The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-02-16

breach between those two may be patched
up. stephen is in queer tate Just nov
| but it is the fact of Jess throwing him over
| that has Sc It him straight into the arms of
the Saliva iolists. She may come round,
and he will be al right agai 3, 1 fancy"
"There is surely no rea,o why she should
marry brute like that said George, be-
tween his teeth.
"He will make her a very good husband.
Jess is a good girl, and, h ar you say, a
| pretty girl; but she is not above her class
| Sne has had no educate on, no moral train
ing, and she has never been susceptible of
religious influences. 1t always seemed to
me q case of rather imperfect develop
ment."
"You will say she's an idiot nextm ex-
| claimed Eastwood.
~ say nothing of the sort. But l say
| that she had better marry man in her own
| class. Don't you agree with meln
There was short pause before George
answered doggedly:
mo, don't"
"Is it possible. George, that you are
| thinking-but that cannot surely bel"
"You had better ask no questions, then
you can't answer any. I am sorry tospeak
so abruptly, Frank, but, upon my word,
this business is enough to drive a man fran
| tic. mean no harm by the girl; don't
worry yourself, for heavens sake"
"Are you in love with Jess Armstrong;"
rs it anything to you if | ann" queried
| George, savagely.
| Again there was a moments silence.
| II see that must ask you no more ques-
| tions," said Helmont, turning away. "but
do beg you, George, to consider what you
are dong. You would not, | am sure, de-
| stroy the girls character and happiness /:
but, on the other hand, to marry her would
| be to bring ruin on yourself aud misery to
her. lll-assorted marriages never prosper
| Let me entreat you to leave that girl alone /;
| let her marry a man in her own class, and
| be happy in her own way"
| "Well,n said George, his set face relaxing
a little, II know you mean kindly, Frank,
and Tn a fool to take offease. But really
you're little hard on me. I'll tell you the
whole story-so far as there is one-some
day, and let you judge for yourself whether
| rve done right or wrong l assure you-if
you'll take my word for It'll don't mean it
| to be wrong.n
| He laughed rather awkwardly as he con-
cluded.
a smile lightened up Mr. Helmont's face.
~ do take your word for it, George he
| said, holding ont his hand, land I am re-
assured. Pardon me if for a moment L
d lubted you. Now l must go. Good-by.
| You'll come to see me SOON"
"Good-by," George said, ~ shall be off TO
| Norway before long, you know. But I'll
| come and see you before / START
| Mr.. Helmont was led away by his guide
and, as soon as he was gone, East
wood, with sort of mad haste, changed
his coat, shut and locked his studio door,
hailed passing hanson, and set off for
SAINT Bartholomew Hospital.
OF course he was not admitted. He had
come at the wrong time, on the wrong
day-there was absolutely no means of see.
Toco lhA,, A.
| such Importance as to arouse the curio ity
of the whole establishment AS it was, he
created good deal Of interest in the minds
| OF the house physician and the Ward Sister
both of whom he managed to see.
There's romance of some kind going
on there, said one to the other, when at lasl
he retired, discounted.
1.-The girls going TO be married to the
| young joiner who came to see her yester.
day; she has no business with gentleman,
said the Sister, rather gravely. And she
looked henceforth on jess with something
OF a suspicious eye.
George paid his visit the next day, and
| thought himself we'll rewarded by Jess
little gasping cry Of pleasure and the flush
that rose to her pale cneeks. But he could
not say very much to her. One of the
| enlng to all he said. Out of consideration
for the girl herself, he could not venture tc
say more than platitudes.
Il shall be glad to see you back" be
| murmured in her ear. "You will come &c
me when you are better. Jessa'
| The girl answered "Yes,n but when he de
| parted she burst into tears, and cried unit
the nurse was indignant and vowed never
| to admit that visitor again. She never saw
however, the scrap of paper which he had
| twisted up and slidden into the girls hand
| 1t contained few words only:
| keep up your heart, my own darling
| you shall come to me by and by. l would
have come before if had known where
you were. love you always, my sweetest
and best. Yonr own true lover,
But he had forgotten how difficult it was
for jess to read anything but prin and he
had not made his writing more legiole than
usual jess made out certain words, espe-
cially the endearng epithets, bat the gem
| eral drift of the sentences she could not
catcd, and she was ashamed to ask the
nurses or even her frie IDS amongst the
| patients to read the letter to her. Her
| tears came chiefly from the modification
of being unable to read what George had
| written.
| "You seem to have sight o. visitors, u
sad one woman to her after Mr.. East
woods visit. You're going to marry one
of 'em, s'pose? The dark chap in working
| clothes, amt itp'
NO" sad Jess. family.
Then it amt very likely that either Of
the other ones will marry you," said the
| woman, with rather a scornful laugh.
Way, they were gentlemen, they werep
The color rushei painfully to Jess pale
| cheeks, but this time she did not answer
She turned her face to the pillow and wept
for very WEAKNESS of heart. As the days
| went on, AMI she received no more visits
from George Eastwood, she began to think
that her friends words were correct, and
that he, being "a gentleman" thought no
more Of her. The fact was that Mr.. Hell
mont had been informed by one of the
nurses OF Georges visit, and had spoken so
strongly on the subject that his cousin had
not dared to come again. He waited,
chatting, for the day when Jess should leave
the hospital; and until then he thought 1t
best to neither to visit her nor to write.
he little thought Of the sick pain of sus-
! pense that his silence inflicted on the girl.
Jess love for Eastwood had grown ten
| fold during her seclusion III the hospital.
Engaged as she generally was in hard and
exhaust.ng work during the day, and too
tired to keep awake at night,
she did not usually find many hours
| in which to mediate on her lovers perfect
tions. But in the drea ny intervals Of pain,
and when, later on, she was aole to spend
many hours in tolerable freedom ON di3-
comfort, Georges face-refned. beautiful
in feature, winning in expression--h ated
before her ike blessed vision from the
/ -awNtA .-1t a L IL ~