The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-06-29

| cination. 1 never believed it out and ont.
A gentle, tender soul like that 1t was too
! absurd"
''She said she did it What else could I
| thinkg'
"Thinkgn said the doctor, bluntly. "Nhy.
! think that a woman is capable OF sacrific-
ing everything-even herself-for the man
| she loyesn
Alice was sitting beside table She put
| her elbows upon IL now, and covered her
! eyes with her hands. The action was so
| expressive that the doctor felt no need for
| words. He sat still. and nodded to him
himself as II she had assented to his propo-
sition.
"Come," he said at last, "tell me about
| Jess. Where is shegn
| And then Alice submissively removed
her hands from her face and told him Jess
story.
"fhen she's back againa Up at Lady
| HexhamsP'
| ''She is. And we must not make her I'M
happy
The doctor meditated.
81 should like to see herr he said
"Oh, no, mol That would do no good"
Why isn't she at her own homes Won't
he take her back"
Eyes, believe So" said Alice, hesitat-
ingly; "but she has been too i'll to be
| moved, and them think-she has taken
a sort of dislike TO him. She refuses to see
him."
"Pm very glad to hear it; very glad in
deed. said DR.. Price. II did not know she
had so much sense.n
81 am afraid" said Alice, in low voice,
shat this only the beginning Of the end. l
| don't think that she will recover"
BEST thing for her. in some respects,
Better die than be tied to man like that"
said the doctor, grimly.
II don't think that Mr.. Eastwood is abso-
| lutely bad.n
"Don't youi He is weak, then, which is
worse. Aud suppose proved that he killed
Stephen Eyre and coacealed the fact, what
would you think of him then, eh?''
81 should try to forgive him." said Alice,
in a subdued voice
The doctor looked keenly at her through
his great, round spectacles.
MY dear girl, he said at last, "what is
the good Of crying over split milk? Or if
that's putting it too coarsely-what's the
good of burying your heart in a gravel
Surely it is time for you to forget that dead
man, and let yourself be Of some use to
other people In the world"
Am | of no use herea" she said, smil-
ing little, in order to hide the quivering
of her lips.
Yes" he answered. obviously,
"ye-es. l suppose you are of some use
here. But three or four little children
|
Where you ought 10 be Is in the slums Of
Whitechapel, where men and women are
starving and fighting and drinking and
dying day after day. They need
you, aud you know them aud
can do them good There are plenty of
good, commonplace, homely women to look
after these children"
one else's care said Alice, in low voice.
II know you wouldn't; and never said
word against it. You had sort of work to
do, so long as she was here But she isn't
coming back to you, is shep
"No.n
"Her fathers people have taken her up
You won't be allowed TO have much more
to say to her"
II shall always be welcome where my
poor Jess isl"
"But you said Just now that you didn't
think she WOULD recover9 I should think
she won't-it looks to me like decline. And
when she's gone, what will Eastwood do
with the childi He can't send her back to
Lady Hexham's orphange--that'sc clear. He
give her a second mother. Your duty is
over, so far as Meenie is concerned"
Alice wiped a natural tear from her eyes.
II suppose you are right, doctor" she
said.
swell. then, your work here is done.
You are wasting yourself on these chill
dren in a country village. It's sloth and
lezlness, that's what it is. You're wanted
In London"
| "Oh. IL could only feel that it was a
callr' cried Alice.
She lifted her eyes, and her face was
TRANSPORTED by the light that shone there
in.
The doctor watched her thoughfuly.
at is call, y he said, presently, In a very
decided voice. 'and a loud one. Look here.
| Alice Drew. Nobody can put you in the
way of helping the poor as can. I'm
amongst them day and night, and a hard
job have Of it, ! can tell you. There are
things that they turn to me for, which
don't know how to give them. They want
comfort and teaching and prayer. and all
that sort OF thing as well as medicine.
What good am ! when they want all that
cha Come back to them and I'll give you
plenty Of work to do"
"Will you-realygn she asked. "Oh, l
should want nothing better-I have
yearned after the poor souls that left be-
hindu
s'You may do as much for them as you
like, said DR.. Price, still watching her, 'if
you'll do 1t In one way. I don't want you
TO be parish nurse or a slum sister, you
| know, or q Bible-woman. | want you to
work under me and be my right hand.n
81 shall be very glad, said Alice.
swell, there's only one way in which it
can be done. You must marry me, and
then you will always have plenty to do"
DR.. Pricep
"Is there anything so awful In the propo-
oitionW said the doctor, wringing his nose
and getting up from his arm chair. 81
mean it seriously. It's nearly four years
since thought of it first; but / did not like
to interfere with Meenie. But now that
Meenie is provided for my way is clear, and
30 is yours Come, Alice, think of it. ]
never in all my life saw a woman whom /
cared for as much as care for you. And
never knew woman with whom could
work better. Aren't those two good rea-
SOFAS for you TO throw in your lot with
| miner
ibid you really think of it so long agor'
she asked, in softened tone. 81 never
| thought"
''Of course you never thought. 1 did not
mean you TO think. But, for goodness sake,
| think now.n
at is all so sudden-and obi can never
forget poor Stephenp