The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-06-01

ION, Celr, sne SAUL ulu not mean
to vex you. You are always straightfor-
ward and honest. have never known you
ANYTHING else."
"And you like me none the better for it,
said Tom, bitterly.
Eyes, yes, indeed I do" She laid her
slender fingers softly on his arm. 81 always
liked you, TOMB
Tom faced her suddenly--a new express
sion in his eyes; a look which she did not
altogether understand.
you like me-nothing more, SybilF'
81 don't know what you mean.n she
and then she blushed guilty, as
she had never blushed before; one splendid
crimson from brow to chin. Some new
tone in his voice disturbed her-but she was
not going to let him say what he meant
Just then. 81 see baby on the lawn" she
said, and scudded away like frightened
hare in the presence of some unknown dan
ger.
Lady Hexham was out, or the two young
people would soon probably have put her
in possession of all the facts relating TO
their meeting with Mr.. Eastwood and his
odd demeanor at the orphanage; but as it
happened, she was not in until dinner time,
and then Sybil was going with her cousin
and some friends to dance, and this i'm
portant event put the whole scene in Alice
Drew's garden entirely out of their heads.
Meanwhile George Eastwood had been
left at the garden gate, with his eyes fixed
on Meenie, and Alice's eyes fixed watchfully
upon his face. He had raised his hat
mechanically to Sybil as she retreated, but
had given her no cordial answering smile;
he stood stiff and motlonless, like a man
frozen by some sudden unexpected sight of
horror that had turned his blood to ice. So
long he stood, when Sybil and Tom had dis
appeared, that Alice felt herself compelled
to open the conversation.
"Have you nothing to say to me, sirl"
she asked at length, in grave, cold tones.
Meenie was engaged in gathering the red
and white daisies that decorated the garden
beds. She had been brought out to see
"Miss Sybil,' land the other children were
all in the school room, so she was bent on
making most OF her liberty. But Alice had
no thought of sending her indoors yet; she
was standing face to face with a man
whom she-justly or unjustly-deemed one
of the greatest criminals that ever trod
G DIS earth.
"Have you nothing to say to meT' she re-
peated.
Then George found utterance.
"That childg" he said, pointing to Meenie.
but speaking so hoarsely that at first Alice
could not understand him. ''That chiid9
Whose child-where did she come from2n
"Her mother left her with me-"
"Her mother2 Whoa?
"You might know by glance at her
face. sir" said Alice. quietly. "She is like
her mother-and like you. too. Her mother
was jess Armstrong"
Then she is mine-my childF
eyes. sir. Jess left her with me when
when-she went to London"
She was not quite prepared for Georges
next movement. He strobe toward the
nkad hoF nm nd hav al Ixr
to him. Alice expected an outburst of
shrieks, but after one startled little cry,
Meenie nestled in her fathers arms and be-
gan to stroke his beard and mustache, MUIR
muring "Poorl poorp'-her babysh term
of endearment for ANYTHING or any one In
trouble. Alice advanced to take her from
him but he turned abruptly away from
her, kissed the child vehemently, and set her
down. Alice noticed, as he did so, that his
face was wet with tears.
"She is not afraid to come to me,n he
said, with almost passionate defiance Of
Alice's possible interference.
why should she beg' Alice asked,
calmly. "She is too young to know you
yet"
George groaned.
81 see what you mean. You are saving
the story of her parents misfortunes for
her when she is older and can feel them. A
woman's crueltyl No man would ever lay
a scheme of that sort When she is young
girl, just approaching womanhood, then
perhaps you mean to tell her the story of
her mothers shame"
May" said Alice. breathing quickly, "of
her fathers degradation, if you will, but
never a word against her motherln
They looked at each other as duelists look
before the word is given.
Her fathers degradationg' echoed
George, in low voice. but II know of
none-except-"
He stopped suddenly and lowered his
eyes.
You know of none save what jess
brought on you, suppose you would say"
Alice said, in a tone OF cold contempt. Il
never heard that you suffered much for
anything Jess did. But l think it's the
worst degradation in the world to bring a
poor girl to her ruin and then to leave her
to face the consequences, whatever they
may be-"
George began to speak angrily, and then
changed his tone.
~ cannot discuss these matters with
you," he said, coldly. "If it is any comfort
to you to know that have suffered too, you
may take that comfort 10 yourself
Your suffering has been of rather
light kind, think. if you'll excuse me for
saying 80, SIR said Alice with her civil
manner and her bitter tone. you've been
in foreign lands, as I've heard it said, shoot
ing game and seeing strange countries and
enjoying yourself; while Jess, this little
childs mother, has been serving her time in
prison. and enduring shame and punish
ment and sorrow of all sorts"
"You forget" said George, almost inau-
dibly. "You do not know
But again his sentence remained unfin-
ished.
Perhaps l don't. l always thought I
didA1t know the whole of the story,n said
Alice, quietly. "Jess took all the blame on
herself; but / never felt sure there wasn't
somebody else to blame Did you ever hear
of a man called Wood, who was i'll, with.
Jess nursing him, next door to Twenty
Mill street, weeks after the murder of
Stephen Eyreg'
If she had wanted to convict him of guilt,
it would have been easy at that moment to
do so. For Eastwood's very lips had turned
pale, and his eyes rested helplessly upon her
face. His hands trembled; but he did not
say single word.
81 don't want to ask questions said
Alice, curious desire TO escape any form
of confession or expression of remorse com
ing over her. "I'd rather you put those
questions to yourself. You know what you
know, aud Jess knows what she knows.
You'll have to settle it between your
''Do you know where she isY' George de-
manded, suddenly.
'No. sir, DON'T"
"But she has been herem he asked, fear
fully.
Alice looked at him-suddenly cut short