The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-01-26
.THE GREAT Mill STREET MYSTERY,
BY ADBLINE SERGEANT
Author OF JAcoBf WIFE, RoYs REPENTANCE DIAMOND SDR
FALSE PRErENcEs"
[ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

when l laid hold of you a-coming out of
| tha6 gentlemans place
,,-, Yes, you did, rejoined Jess quickly.
I'm sure my arm will be as black and blue
as ever Naucy's waSn
well, didn't mean it. I'll 20 so far as
10 say I'm sorry" said Stephen, plunging
MS hands deeply into his pocket and looking
as black as night; land why you should give
up Keeping company with me because l took
hoId OF you accidental-like bit rough, is
what can't see. And what l can't stand
heleher- You've given your word to me
ana you're bound to keep it, Else I'll know
the reason why. And 1 guess"-with a
snort and disagreeable laugh-''your
grannyll know the reason why, too"
jess drew her shoulders together, as
though shrinking from a blow, and re-
manned silent for a moment. Then She
spoke IN somewhat timid tone,
Il shan't tell her."
But shall tell her." said the man. his
| eyes beginning to glow beneath the bent
oiack brows, ''and if l can't make YOU
near reason, perhaps she can"
Jess MOOD of defiance was a transient
one, ana she now put up her hand furtively
ana touched her quiVering lips, in the hope
! mat stephen would not notice that she was
ready to cry. She was little unlike the
girls OF her class in one thing-she never
cried Mostly, or tried to draw attention to
herself and her troubles. She had a sort of
Natural reserve which caused her to shrink
into herself when she was sorrowful: per-
maps even she had more self-control than
belongs to many girls of her station. She
licked away the tear that trickled down
her cheek and turned her face from Stephen
without answering. But Stephen had
sharper eyes and a softer heart than one
might have fancied.
Come, jess, my DEAR" he said, gently,
don't you take on. won't say nothing to
| granny. Only it riles man, you know.
wnen you go larking round with other fell
| lows
81 wasn't doing anything of the sort, -
jess broke in, angrily. THE gentleman
never SAID anything to me, be only wanted
TO draW picture of me-and-and-he
scarcely said woodland there was an old
lady sitting there all the time, keeping her
eye on me as if she thought l wanted to
steal something
And quite overcome by the picture she
drew, Jess stopped short. leaned against a
bit OF blank wall and burst into tears.
YOU'RE overdone, Jess, that's where it
is" said Stephen, with gentleness so rare
from him that it made the girl sob ali the
more bitterly. you hain't had much to
eat to-day, Pill lay my life. You come into
this here shop with me, and we'll have a
cup o. coffee and beefsteak. That'l set
you up"
Jess ill-temper had completely vanished
by tnls time, and she followed him obedi-
entity into the cookshop that he indicated.
She had, in fact scarcely tasted food that
| day, for the weak tea and dry crust which
usually formed her morning meal had gone
untasted by her in her excitement, and she
was now feeling strangely weak and tired
The hot food put fresh life into her, and
with new strength she regained her lost
self-control
81 didn't mean to be ill-natured, Stephen, u
she said, relentingly. "Only you put me into
rage by going on as if l was doing some
thing wicked. You don't think that, do
| you, nowg
''Of course don't. But those fine gem
tlemen amt to be trusted, JESS"
II don't trust 'em, said Jess, ingenuously
But when l can get money for granny and
Daddy Trotter in such an easy way. why
shouldn't Ig' She held up half a crown
before the young mans eyes. "Look therel"
she said. "Pl be able to get heaps of things
with that"
What are you going to get'" asked
| Stephen, suspiciousiy.
"Some baccy, first of oil, for Daddy
Trotter," she replied ''And some tea for
| granny, and a sossidge OF two for supper
or tripe, which do you thinks best? And a
loaf O. bread and some coals-why. feel as
if I could buy half London with this half
crownw
"And nothing for yourself9 No ribbons
| or things?"
These are all for MYSELF said Jess.
| "No, / don't seem to care about ribbons
now. I've seen something prettier" Her
face lost its smile as she spoke, and grave,
remote expression settled down upon tan
expression which Stephen Eyre did not in
| the least understand.
| 1t troubled him vaguely, though he knew
not why. 1t reminded him of picture
that he hadIonce seen in a dealers window
| the picture of woman with baby in
her arms, and look of infinite sweetness,
| infinite sadness, upon her broodIng face.
| Jess face, TRANSPORTED for the moment by
some lovely thought, was just then abso-
| lutely beautiful.
| ~ don't seem to care no more about rib
| bons," she said simply, her large eyes look
| ing far away as il they saw things invisi-
| BILE.
In this possibility of TRANSPORTATION lay
| the charm of Jess face. A student of phys
| iognomy could discern the latent beauty
| he would expect to see those thin but firmly
| cut features light up sometimes with re-
| sponsiye gladness, those great eyes luminous
| with passion. There was little touch of
| spirituality in Jess expression, which was
| more unusual than beauty. 1t seemed to
4 say that there were unawakened capacities
| in her nature-undeveloped powers of
| thought and feeling which might be her
| blessing or her bane. And to those who
| were out of sympathy with her tempera-
ment, this look had something little re-
| pellant.
Stephen, who loved, but was unlike her,
was puzzled by it; to George EASTWOOD,
who did not dream Of loving her, but was
| of a somewhat similar temperament, this
| expression was an added charm.
| Stephen did not prolong the conversation.
| He was very glad to have made his peace,
| and he was ready to conduct her TO his
house. His Jealous dit had already cost him
a DAYS work and a days wage But he
| could afford them, for he was skillful
workman, and had already saved little
| money. He was a cabinet-rnaker by trade
and far higher in the social scale Of White
| chanel than poor Jess and her grandmother,
but he had made up his mind to marry
less iu the coming spring, and remove with
her to a little house with green shutters on
| which he had fixed his heart 1t was OF this
| little house that he was willy enough to
sneak as he walked with jess to her house
in Mill street.
81 wish | was taking you to the 'ome
WHARF you're a-going to be nissus some day,
less. y he said, forgetting his aspirates, about
which he was generally rather particular, In
| his agitation of mind.
nJess smiled, in half shy, half pleased
WAY: ard for the moment at least ne knew
4 L.. Il rvnn