The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-03-16

her promise OF silence az the menace OF q
new danger.
"Steve knows" said the cid woman.
viciously. ''He knows better nor YOU.
Don't YOU 60 for to offend him. He's got
black temper, stephen But he's mai in
love with you, AMI If you was to humor
him a bit and purtsnd as you was satisfied,
he might let you out in a week or two, and
after all, you do worse than take up with
steady, well-tl-do young man like Stephen
Eyre. Mr.. Eastwood might set him up in
trade maybe, by and by."
Granny. I'll not talk to you at all il you
SPEAK in that wayT cried poor Jess, flash
ing out Indignantly. sits Shameful
love George, and nobody else; and rll al
ways be faithful to himT
"Then Steve III kill you,' said her grand
mother, almost below her breath. HE'LL
have no mercy; he never has, on them as
goes against him. You'd better take carer
She said no more, but before jess turned
away she saw the old woman seizs the rings
and bury them between the mattress aud
the wall, where, as the girl afterward
found, there was a hole in the plaster which
Mrs. Flint used as hiding plaza for her
| treasures.
After this conversation, Jess fell oncs
more into the state of passive despoudeacy
| from which Mrs. Flint had for time dis
| turbed her. She was again reused by hav-
| ing to prepare food for tho Old woman, but
she could not touch any herself, although
sue was faint aud ill for want of it, The
sight of it seemed now to sicken her, and she
| had not the helrt to try for victory over
| her own inclnations. Neither Stephen nor
| Dick appeared at midday, but Alice Drew
| came in, aud was some what shocked to find
| Jess lying on the floor with her head
| against the trllckle bed in a state of evident
suffering which it was difficult to remedy.
| To persons like Alice Drew and the Avres
| it was q small matter to have eaten moth
| ing for half a day; aud until lately jess
would have felt little Inconvenience from
such abstinence. But during the past few
months she had been, for the first time in
| her life, amply and delicately fed "a nd hunger
now produced a very lowering effect upon
her. She had also passed through various
| phases of emotion: fright, anger,
anxiety, despair, hal done their WORK in
| turn, aud she bad had no real rest during
the long night hours. she looked . death
like as she lay beside the bed taat Alice was
alarmed
~ Wi he'd Stephen would come" she said
to herself as sue hustled about to get soma
food ready, and to perform the tasks which
Jess had left unGone. "Pll like him to see
her now. He'll pever be able to get
through with it-he'll kill her first poor
child. But suppose he's right; only Pm
so worldly-ninded that it seems hard to
me-"
And then she came to jess with a bowl of
soup. and coaxed her to eat as if she had
been sickly child. until the girl, who was
naturally meek and responsive to kindness,
yielded 20 her perSuasions AID swallowed
the savory meal. Then, overcome with
fatigue, she fell Into a profound slumb II,
which las,el until the day began to close in
and the shadows to deepen into the room.
Alice Drew remained. for the old women
was feeble and in pain, and needed her
care; but when at last Mrs. Flint Ind, like
Jess, dropped off to sleep, the Young WON IN
looked douotfully toward the door and tied
on her poke bonnet with rathar reluctant
fingers. She did not very much want TO
90, blt she felt that her duty lay elsewhere.
Before, however, she had unfastened the
locked door, she heard sounds that startled
her on the stairs and even on the street,
although, as the room that she
was in looked out on the roofs and back
yards mainly, she knew that the cries she
heard must be considerably deadene1 b.
distance. Probably a fight OF some Iii I'd
was going on. But why should there be
shouts and scuffing and heavy footsteps on
the stairs Of the house in which they lived
Sue was on the point Of going out to see
what was wrong, when she heard the door
OF Stephens room open, and in another
moment he stood before her, a pitiable OBJ
ject, bleeding aad bruised, with torn clothes
and generally dishegeied aspect, which
told that he had been engaged in the street
fray. He stood painting, and she, with a
cry of alarm, and lips from which the
colour had suddenly receded, rushed for
ward to assist him.
"What is it? Oh, Stephen, let me see your
forehead Sit down AID I'll baudage it for
you. How ever did you get hurt like
thisn
Stephen sat down, and uttered short.
harsh laugh.
''Pve been fishtiny," he said huskily.
''Sounds we'll, doesn't it, from a street
preacher! I'll tell you WAC l fought WITH
in minute or two, when get my wind"
Alice brought water and bandages, the
latter Of which she improvised with great
skill, for she was unaccustomed to treating
wounds and bruises; and she was soon busy
in sponging away the blood that was flow
ing from a cut in the young mans temple.
Her hand trembled a little as she did IL, and
her face was still unusually pale. She bad
her back towards jess, aud did not notice
that the girl, still daZed with sleep and
trouble, had risen from her resting place,
and now stood looking at Stephen, with a
strangely wild expreSion creeping into her
beautiful eyes. Presently she made step
forward, threw up her hands wildly, and
uttered long, low, inarticulate cry, which
startled her hearers considerably.
"Oh, / know-I know what you have
doneg" she walled. with her eyes fixed in
horror on Stephens bleeding face. 'You
have seen him-he has been for me-and
you have killed himl It is George who
struck you-and you-have SEM him
awayln
Eyes" said Stephen. roughly pushing
aside Alice Drew's hand and looking
straight % Jess dilated eyes. 81 have
sent him awayw
"Oh George, George. Georgel Come
and help me-save mel George, my dar-
ling, comep
The girl ran wildly to the window and
shook the iron bars; then she rushed to the
door and battered it with her slender
hands. Stephen watched her with grim
smile.
tits no good" he said at last. "You can't
get out, my pretty, and it's no use trying.
/ have sent him away, tell you, and put
him off the track, beside. l don't think
he'll come back"
"Oh, let me go to him." cried jess. COM
ing towards him with her hands clasped
over her breast. and her head bent forward
as she made her suppication. DO let me
go, Stephenl You are cruel, wicked, to
keep me herel Let me go ack 10 George"
Stephen did not answer for moment.
His eyes were bent upon a shining circle of
gold that appeared just above the spot
where her hands were claspsd. Her dress