The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-01-06

fidence to be dragged into the infamous out
rage that has been committed upon me and
common dacency. And | shall hold the
thief and coundrel-whoever he may he
answerable to myself in the absence of her
natural protector"
Uncle Ben surveyed TIE hero of these
glttering geueralities with undisgui ed
admiration. He extended his hand to him
gravely.
sA"Shakel Eff another proof was wantin,
Mr. Ford, of that bein' my wife's letter,
he said, that heightened style OF yours
would settle it, For eff thar was one thing
she did like, it was that sort of po'try. And
one reason why her and me didn't get on,
and why | skedaddled, was because it
wasn't in my line. Els all in trainen'
Only man ez had the Fourth Reader at his
fingers ends could talk like that. Bein'
brought up on Dobell-ez is nowhere-it
sorter lets me out of you, ez it did outer
her. But allowin' it amt the square thing
for you to mention her name, that wouldn' I
be nothn' agin' my dom it, and CALM her,
well-Lou Price, in keerless sort o. way
ems"
IT decline to answer further" replied the
master quickly, although his color had
changed at the name. 81 decline to say an
other word on the matter until this mys-
terry is cleared up-until | know who dared
to break into my desk and steal my proper
ty, and the purpose of this unheard-of out
rage. And | demand possession Of those
letters at once"
Uncle Ben without a word put them in
the masters hand, to his slight surprise,
and it must be added to his faint discomft
ture, nor was it decreased when Uncle Ben
added with grave naivete and a patronising
pressure of his hand on his shoulder.
"In course ez your takn' it on to your
self, and ez Lou Price amt got no further
call on me, they orter be yours. Ez to who
got em outer the desk, l reckon you amt
got no suspicion of any one spyin' round ye
hey yep
In an instant the recollection of Seth
Davis face at the window and the corro-
boration Of Rupert's warning flashed across
Ford's mind. The hypothesis that Seth had
i'm agined that they were Cressy's letters,
and had thrown them down without reading
them when he had found out his mistake
seemed natural For if he had read them he
would undoubtedly have kept them to show
to Cressy The complex emotions that had
disturbed the master on the discovery of
Uncle Ben's relationship to the writer Of
the letters were resolving themselves into
furious rage at Seth. But before he dared
revenge himself he must be first assured
that Seth was Ignorant of their contents.
He turned to Uncle Ben.
Il have suspicion, but to make it GER
tain must ask you for the present to say
nothing of this to any oue."
Uncle Ben nodded.
And when you hev found out and you're
settled in your mind that you kin make my
mind easy about this yer Lou Price, ez we'll
call her, bein' divorced squareiv, and bein',
so to speak, in the way o gettil' married
again, We might let me know-ez a friend. |
reckon I wont trouble you any more to-
night-onless you and me takes another So
cable drink together iii tue bar. No! Well,
then, good night.
He moved slowly toward the door. With
his hand on the lock he added:
"Ef yer writin' to her agln, you might
say ez how you found me lookin' well and
comf'able and hopn' she's enjyin' the same
blessin'. so long"
He disappeared, leaving the master in a
hopeless collapse of conflicting, and it is to
be feared not very heroic emotions Tee sit
uaton which had begun so dramati ally
had become suddenly automatically
ludicrous, without, however, losing any of
its embarrassing quality. He was conscious
that he occupied the singular position Of
beng mora ridiculous than tie husband
whose invincible and complacent simplicity
stung HIM like the most exquisite irony.
For an instant he was almost goaded into
the fury of declaring that he had broken off
from the writer of the letters for ever, but
its Inconsistency with the chivalrous atti-
tude he had just taken occurred to him in
time to prevent him from becoming doubly
absurd.
His rage with Seth Davis seemed to him
the only feeling left that was genui and
rational, and yet now that Uncle Ben had
gone even that had spurious ring. 1t was
necessary for him to lash himself into a
fury over the hypothesis that the letters
might have been Cressy's, and desecrated
by that scoundreps touch. Perhaps he had
read them and left them TO be picked up by
others. He looked over them carefully to
see if their meaning would to the ordinary
reader ap ear vi US and compromising
His eye fell on the first paragraph.
81 should not be quite fair with you,
Jack, if l affected to dlsbelieve in your
faith in your love for me and its endur-
ance, but should be still more unfair if
didn't tell you what | honestly believe, that
at your age you are apt to deceive yourself,
and without knowing it to deceive Others.
You confess you have not yet decided upon
your career, and you are always looking
forward so hopefully, dear Jack, for
change in the future, but you are willing to
believe that far more serious things than
that will suffer no change in the meantime
If we continued as we were, who am older
than you and have more experience might
learn the misery of seeing you change to-
Wafu me as nave CuuuRcl toward another,
and for the same reas n. If | were sure |
could keep pace with you in your dreams
and your ambition, If l were sure that |
always knew what they were, we might
still be happy-but | am not sure, aud |
dare not again risk my happiness on an I'M
certainty. In coming to my present resolu-
ton do not look Tor happiness, but at
least know | shall not suffer disappont-
ment, nor involve others in it. | confess |
am growing too old not to feel the value to
a woman-a necessity TO her in this country
of security in her present and future posi-
ton. Another can give me that. Aud al
though you may call this a selfish view Of
our relations, believe that you will soon
If you do not, even as you read this now
feel the ju.tice of it, and thank me for TAX
ing it,"
With a smile of scorn he tore up the let
ter, in what he fondly believed was the Bit
terness of an outraged trustful nature for
getting that for many weeks he had sea rcely
thought of its writer, aud that he himself
in his conduct had already anticipated its
truths.
fro BE Continued