The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-07-06
THE GREAT MILL STREET MYSTERY.
Author JAcoBIs DIAMOND
PRETENcEs"
IALL RIGHTS RESERVED


you did right to go away"
"For Gods sake, hushl" said Eastwood,
hoarsely. 81 can't bear to hear you say
such things
Because they are so true" said Jess.
And because you have said them to your
self so very often"
He lifted his face at that, and looked at
her; dumb roproach in his eyes. She
smiled very little in reply to the look. 1t
was suddenly borne in upon him that she
had come to the stage when love and grief
and even shame were of very slight account
to her-when she felt herself slipping away
from earthly ties, and did not greatly care
He felt terrible pang at the thought that
she did not care. Surely when he cared so
much
JESS" he said, eff 1 had not left you,
would you have gone and given yourself ap
as you dido"
For the first time she looked troubled
Her eyelIds fickered, her lips quivered
irresolutely.
"Oh, why do you ask meg' said Jess. ~
do not know-I do not know"
"Why did you do it, Jess? Why did you
bring such sorrow on us alls Surely because
you wanted to gain the peace that comes by
confessionP'
"That would have been selfish" she said,
quietly.
"Sel6shl Yes. Good heavens! are you
is not everybody selfishF'
II don't know" said Jess, patiently, as if
he had expected her to answer the question
once and for all. 81 only know that am
selfish. I daresay was selfish then"
81 don't believe it," he answered, incon-
sequently. II never saw you do a selfish
thing. | never heard you speak a selfish
word. Why did you do this"
She was silent for a few moments, and
then said falteringly:
II can't tell you all. What does it matter
howl thought that some one else might
be accused. heard DR.. Price say that some
one else was suspected-and l thought it
was the only thing to do
''Dr. PriceF The man who docuored me
And whom did he suspects"
THAT did not matter. 1t would have
been too dreadful for any one to be suspected
wrongfully."
jess, my darling. don't say that 1t did
not matter. Everything matters in a case
of this kind. | must know the truth. Tell
me whom DIR. Price suspectedr'
She was silent He laid his arm gently
round her slender body and drew her closer
to his breast
"If you ever loved me, Jess. tell me the
TRUTH he SAID, with a ring of agony in
his voice which she could not hear IN
moved.
She lay with her head against his shoulder,
looking up into his face, and after little
pause she answered him:
HE suspected-you
~ thought SOL thought sol And you
oh, my darling, how have mIsjudged you!
But l would have rather suffered the pen
atty thousand times than you should have
had to bear itr'
"Ah!-why did you go away" she said.
her eyes still on his face.
1t was the only reproach that she could
find 1t in her heart to make.
"Why did IL You may ask it indeed p
groaned the man.
And for the first time the meaning of his
action became clear to him. Hitherto be
had persisted in repudiating all blame; he
had insisted to himself and to others that
he had done nothing hard or unjust. He
suddenly saw himself as he appeared to
Jess-as he appeared to Diana, to Sybil, to
Alice Drew-to any one who knew Jess
story and his own. OF whom had he thought
throughout all this miserable business! OF
himself and his own happiness merely. For
Jess needs and struggles and requirements
he had not cared one whit. And she was
dying because he had not cared.
No revelation can be more utterly over.
whelming to a man than that of his own
selfishness. George Eastwood felt himself
overborne by it. The sensation of shame
that descended upon him like cloud was 50
intolerable that he felt momentary wish
to rush away from his wife's bedside and
never see her again-to hide his head Ia
some solitary place and mix no more with
his fellow men. 1t was perhaps a sign of
grace in him that he resisted the tempta-
ton. How, indeed. could he leave Jess
now? His place was at her side.
"Jess-Jessp he murmured. "Can YOU
forgive me2 l see now what | have done"
"You?' she said. softly. "You did nothing
except leave me, and that was for the
best. / have often thought that l was very
hasty and foolish in what did. But | was
afraid-for you"
Her voice quivered-almost for the first
time. The influence of Georges penitence
and Georges love was making itself felt
even through the mists of weakness and of
death.
'And why where you so afraid for me?"
he asked her, passionately. why not
leave matters to take their natural course?
If had dreamt of what you meant to do,
darling. would have been there to stand
by you-to help you. What made you
think that could be in dangers Why were
you afraidp
She trembled and chung to him closely.
Don't ask me" she said, almost inaudi-
bly,.
II must ask you. Oh, my darling, make
the thing as clear to me as you can, before
1t is the mystery Of it all which is SO
intolerable. Jess, / have loved you after
all, through everything. l have been selfish
and weak and cruel; bat if God would give
you back to me again 1 would try to do
better and to make you happier. Tell me
that you believe me, Jess, my lover
"Yes, believe you, she answered. But
God will not give me back to you, George.
| am going very fast. You know that,
don't yous | am glad have seen you be-
fore | went"
"Why did you notl let me come beforep
"On, | don't know. / was 80 weak-Iwas
afraid. l thought that l might be stronger
by and by"
"Afraid-of me, my darlingw
81 don't know" Her voice was so low
that he could only just catch the words.
"Of myself, think"
"Of yourselfg" George paused for an in
slant, and then, by sudden intuition, leaped
to partial understanding of the truth.
There is something you have not told me.
them" be said. something that you don't
want me to know. All, it is so, see Dear,
tell me; make things as clear TO me as you
can. | ought to know"
He waited. but she did not speak. He al
most doubted whether she had heard. A
gray look Yves stealing over the small, fair
face; the eyes sank little, as though they
were about to closa George pressed kiss
upon her mouth.
Darling, tell me-tel me-before you