The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-08-11
CHAPTER ".

+ |sf7yaraC L,aI-t- ! - ..l,, n 1-e.
ma i9.yl 10 ainneT vas Scarcely q 70
.-,. she was not g.yea to mead
,5 nal not so fa- as she could re-
- -, otc9 lad NJ witt them, blt
liz -Ls.b,d been said, she Gil not feel
- ,;orGs.airs and facing Char
She had mover quite adnlt'oi
a. .--.,.,t she loved thu young sailor VINO
' - last r,w weeks been 50 much Mt
- an Of 81 hose reason for so com
~ 49, INIT lit.le doabc; but now, as she
49,, !, tho room, she knew we'll enough
Az sbo ,,.nld give to his question
ben it came. ,,-..,.-,rr % I,ar
f,,.;nrs caused alarm rather than
-. There had been no signs OF fear
4scs VIXEN her cousin ragged and
nI. ne hut she did not believe that the
~ ,.r-4 emnty ones; he had o1ten
- - her whea she was cdlld by Iu-
i.,,,.sts Of passion, and although IL
Inv wears now since she had seen
rvs sne felt sure that he would do as
bo5 threatened, and that he was likely
,nTh IN take any stop that might occur
Inn in MS passion, to carry OUT MS
,tIo,qb she had put bold front on 1t,
s - ,att at leArt that his reproach
75'-'+ el.nre-her W Justified. There had
& % Inv and girl STA ding betweeg them,
aI.nongh had not been FINALLY rati-
w tata yelrs. It's existence was tacUIly
2 .,nil,5 in botl families, aud until few
81 Tbs hafore she herself had considered
~ t,,t in the natural course of events sac
MD some day be Ronald Mervynj
4od he reproached her gently, she would
s lava frankly admitted this, and would have
s,ad hin to forgive her for changing her
rnd NOW that Years had wrought a change
!. her feelings, but the harshneSs anu SUD
la1ness of his attack had reused her pride,
,ni driven her to take up the ground that
81 here was no formal engagement between
hem. and tlat as he mad not renewed the
I'M .i.ct for wears she was at perfect liberty
h consider herself free. She had spoken
I'm the truth in saying that their near re-
"a g6ODship was IN her ewes q bar TO their mar
haze. Of late years sue had thought much
more than she had when a girl over the
a history Of the family and the curse of the
garues, ana al,hO gh she had tried her best
a 20 prevent herself from DrOoding over the
81 d q. she could not disguise from herself
q hat her brother was at times strange ana
81 mike other men, and her recollections of
n Elaali's 0utburstS Of temper, as bow, in
5 nced tae suspicion that he, too, had not
& .together escaped the fatal taiut. Still,
q lad not Charlie Gulston come across her
)th 1t was proba le tnas she would have
nfted on as before, and would, when the
me came, have accepted Ronald Mervyn
Is her husband
The next morning, when Ruth Powlett
Ecut a. usual to call her mistress, she started
4 With surprise as she opened the door, for
he 0Hld was already up and the window
II on. Closing the door behind her, she
vent in and placed the jug of hot water
he carried by the washstand, and Thea
urned around to arouse her mistres AS she
4 Iii so low cry burst from her hips. and
4 he zrasped a chair for Support. The white
\ luea was stained with blood, and Margaret
j ay there, white aud still, with her eyes wide
)qen ami fixed III death. The Clio nes were
iuwn short way down in order that the
murderer might strike at her heart. Scarce
I'd she taken this in, when Ruth felt
he room swim round, her feet failed her,
nd she fell lnsen5i bic on the grouad.
In few minutes the cold air streaming
a through the open window aroused her.
feehly she recovered her feet, id support
lg herself against the wall, staggered to-
ward the door, AS she did 50 her eve fell
IN an object lying by the side of the bed.
She stopped at oace with another gasping
Try, pressed her hand on her forehead and
food as II fascinated, with her eyes liked
apon 1t. Then slowly and reluctantly. as
Forced to act against her will, she moved
.9WaEd the bed, stopped and picked I'D the
OBJECT she had seen.
one mad recognized it at once. It was a
@rge lie with spring blade, and a silver
AaCe let into the buckhorn handle, with a
laine' v. Forester, engraved upon it. 1t
vas Il knife Sh5 herse.f had given to her
over year before. 1t was stained with
blood. For minute or two she stood gay
.JnS at II In blank horror. What should she
40, what should she dog She thought of
'ne BOY who had been her PLAYMATE, of the
ma, lla1 sue mad loved, and whom though had
'dSt' MN oil, size had never quite ceased to
I'VE ohe thought Of his father, the old
iiau VINO had always been kind to her. If
que ie1t Chls slleot witness where she had
toun1 IL t-ere would ba no doubt what
would would come of it. For some min
utes She stood iresolute
oou forgive me- she said at last tT
cannot do H." She closed the knife. mt it
o- uer dress, and then turned around
thall' one dared not look at the bed now
~ ~ oue LETT herself in some way an accom-.
plice III her mistress murder. and she made
IVA. way 10 the door, opened it. and then
ti'li ieu oo"A stairs into the kitchen. where
r..e servants VINO were just sitting down to
t. 1Hias1 rose with Cry as sac entered
u,, nat Is 1t, Ruth! What's the matterg
'-'r'0 you S-ea anythingp
IsuInS lips moved, but no sound CANA
1o ~'l 1neill, her face was CHASTITY white and
loI eyes full Of horror.
Al ,-o W. "V Is 1t, chlld:n the old cook said
,I1ra 'i.tiIs aha uchlng her while the others
NJ M, o1 S3' frightened at her aspect
,,o,, r1iSS Magaret is dead" came at last
larod oni her hps. 'She has been unur-
vaHId - the night" and she reeled and
;ervar+ t', 1.r'' lallen again had no5 tae Old
DER in a lug uU Ler IN her arms and placed
mad brolya,'' o. - "A cry OF horror and surprise
luhbub Of talk '"-'S' Vhen came a
.P, ~ cant be true" st is imnoss;bIa
,[, rIju must have fancied it.n s!It never
~ r and then they looked in eacb
u their words. " oonllrnahon
Susan ,llu an{ 70 y up and see" the cook said
ne. I fSd ana Harriet, You come along with
\ sfo ,.o -. oI1ers sea to Ruth. Sprinkle soma
/ Gaming" Au0 nluSV nave been
teal a11'I11c (E a confidence which she did not
=ri,,t tno cook. followed timldlv bv the t,uo
,or @lrIs, Went upstairs. She stood
she o. moment hesitating before
,atoraJ' '-ed the door; then She
not d. the room, the two GIRL
Ito az az ius 70 follow her. She vent So S.
,ltsn ,"o room, then gave little crv an99
been n ~ true, she cried; Miss Marraret ba.
Vent ~, Ine Pent up fears of the girls fourd
f,om H. -ou u screams, which we're echoad