
felt, need not be ventured. 1t is certain
tlHL sue lOAiIll u5E sell OlJcu curing EnetT
talk picturiug the months that he had
passed since her departure. II the pas
sion whose strength she could not d0uG.
had not yielded to has severe resolution
what IaOuths they must have been. Her
fancy furnished her with no adequate idea
of them, she was sure, but the sense of
this only made them the mOle pitiful.
All this she tried to make her expressive
face say in bidding him goOd-mOrning. She
may have trusted too much to the fineness
OF Sir. keator's perceptions. This was
what she thought when she saw the an
swerlng LOOK on his face. The truth was
she had counted too little the weak, man
nature which no vows or obligations can
quite overthrow. In his glance she read
with terrifJ inS clearness the history OF
the tew months she had tried to imagine
all the resistess love and longing the
un0ending Will to conquer and the lOath-
ing of the carnal nature that would not
down. She wondered why she had not
seen before in the haggard lines of his
face what it had cost him. 1t was a look
that would have frightened a less dis
eliminating mind. Constance was only
sympathetically appalled, at the retro
spect. For the future she saw, or
thought she saw, in his look the assur-
ance Of ultimate victory. She was shaken
by the passion that glowed upon her from
his eyes; but she thought OF the integri-
ty behind it-an integrity which in all her
acquaintance with him had never failed