The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-10-25
%. Jose. Jose '

| gone on for twenty-four hours more, MaisIe
really didn't know how she ever could stand
it. 1t was driving her mad. 1t was terri
BILE. terrible.
And when at last mamma lay quietly
dead Oh her bed with her face now relaxed
and looking aim S; like itself again in Its
peaceful slumber, Maisie was thankful to
think she was released from her misery
and that now she could marry Jose Mans
field.
Still, there's many slip 'twixt the cup
and the lip; aud Maisie began to be terrified
| after all about the chance of a post-mortem.
| So terrified was she, that she even suggested
| it herself to the medical man.
'Don't you think, DR.. Cooeyman," she
said, with a scared white face, there ought
TO be an autopsyi Pc mamma was taken
80 suddenly i'll, you know, and it was all so
quick and she died go unexpectedly"
| But the doctor shook his head with a very
decided air.
, mot at all, my dear madam" he said.
authoritatively. mo necessity in the
| world. A very normal case OF peritonitis.
is most prevalent in the city, just now.
| This spell If cold wind has operated a great
deal OF work for us doctors. Half my pa
tients are down with various internal
| troubles"
That relieved Maisie much. She breathed
| freely once more. The other doctor COIN
| ClQeO. 10 Q6T lDtSuSo
need be no autopsy, and nothing could come
out. Only in her own room at night did
she ever for moment give way TO her feel
: ings And her outburst even then was
rather one of grief than OF actual remorse.
| She felt alone in the world, so solitary and
desolate After sll. she'd been very fond of
poor, dear mamma. Nothing but love for
| Jose would have induced her-well-there-
to add one ingredient to mammals daily
| tonic.
AS soon as convenient, mamma was de-
Gently buried. Maisie might have cremated
| her; but she wouldn't, n purpose. She de-
sired scrupulously 10 avoid all appearance
of evil. If you creuate a corpse. pc pie
may begin to ask in their ill-natured way
why you want TO get rid of it. But if you
bury it decen ly, you destroy no evidence.
And for her own protection, should any
ugly whispers hereafter arise Maisie wanted
the evidence to be duly forthcoming. Not
in vain had she studied Ghat work on medi-
cal jurisprudence at the Smithsonian Insti-
tuition. The drug she had added to mammals
tonic was one little known save to chemists
and psychologists. and difficult to procure;
but of such a potency that n trace Of it can
he detected by an lysis. And Maisie, being
an intelligent girl, had obtained 3 small sup
ply In a way that would have occurred to
few women save her, She had dug up a
root with her own dainty parssol in the bo-
tanical garden attached to the institution.
A week or two more passed doubtfully,
TREMENDOUSLY. Maisie was much engaged
with her mour ing and other domestic ar
rangements. She was wealthy now, and she
| had hard proplem to solve-how to dress
herself in deep black, yet in such a becom-
ing way that she might prove as attractive
| as ever TO Jose Mansfield. And then there
was her complexion. That needed much
care. We're those crows feet about her
eyes? Was regret, or remorse, or terror, or
what you will, beginning to make her less
beautiful than heretoforel She trembled
to think SO. For her compilations sake,
and Jose's, she must stlfe remoi Sc she must
stifis conscience. Bef re she met ose again
she must get up her strength, her form. her
color. She must never be less lovely than
when he first saw her. She must burst upon
him like meteor-when she went to Me-
breska.
For she meant to follow jose for the pres
ent to Omaha. She had heard rom him
twice since he left Wa hington; letters in
the same hign-hown style as his conversa-
ton; letters full of affection, vague, form
less, occidental, but uncer lain as to detail
and chaotic as TO intention.
And now that poor, dear mamma was
gone, and she was mistress of her own fort
uae, and her own m ivements as we'll she
must strike while the iron is hot, and follow
up Jose to his n native pra.ries.
She went west in due time. Her costumes
we're magnificent; they were black, but
comely. AT the hotel at Omaha, Jose came
to see her. She sat on a sofa, ii her own
private room, to await his coming. attired
like queen WHO has sustained a 10 nestle
affection. At the appointed hour, Jose
sauntered In, largo OF limb. free OF gait,
with poeticsl carelessness about the front
hair and shirt Maisie rose TO meet
him. IN her sweeping black dress, red rose
at her bosom, a. d her cheeks like q rose
with expectant pleasure. Jose gave her lis
hand. She asped it in her own. aud
thrilled through to the core. Never, the
poSt thought, had he seen her look prouder,
more hssome, more beautiful He used /,
and surveyed her approvingly from head to
foot. "Weli, Maisis," he said with I'M
fsigned joy in her beauty, ''you are a
splendid creature, and no mis- axe; sup
pie AID glo ious and warm like q tiger.
How good of you to come across all this
way to see mel I've written you q poem,
too. I've b. ought it he to-day for you.n
you've brought me better than poem, +"
Maisie answered, flushing still redder with
delight, in her imperial beauty. you've
brought me the poet. You've brought me
yourself. WHAT more could you bring mel
And, Jose, now, whatever's mine IS yours
I'm rich; SO are you. You can free your
| self at last from the mill,tone round your
neck. You can cast of he incumb ance "
Jose looked down upon her with a strange
! smile, fitting lambent about his lips. he
e4joyed this SLOW playing her as he would
have enjoyed playing q noble salmon, dart
ing madly down stream with the hook In its
nostrils.
Free myself from the millstoue?n esaid
airily after a loug. deep pause. ''And
WHY'S AID Tor whats Not surely to 20
back sgaln, my chilli, into the eslf-same
slaveryN
A sichening horror came over Maisies
soul. What could he mean by this-Aer
Jose, her poetl She steadied herself by a
! chair. for sue was sui standing in front Of
him. Her heart ak III her breast.
20. Jose" she cried, wildly, "What , you
means What do you sayl And with me,
tool Slavery"
jose laid his two big hands on her
shoulder, and pushing her down unresisteI,
seated her IA d chair Then be surveyed
he from ab We with critical calmness. u
like you Shen you're gone that way he
said, rolling the words on bis tongue. The
q sress looks grandest when she fghts-ur
despAirS You're Is 10 lea creature H. ever
. saw ia nv life. It's worth while wound
ing you. Your death-throes deserve any
sculptor's attention. That attitude, now
sh. what grace, what rsyulsion. what hope
lessnessm
Mslsie gazsd up at him. appalled,. In
truth aud 10 deed she had met her fate. She
could be beaftiess herself, IN her small.