The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-09-20

CHAPTER XVII.
"MHAT SHALL L nOlN

the bottom OF all our actions: that even
those few good deeds upon which we look
back with pleasureable pride and satlsfao-
tion have been prompted chiefly by the de-
sire Of gratifying our vanity or dazzling our
neighbors. ! am no upholder Of this Gym
ical creed myself. though nobody can deny
that the sin of ostentatious benevolence is
rife in the land. Still am sadly afraid
that Tom Byng's strenuous exertions on De-
half of his friend were not altogether dis
interested He might not be conscious OF 1t
himself, but lurking somewhere IN the re-
cesses Of his.fmiud must have been the
thought that if his most intimate friend
should marry the most intimate friend OF
Miss Smerdon, he ard Frances would
shortly one together was pretty well as
certain as that two and two make four. He
certainly had worked bard to bring that
marriage about, and that he should be
awaiting news from Manchester with con-
siderable Impotence was only natural. lie
knew that Hughs letter had been dispatched
and forwarded, and yet the days slipped by
without his getting line from him.
But If Byng was anxious as to what Miss
Lyndens reply might be it was nothing TO
the Impotence which possessed Hugh. Not
day lassed but what be visited the Tar
rants cottage ouly to receive a negative
shake Of the head from Polly In reply
10 the inquiry If there was anything
for him He had bestowed ldrgeSSe on
Dick with so iberal hand that that worthy
pronounced him quite the gentleman" He
would have rewarded Polly i'll similar fash
ion, but she obslinately refused to touch
his money saying that whether she had
noted rightly or wrongly it should never be
said that she had "done it for money He
foTmented her a good deal as to whether
she was sure she had made no mistake about
she address and TO quiet him Polly was
forced to explain that though she knew an
address to which letter directed would
eventually reach Miss Lynden, she could
not tell where 1t would be forwarded, and
that for all she know it might have to 60
abroad.
Hugh, too, was very anxious to learn
some particulars Of DR.. Lynden's death but
about that Polly could tell him nothing,
She had his daughters own word for it that
be was dead, and that was all She knew.
A week had elapsed. and still Polly only
shook her head.
What to do or what to think Hugh did |
not know. He did not like to leave Man |
chester until he had received his reply, and |
as to where Miss Lynden actually was 1t |
was quite evident the secret was still her
own, and that Mrs. Tarrant could not have
E6lThSeu IL e4o htuAu. ne HdIh6u up |
as usual one morning, and noticed care
Iessly that the window contrary to custom
was closed. The door opened before he
could knock, and Polly, arrayed in her bon
net and shawl, stepped eagerly into the pas
sage.
ECO in :" she whispered, 81 shan't be back
for an hour at least. Good luck TO you, sir,n
aud with these words Mr.. Tarrant van
ished
Huob re,sad for n r,op,ant He obonoo |
bad come ut last; he was there to plead his
cause and TO win it, be earnestly hoped, but
for all that he was conscious that he was
going into court with hands not quite clean.
He pushed open the door, and Nellie Lyn-
den. IN her sombre draperies, stood b3fore
him.
Hugh" she said, in tones that she vainlv
sndeavored to render steady, II have come |
to bear from your own lips the truth. ] |
have travelled from France to hear you |
give the denial to this story have heard |
about you with your own mouth. You |
could not stoop t. lie to a woman still stand |
ing in the shadow of her fathers grave.
Ny dearest Nellie, he cried, advancing
as If TO embrace her.
stop, Hugh" she said. sadly. 81 must
have full explanation from you before /
decide whether we meet now for the last
time or not. Three times have l thought
that | should never see you more, and the
last time was immeasurablv the NEST pain
full Of the three. | had wept for you aud
mourned for you as dead, when the terrible
news came home that you were missing
after thu Sth of September. that no tidings
could be gained of you, but-stop, don't in
terrupt me" she exclaimed as Hugh once
more attempted to take her hand; the sad
dest parting of all was the last when was
told you were false TO every vow that you
had made me, and that the man for whom
/ had prayed for the last year, aud who had
cost me so many tears. had forgotten me,
and was on his way home welded to another
woman"
"It was false, false as can be, cried Hugh
conscieDce-stricken OF the torture to which
he had subjected his betrothed. "Who put
this abomlnable rumor about don't know,
butt ever do, and it's e man. he will rem
der strict account TO me for the lie he has
uttered. How it reached your ears don't
know, but the first heard of the caIumny
was from Mrs. Montague"
A slight smile passed over Miss Lynden's
face at the recollection of that lady's epis-
tie.
My fathers Information about thisgs
in the Crimea was both extraord mary cl,d
accurate. Was there not a MAIDEN !aalle
IvanhofP
Yes" returned Hugh. aud that i, tue
lady with whom my name has been 50
70 her nor have l ever been engaged to her
] was and am pledged to you. Nellie, and
anxious as eveEsto claim my bride as soon"
ana he paused, and glanced at her dress
''as ] can obtain leave tor
"And you are sure that you have 10
feeling for Mademoiselle Ivanhoff? She
nursed you through your long illness, did
she not" and as she put tue question Miss
Lynden watched her lovers face keenly.
''Yes, Sister Msries nursing no doubt
through. The doctors all said | owed as
much to her care as l did to their treat
ment."
It's possible that Miss Lynden had her
own misgivings as to how far feelings of
gratitude had carried Hugh with his nurse,
but after ell the rumors she had heard, it
was triumph to find her peccant lover still
at her feet
She knew that patients at times do con-
ceive tendresse for their nurses. and in her
delight at finding he was still her very own
Hugh she was disposed to ignore such frail-
ties as might have befalen him in his days
of convalescence, but she would hardly
have been g woman il she bad omitted to
ask the one question:
'Is Mademoiselle Ivanboff prettyT
And Hugh would have been the veriest
fool IL be had replied otherwise than:
''No, don't think so, but have heard
men call her good-looking.
All, Madame Fashta, if you could only
have heard that one little speech, how de-
lighted you would have been with the re-
suits Of your handiwork.
But by this time Hugh had not only OBJ