The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-06-08

will care. Her vanity may be hurt at find
ing that she has been excluded from
secret; but do not think at all that her
heart is touched. She Is a child still, and
does not know Der own mind.
Tom uttered a quaint little groan.
81 hope you may be right, Aunt DIANA"
he replied. II suppose Sybil seems more of
child 10 you than she does to me. l can't
see anything childish about her now. But
promise to say nothing to herabout East
wood. / am going up to town tomorrow
for day or two; perhaps you will get the
communication over while l am awayP'
II hope so. Thank you, dear boy"
She had not heard before of this proposed
visit to London, and the truth struck her at
once-that Tom was delicate enough to feel
that he had better be out of the way when
she told Sybil about George Eastwood's
| wife. IL she cared-if she was unable to
mask Ter feelings by indifference Of man.
merit would indeed be better for him to be
away.
Sybil made no comment on his going.
| She seemed thoughtful and silent, dis
| posed to dream rather than to talk. Diana
| looked at her with growing uneasiness,
! recognizing the fact that she had to deal
now with no child in the nursery, but with
a woman grown. All SYPHILIS looks and ac-
tions marked a change, she was staider,
| graver more gently dignified than of yore.
Diana shivered little as she glanced at
| her, and conceived the possibility of her
| having already bestowed her heart upon
| George Eastwood.
| Tie two ladies were sitting quietly in
| Diana's favorite little morning room ON the
| day after Toms departure. Sybil was en-
broidering; Diana held book in her hand.
| For some time neither had spoken. AT last
a restless sigh from Sybil attracted Lady
Hexham's attention; and she looked up to
| see the girl with hands laid idly on the
| pretty silks in her lap, and eyes turned
| expectantly and anxiously toward the
| avenue which led to the park gates, and
which was just visible from the window
beside which she sat.
| "Are you looking for anyone9 Is baby
| there?" asked Lady Hexham.
ooh, no,n Sybil answered. coloring. at
| was nothing. / was only thinking
1--WE miss Tom good DEAL" said Diana,
1 closing her book.
"Yes-and-we have not had so many
visitors as usual lately, have weep
1--WE do not have very many visitors, as
rule"
"Mr. Eastwood has been so often-until
lately" murmured Sybil. II do not know
why he stays away now. Perhaps"-with a
little impatient sigh-''we have offended
him.
"Oh, no, 1 do not think So" said Lady
Hexham, calmly. 'He was here for long
| time the day Defore yesterday"
"And never saw himp
"You were out with Tom, dear. Besides
he wanted to speak to me.n
SYPHILIS face flushed holly, and then turned
rather pale. She took up her needlework,
apd began to handle it with trembling, I'M
| certain fingers. Diana watched these signs
of maidenly consciousness with dismay
She knew that she must say now what she
had to say; there would be danger in con-
| tinued silence.
"Sybil,n she said, did You notice any
thing strange in George Eastwood's manner
when he met you at the orphanage gate the
other dayp
when / was there with Toms Yes.
| Aunt Diana, did think there was some.
thing little strange about him that day. "
Nothing occurred to you as reason for
itW
"No. Tom and thought afterward that
he perhaps wanted to speak to Alice Drew
about some little orphan that he knew of,
| and we were rather in the wayv
"Well, to certain extent that was true. ~
said Lady Hexham, with a slight smile.
HE did want to speak about child-and
you were little in his way, you young peo-
ple--but the child was his own
"His ownl l did not know he had ever
been married p exclaimed Sybil, with flush
ing cheess.
"oh, yes, he is married, said Lady Hex
ham. calmly.
She purposelY varied the the tense.
SIS marriedg" Sybil repeated.
SIS married; yes, dear. think it wrong
of George to have kept silence SO long on
that point, and it was on that account
partly-that had such lengthy converse
tion with him the day before yestesday.
There were some painful circumstances CON
nected with the marriage, and for reasons
which l don't wish to go into just now, he
has been living apart from his wife for
some time. He does not even know at
present where she is; but ne is having a
rigorous search made for her. And in the
meantime he has found his little daughter
in my orphanage, under the name of Meenie
Armstrong"
Lady Hexham had made her speech as
long as it could be made, so as to give Sybil
a chance of recovering herself if necessary.
She did not look up when she had finished,
and moment OF silence interviewed before
Sybil spoke again.
''Meenie Armstrong; she repeated, in
what Lady Hexham thought to be slightly
strained and unnatural tone SIS she MIR.
Eastwood's daughter?"
Yes
"Then why did he leave her with Alice
DrewY'
''His wife did that. He did not know
what had become of either his wife or
child"
Sybil dropped her embroidery and stood
up.
"Then did he not care for thenw she
asked, touch of indignation in her fresh
young voice.
my dear, hardly know. He did care
for his wife once-when he married her,
believe. He has scarcely ever had the
chance of caring for his child"
"Then"-almost in whisper-''she
was wicked woman, / SUPPOSED / have
read of them-she liked soSle one else
mo, Sybil, no. We have no reason to
conclude that she was anything but pure
and good. She may have been foolish, but
she loved him."
Diana ventured to look up now. SYPHILIS
face was very pale; but it bore look of
horror and indignation rather than of pain
Her hands hung tightly clasped before her
she moved them up and down little as she
| spoke, almost as IL she could have wrung
them but for some strong effort OF self
| control.
"And all this Time" she broke out, she
has been lettering here, singing and riding
and sketching, as IL he had not single care
upon his mind? Why did he come here?
Why was he not away, looking for his wife
and child2 Are all men so heartless? Or is
he only just like other menw
| like many other men, am afraid"
| "Then / hate them ALI hate them. -
| said Sybil with sudden vehemence. 81 shall