The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-07-06
CHAPTER XIX.
THE HEART OF THE MYSTERY.

do you mean W lOi % gOuA "oJ w HOA
she asked.
"If necessary" he replied, civil do even
that"
'Wait for a moment or two." she said,
after a pause for reflection. 81 will see her
again. Sit down, George. l will not be
long"
She left the room. George did not sit
down; he paced restlessly up and down,
stopping now and then to glance out of the
window, to take up a book or paper, to
look impatiently toward the door. He was
very pale, and the muscles of his face
twitched nervously from time to time 1t
seemed as If he had received some tre-
mendous nervous shock, and was endeav-
oring to control the manifestation of its
effects.
1t appeared to him very long time be-
fore Diana returned. But in reality she
was not away from him more than ten
minutes She went to Jess room-a
pleasant, pretty place, as little like sick
room as it could we'll be, to plead Georges
cause with his wife. Jess continual refusal
to see her husband had begun to alarm and
puzzle Lady Hexham. She saw in it some
thing abnormal, something more than the
physical weakness to which she had at first
attributed IL.
Jess Law on her bed, her face turned to the
window, whence she could see the green
slopes ana lordly trees of the park. Diana
fancied that there was a change of some
sort in her face; an unusually white
pinched look, purple shadow beneath her
eyes which had not been there before.
Lady Hexham cast a keen, quick look of
inquiry toward the nurse, who, in reply,
gave an almost imperceptible shake of the
head. What she meant was perfectly plain.
Mrs. Eastwood was worse.
jess, dear" said Diana, STOPPING over
her, and speaking very gently, George is
here and wants very much to see you"
Jess smiled little, but did not speak.
"Do let him come, DEAR" Diana pleaded.
HE is so anxious to sec you again. 1t is
not kind of you to keep him away"
She knew jess well enough to believe that
the accusation of unkindness might prove
effective when other means had failed.
II don't want to be unkind," said Jess,
feebly. "Do yoI think he mindsw
He minds very much indeed. He is ter
doing right in refusing to see him. Let him
come to-day for little while?'
"To-dayl Would not tomorrow do9 l
might be little stronger tomorrow. Better
able to talk to him-to-morrow."
"Wby should you put it off, doarp
Jess moved her head little, and looked
with clear, earnest eyes into Diana's face.
Perhaps she read there more than Diana
knew.
Perhaps l had better not" she muir
INJURED after a little pause. YES, under
stand. You mean that l may not have
much more time"
mo, Jess, no, | mean nothing of the kind.
Only"
ii understand quite WELL" she said, in her
soft voice. Eyes, l must see him once-at
any rate. 1t isn't that don't care for him
that have refused to lot him come. It's
because-in way-that care for him SO
much
Then he may come up nowW
She seemed to SILVER little and to draw
herself together as if nerving herself for a
supreme effort. Then she said quietly:
"Yes, he may come nowm
Lady Hexham gave a few directions to
the nurse, who made one or two alterations
in the arrangement of draperies and cur
tains designed to make Jess look a trifie
less deadly pale, gave her patient few
drops of stimulant. and then betook herself
to the dressing room, so that husband and
wife might meet alone.
George came in with hasty stem. He
turned his anxious eyes toward the bed
There she lay-the woman for whom he had
suffered so much, the woman who had suf-
fered so much for hlm-and he saw at a
glance that the hand of death was upon
her. Useless to tell him, now that he had
seen her, that she was better, stronger, day
by day; he knew, as well as if an angel
from heaven had declared it to him, that
no one could be meant to remain on this
earth very long who bore that look upon her
lace. 1t was not an awful look, but it was
the spiritualized expression of one who was
losing her hold upon earthly things. AS
such he understood it. and it brought him
to her feet as nothing else could perhaps
nave done. With low cry he flung himself
on his knees beside her bed, and covered her
wasted hand with kisses. He scarcely
Knew why this wave of passionate affection
oyerpowered him, or whence it was
evolved; he only knew that the sight of
jess eyes, her passive form, her thin wrists
aud blue-veined temples overcame his self
control completely.
Jess seemed almost undisturbed. The
Slight shrinking with which she had re-
celYed him passed unperceived; she lay and
watched him with wistful, dreamy eyes, and
closed her thin fingers upon his hand when
he gave her the opportunity; but she did
not speak. When George looked up and
met that wistful gaze, he broke into some
what hasty speech.
itF ON'O' ~ wy W ~" w
she tried to draw her hand away but he
held it fast
-, ont misunderstood me again" he said
Cont mean-what you think. l only
want to ask why you accused yourself, why
you gave yourself up, why you brought
misery upon US allY'
linen she spoke softly.
Don't you think it was rightm she said.
Right! My darling, people are not
bound to accuse themselves"
:! can't talk about it," said Jess. "Im too
weak. It's no use asking me now | did
II bore the penalty. l did not think
1t mattered to you"
Not matter to me what my wife didF'
W as your wife."
My wife, JESSE OF course you we're
you areln
Il scarcely knew" she answered.
ureamlly. "One said one thing and one
another Between them all Inever could be
sure. And yoa did not treat me like wife
you went away"
II was mad said George, hiding his fac
upon the coverlet.
Sne watched him for a few moments
enu then laid her hand softly upon his