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

fected the love that she bore
for those who had ever been kind t.
her. Even the grandmother who had
beaten her came in for a share of her dog
like affection. 1t would have been impossl-
BILE to Jess to stand in the witness-box and
give testimony against the old woman, in
spite Of her maltreatment. She knew no
rancor; she could but suffer and for
give. This was the keynote to her charac-
ter.
When at last she was pronounced we'll
enough to leave the hospital, she had to I'M
dergo a severe ordeal of warning and re-
monstrance. The chaplain and the sisters
alike thought that she was in very parlous
case They talked to her about her promise
to marry Stephen Eyre, almost as though
she we're q wife who purposed to run away
from her husband. "They look at me as If
| was a bad girl, said jess to herself. weep
ing. 1t was Mr.. Helmont who b ad enlisted
the interest of the officials on his side He
was seriously concerned about Jess future,
and he did his best to provide for il. He
asked lady to receive the girl into her
home, and make a sewing maid Of her. The
lady interviewed Jess, and thought her
We y stupid, but promi ed to do her best.
An outfit was provided; neat box bought,
in whcc her small poss as5ions were stored ;
a cab called to the hospital gate, in which
poor jess was seated, unresisting aud I'M
honeful. The address WIS given to the
driver, and the girl was sent off. But sac
never reached her destination. When the
cab arrived at the lady's house, the neatly
corded box was still upon it, but the girl
herself had disappeared.
The claimants account was confused and
contradictory. He said that they bad
passed pubic-house, and that the young
woman had called him and asked him to
get her sonnet ing to drink, because she was
thirsty. she had also, he averred, offered
to stand treat, and given him shilling so
that he might get glass of rum aud water
for himself, the day being hot and his
throat particularly dry. That he had COM
piled with her request, but that when he
returned to the cab it was empty. He had
then thought it better + proceed with her
box to the address that had been given to
him.
To those who knew Jess this account APP
peared somewhat apocryphal. 1t was not
at all like her to send the cabman into
public-house for drink, either for herself
or for him. Questioned further on this
point the cabman proceeded to contradict
himself, and to say that it was his own idea
to get her something to drink, as ne
thought that she looked i'll, and that it
would ear en- her up bit. Also that
when he eturned to his seat on the box he
did not know that she had got out of the
Gao, ana was In ignorance OF neF departure
until he arrived at her destination. He
then few into a passion, became abusive,
and drove away without his fare, grum-
bling loudly at the whole business.
The lady to whose house he had driven
was quite "overcome," as she expressed it,
by this revelation Of Jess wicked du-
plicity," and did not wait long before in
forming Mr.. Helmont of the affair. Mr.
Helmont was exceedingly. dis reSsed, and
reproached himself bit .erly for not having
himself escorted jess to her new situation.
But she had seemed 50 submissive that he
never thought Of her taking matters into
her own hands In this way. he interv iewed
the hospital authorities, the cabman, and
the public-house landlord, in vain. No
trace Of Jess was left.
He hastened almost at once, moreover, to
George Eastwood's lodgings, and found his
friend in the midst Of chaos Of packing.
Mrs. Fogg assured him solemnly that mo
young woman had been seen about the
placer and George Eastwood in a more
airy fashion declared hat he knew moth lng
of Jess Armstrong nowadays. The posi-
BILE subterfuge that lurked under this state
ment was not suspected by Mr.. Helmont.
he did nos think of going to the studio. IL
be had visited it he would have found it
inhabited by young and beautiful woman
with golden hair--a woman whose face was
irradiated with lovely light Of happiness,
and whose hand was decked with brand