The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-12-28

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vices invite popular odium on their order.
/ He held fast TO the old maxim, NobleSSe
I ebhge, with tho result that for men OF the
| stamp of Sir Reginald Denison he felt an
instructive antipathy almost amounting to
loathing The baronst's request to DO fur
nished With the add ess OF his model stirred
/ tho anger that he felt on seeing man OF
besmirched reputation enter his studio TO a
white heat Of fury The possibility OF
! Wlnifred being subjected TO the intrusive
impertinencs Of Sir Reginald Denison added
| fuel Co the flame. In the mood in which he
found himself after his visitors had left he
would willingly have snatched at any ex-
cuse for giving the baronet a sound thrash
| ing that would cover him with bruises and
leave every bone in his body sore aud ach-
| iog.. He felt himself almost ready for
homicide il Sir Reginald Glanced 10 return.
| Course the follows impudeace,n no ex-
claimed in his wrath. changing is too
| good for human vermin like him. He ought
To be cut up into bits. ;"
Then sudden thought caused him to
bound out of his char.
"What fool | am not TO have thought OF
| Il before" he cried. Lady Polehampton
will take him there, Of course. What more
natural. seeing that Lord Polehampton has
| bought her picture, and has so generously
Interested himself In her career. That
scamp Denison, who is still as black as they
/ IuhkO ON, Will soon know Ln9 al lreSS ne
was so keen after
And sezlng bis hot, Claude rushed from
the house, banging the door behind him in
his fierce impetuosity.
The mystery that hung over Winifred's
| life during those three years, concerning
which she was so ouriously reticent, had
often occupied Claudos mind since his visit
to Glen Orloch at Christmas though he was
| as far from arriving at a satisfactory solu-
| tinu AZ R,If btc faith In fba rifv az
her nature did not waver, despite the I'M
| comfortable element OF mystery that sur
| rounded her. lie never doubted that
whatever personal reasons Winifred might
| have for her silence the interests, real or
| imaginary, OF some ono else occas. oned her
reserve, and that Whenever the curtain
| came to be- lifted and her hidden past dis
closed the revelation would bring her un-
blemishod purity into striking relief. Claude
Maclean was too observaut student OF
| human life to DO unaware OF the manifold
| reasons that might lead a virtuous woman
! to bury sad "reminiscences Of the past in the
oblivion of silence. lie was too noble
minded to be readily accessible b suspicion
| regarding any person. IL was the working
| theory Of life to take human nature ON
| trust until reasons for distrust were forth
| coming, and when once he gave his faith he
| gave IL outright.
But as he hurried along the streets the
| question forced itself on his mind, Was Sir
Reginald Denson bound up In any way
with the secret Of Winifrcd's life1 Was II
possible that the baronet had contrived in
some manner TO obtain some hold upon
herr Claude recoiled from the bare
superstition, but no could not thrust
| from his mind the startled look of
stonishment which Cir Reginald betrayed
when the curtain. was withdrawn from the
picture. Claude felt that the look was not
one of surprised delight in q work Of art.
| Amszement, perplexity, and something
that seemed like recognition were imprinted
on the baronet's face 1t was this that
troubled Claude. He felt that the mystery
that surrounded Winifred was thickening,
and that the shadow OF some great trouble.
that he was unable to define, was gathering
round the path OF the woman he loved with
devotion that nothing could quOnch.
A rapid walk Of ten minutes brought him
to the street where Winifred lived. lie
arrived in time to SEQ the carriage contain
ing Lady Polshampton and Lady Isabel
being driven away from the door, whilSt Sir
Reginald followed In the same direction at
a lei urely pace. He frstted and fumod
over tho delay that ensued before tho one
servant that Winifred kept opened the door
in answer to his imperative knock.
"Is Miss West at homer he inquired with
breathless agitation; and without waiting
for a reply he pushed past the domestic and
made for tho studio, where he found Wini-
fred looking pale and limp with her head
reclining GU her hand, buried in thought
The last months of Winifreds life had
brought hor great happiness. The only
tincture of bitterness in her cup was the
sense Of the hopeless passion for Claude
Maclean that had come TO her unawares,
and the struggle that it entailed to hide it
within her oWn breast, and live her life as
she must have lived 1t III fate had not
brought them together. In her devotion to
her art she had found a relief from the mis-
cry of self-introspection and the sharper
pang of vague desires never to be realized,
and her endurance had been crowned with
new strength, enabling her TO rise superior
to the natural weakness Of her sex.
With the victory over self there had como
TO her O great peace. But with the ghosts
OF the past newly risen from tho grave in
which she had thought them laid forever,
she felt that there was an end to her tran
quillity. The appearance of Sir Reginald
Denison had reused all the faculties Of her
nature into intense exercise. For the first
time she realized TO the full extent the
blight that he had cast upon her life, and
the great bliss that might have been hers
but for that accidental meeting In the gal
leries Of the Louvre years before, with oil
that followed upon that. She rebelled
against the idea that her life was Just what
Bic udu BA00o GDuS tOulu nOt P&thu WIN
herself that she had been reluc antiy drawn
into an unsuitable marriage. but, In some
dim way, she felt that life had not been Just
TO her in leaving her In her youthful inex-
perience and guileess truthfulness at the
mercy Of the first villain who CHANGED, in
plausible guise, TO cross her path. How
terribly bitter 1t wasl How weary Of life
she had grown In a few short minutes
But Wintfred reused herself on hearing
Claude's footsteps, and smiled her old sweet
smile as she extended her hand in greet
ing.
II am so glad to see you, Mr.. Maclean,"
she said. 1t is nearly q fortnight since
you were here; and was feeling gust now
that the sight Of "A friendly face would be
welcome"
"You have had visitors. suppose" said
Claude, at a loss for an excuse to explain
his citation, which he thought Winifred
could not fail 10 see.
''Yes; Lady Polehampton has been here
with her brother, and Lady Isabel Chide.D
II would have given thousand pounds
rather than this should have happened
said Claude, with ill-suppressed anxiety.
"Unfortunately that man Denisou saw my
Helen and there was an evil light In his
eye as ne looked at the picture / saw by
his look that be meant mischief And now
he has found toe original 1 am full of all
kinds OF strange fears
81 do rot fear Sir Reginald Denison.n re-
piled Winifrsd with quiet dignity. "You