The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-04-13
THE GREAT Mill STREET MYSTERY
ADELINE SBRGBA MT
Author Jacobs WIFE, "RoYs
FALSE PRETENcEs,n "
IALL RIGHTS RESERVED.l
CHAPTER XIV.
THE EMPTY HOUSE.

was George so unkind to herl how was it
that he did not believe her words And was
It possible that he would not listen to her
story, that he would not come to meet her
again or take her homes For as soon as she
spoke to him she forgot all her scruples,
and only wanted to be loved and caressed
as she used to be. Stephen and his warnings
went completely out of her mind. She was
conscious Of nothing but her love for
George Eastwood, her lover, her husband,
the father of her child.
She took Meenie into her arms and lay on
her bed, sobbing, far into the night. Alice
was away from home, and no one therefore
interrupted her. She wept until the baby
cried toe, and then she quoted herself a
little. and finally fell asleep without un-
dressing, and with Meenie's soft cheek
pressed against her own.
Daylight brought her no comfort She
thought over all that George had said, and
could see no way of letting him know the
truth. For Stephen, or Alice Drew, or
Dick, alone could justify her; and none of
these would be willing to plead with
George for her. She thought at one time
of throwing herself on Alice's mercy, and
begging her to tell him how it came about
that she had been detained against her will {;
but the thought of facing Alice's in
credulous scorn turned her hot and cold
with shame, and she was obliged, though
very reluctantly, TO give I'D the idea. Be-
sides, she said to herself, she had promised
not to say that she was George Eastwood
wife until he gave her leave to speak, and
he had not yet given her leave.
In fact, George Eastwood and jess were
playing game Of crosS-purpoSes. If
Eastwood had boldly avowed that he was
married to Jess, and had sought for her as
his wife, even Stephen Eyre would have
been obliged to give her up TO him. But,
being in the first place, somewhat ashamed
of his slow" marriage, and, in the second,
fully convinced that Jess had left him and
betrayed him, be was unwilling to let the
world know that he had been, as he ex-
pressed it, "such fool" and therefore held
his tongue. While Jess, afraid 10 stand up
for herself, and not at all comprehending
the binding nature of the short ceremony
in a registrars Office, kept silence even
when she was out of Stephens clutches,
and only wept quietly at finding herself, as
she believed, deserted and betrayed.
But as the day wore on, a little courage
returned to her. Perhaps after all, he
would return. She had implored him to
come back to the same place at the same
softer to her, and he would
come. He had said that he
would take her away. She did not
know whittier he meant TO take her, but
she had a fond, foolish hope that he might
take her back TO the pretty little house in
Mazda Vale, or perhaps to his home in the
country, where the fine people lived who
had spoken to her so graciously i'll the
picture gallery on that last Inflated day of
her life with George. That George himself
should despise her, and think badly of her,
was almost incredible to jess. She was sure
that if she could talk to him quietly for
five minutes, he would believe her. So, in
the course of the day, she began to make a
few ealthy preparations for departure
She put some of the baby's clothes into a
bundle, round which she tied a shawl of
her own. She did not think it worth
while TO pack up her own things. George
would buy new ones for her, she supposed.
And when Alice was out that evening-for
she was again gong to spend the night at
the bedside of an old woman who was ill
she would steal way to Mill street, with
Meenie in her arms, and the sordid, pinched
life would be over, never, never to come
back And nobody should separate her
from her husband any more.
Alas, poor Jessi
During the night, snow had fallen, and
during the day it again fell pretty steadily.
There was sharp north wind. and the frost
was hard and keen, Jess looked anxiously
at her baby, as night drew on; for the child
was wheeling and coughing as if it had
caught cold. Dared she take it out with
her into the night? She might carry it q
little way, but she did not like to stand
about exposing its tender frame to the Bit
ter wind, for she was more thoughtful for
her child's welfare than most women of her
class. And yet she wanted George to see
Meenie when he came-if he came. What
could she do!
Suddenly she remembered Black Sails
words. There was that empty house close
at hand. She would make up a little bed
for Meenie in one of the lower rooms, she
could leave her there for little while, so
long as she was watching for George. In
deed. she could seat herself just inside the
door, and would then hear her if she cried.
Meenie's bed could be placed on the passage
floor. and then jess could speak to her, If
necessary, and watch for George at the
same moment of time. OF course she Was
liable to be spied by passing policeman
and elected without ceremony; but police
men were few and far between IN that re-
gion, aud they one and all avoided Mill
street and Baldwin's court as much as pos
sible.
1t was about 8 o'clock, therefore, that
jess, having made her small preparations,
took Meenie in her arms and sailed forth
She left Buck street without sigh. 1t she
were successful in her quest it was possible
that she might never see it again, never
again behold Alice who had really tried to
be a true friend to her. or Stephen. VINO nae
loved her from her childhood: but all thai
she was conscious of was distinct JOY auC
relief at the thought of escape from bel
Jailers, and fervenu hope that she nigh
never enter the room again. She crept un
observed into the empty house IN Nil
street, and established herself just inside the
door, where, through the crack, she couls
watch the passers-by without being hersel
perceived.
The wind howled through the passage
and down the stairs of the old deserte'
house. The boards in the rooms creaked q
II people were walking over them, the doors
and the wiudow-frames ratified as If they
were shaken bv Invisible hands. Shril
shrieks and whistles came down the chin
neys aud through the key-holes; jess, listen
ing fearfully to the weird sounds, thought
OF some old ghost tales that she had heard
and shivered more from fear than fror
cold as the wind swept by. The snow te
obliquely with soft occasional swisf
against the window panes, some OF whic
were broken and stuffed with straw