The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-02-09
PART l.
CHAPTER VII.-BY THE RIVER.

49,
Jess few to his arms, but the gloom of his
face did not relax for moment.
George, George, how good you arew she
said, clinging to him, and looking up into
his face with admiration which might well
fatter any man.
But George was not in the mood to be
fattered; he was feeling rather sore.
Nonsense, jess, l am not good, he said,
impatiently. "Pahl what an atmospheric
Let us get out of here. Come for walk"
Jess faltered.
81 haven't nearly done my work." she
said.
"What does your work matter? Surely
/ am a little more important than your
workg'
She looked away from him for moment.
Her work of late had been irregularly
done, and her employers had threatened to
dismiss her if this bundle of sacks was not
sent back in time. 1t would need every
moment of the evening, as Jess well knew,
to finish the work; and, more than that, her
grandmother had threatened her with say
age punishment if she did not get it DONE
When old Mrs. Flint had been drinking she
Yves more than a match for jess, and the
too often not to dread a repetition OF the
scenes which she sometimes passed
through.
But what were privation and suffering
compared with her love for George? She
smiled brightly at his face, after that one
moment hesitation.
''pll come this minute" she said, "only
you must first let me see if Daddy'S awake.
He sleeps in that corner-you can scarce
see him, it is so dark-on the shavings; PHI
Just look at him and then Pill be ready"
"Daddyl who's Daddy?' said George
He had never questioned her very closely
about her belongings.
"Granny's brother" said Jess, unmindful
of the slight frown that was gathering on
her lovers brow. He's got paralytics or
somethink; he can't move no more than
foot or an land, and we has to feed him like
baby"
The faults in Jess speech grated on
Georges ear She had been improving of
late in accent and in manner, but at times
she relaxed into cockneyism, and, although
George was too much in love to notice it
great deal, he could not fail to vince under
it now and then. The hours that he had
passed that day at WEXFORD pointed the
contrast between jess and Diana little too
strongly The pure country air aud the
foul odors of Mill street; the stately rooms,
rich in pictures and objects of beauty, and
the dark, low garnet in which Jess lived;
these were contrasts painful enough to MIN
just then, aud it was still worse when he
began to make comparisons between the
persons inhabiting the two homes. Daddy
Trotter and Col. Eastwood-both pros
trated by disease, but how different in habit
and disposition; Mrs Flint and Mrs Hell
mont; Jess, herself, in her faded frock, and
DIANA radiantas goddess of the morning!
George looked round the room, and felt
rather sick. The dark garrett, with its heap
of rags and broken furniture-was 1t posi-
bic that he was going to take wife from
this foul place? But ray of light from the
street fell at this moment upon Jess golden
head and made it glow like flame in the
darkness. Georges poetical fancy needed
but this reminder of her beauty to spring
up afresh.
Eyes, light in the darkness-that is what
she is, :" he said to himself ''Making a sun
shine in a shady place. But l will bring
her out of the shadow and give her what
she wants, poor child: sunshine and warmth
and care. 1t is a miracle that she has grown
up as she isl"
While he unused, Jess tended the old man,
whose shrill, quavering accents now broke
upon Georges ear.
Where be yer going to, then? Wot bust
ness ave you to leave yer works An wot
Will the missus say to yer, ehl 1t III be the
stick this time. an no mistake"
=, 20, you be quiet, Daddy" said Jess, with
the usual freedom from reverence for age
which obtains in places like Mill street.
Don't yon talk no nonsense. You keep
quiet and I'll soon be back"
What did he mean by thatg' said
teorge, frowning again, as she came to his
SIDE and looked at him with her cleaning
Smile. The stick he saidg'
20, that's just his silly way Of talking"