The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-10-18

D 50 u az 4ki ? IL NihlsAS n1Q LUZ OnAcQ ~
! hers! f-Ob. Jose, Jose
One e.c.inZ. at last, he stood leaning over
her IS he lovsd 10 do, and watching her
Ct Sc fI- avery change Of emotion on that
c,Aar-cu. face Of hers. Why did DE eve her
So hard Why note the rise aud fall of that
suow-white b Soml vaguely Meisie fell he
was preparing a bombsheil for her. He
was toying with ring on his big brown
finger.
''Wbo gave you that, Josew she asked
half trembling.
AID he answered her without q warn
ing:
"A woman, of course. Ny wife, in Ne
breska.n
The universe reeled round, with Maisie
for its pivot. She could hardly SIT on her
chair. She dropped and sWooned with hor-
rOr. Jose Mansfield leaned over her, ana
held her up with one large hand. She was
beautiful, So. That dropping head, that
shapely shouder-how marbly whitel how
magnificent! how satin-like! how fauItlessi
be held her for minute or so. He was
in no hurry for the girl TO come round
This bewilderment brought out wildly the
strong points OF her face She looked like
a daughter of Niobe il the Florentine halls /;
for though Jose Mansfield boasted himself
true son of the prairie. he was travelled
for all that; he had ''done" his Europe
In a short time. as he gazed, she opened
her eyes and came too again. She looked at
him reproachfully.
20, jose" she cried. not so much
angry as appalled, and unnerved, "You
should have told me that before! You have
a Wife-ln Nebraska
Yes, Maisie, my child" the poet an
swered, peering deeper still into those
liquid eyes, too perfect to be tender. II
have a wife-in Nebraska-in the Omaha
lunatic asylum
AT the words, with a sudden bound
Maisie took heart of grace again. "Iu the
lunatic asylumm she cried, Gaping. 20,
Jose-incurable"
The poet DO wed his head.
''Incurable." he answered, with sphinx
like air.
1t was part of Jose Manslelds pose to
be sphinx-like and inscrutable
Maisie drew a deep breath again. In
many OF the United States-above all, out
wes.-hopeless lunacy is good ground for
divorce. Mai.ie knew that very we'll
monial chess-boald unknown to Maisie. A
tremor ran through her from head to foot
before she dared to go on tentatively to the
S cond question.
"And you've never tried-you've never
attempted in any way-to rid yourself Of
this cumbrance-to-n
The poet smiled and interrupted her
placidIy:
What would you have. Maisier' he an
swered, shruggiag his shoulders after the
fashion intended TO denote his Castilian an-
eestry. II am poor. l am free. am a
son of the rolling grass-lands. l never be-
fore met any woman in this world who at
tracted me to submit myself once more to
domestic slavery. X It's abolished in
the south. Why restore it in Nebraskas =
Consider the situation. l was
young once, and fool. In the west, in
those days, women were scarce, aud poor
articles. They sampled very i'll. did the
best 1 could for myself The best was
feeble. You should have seen her, Maisise !;
little understood thing. not taller than your
shodlder-oh, yes, a decent enough woman
in her way. no doubt; pretty-faced baby ;
but not fit for me, for whom the fates de-
signed great, glorious. large>limbed, ex-
ultant Greed goddess. Say you,
for example," And he darted such look
frown his big brown eyes at her that Mnisie
trembled and thrilled in her Utmost mar
row. The poet went on, lingering his mus
tache with affection. "a small cramped
nature, as well; not like mine-or yours
born to 70 m with the buffalo on my native
prairie. A mother of children, good to
bake and clean house. And that, too. for
me! PAIL my heart grew sick at til"
He paused again and eyed her.
''In time" he said, slowly, 'the muse
came, and found me. She found me on the
rauche, among the coyotes and the cow
boys. Write, Jose.' she said. And / rose
and obeyed her. l wrote, till the world
fiocked round me to read. Then knew what
| was, and l grew sick Of the woman. y
She conveniently went mad. 4
There, YOU have the whole epis 1de.n
Maisie gazsd at him, awe-struck It was
grand 1t was glorious! His bombas5 i'm
posed upon her. TIE mans callousness and
saw only her own gain in this hideous story
And now. JOSEF she asked TREMENDOUSLY
what do you mean to DO nowl The laws
of Nebraska admit incurahle lunacy as q
good and sufficient CAUSE"
With a snap of his finger, the pet once
more interrupted her.
"What can l dol" he answered, PLAYING
with her as a cat plays with mouse. II
am poor. l am penuilesS. l get what |
make with my pen-the spinning of my
own braIn-the barter of my lfe-blood.
Out of that l support mysslf-and the mad
woman in Nebraska. How would you have
me support yet third or a fourthl Above
all. Greek goddess, Tapped in Washington
luxurYW
Maisie's mind was made up. He had said
it himself. No obstacle should stand be-
tween her and the man of her choice. Was
he not right. indeed, that here was help
meet for hint II he could give up his mad
vito, she could give up all else. What
were ties of blood to her now! At oil risks
she should have him. her own peerless poet.
For his sake she could dare all-the un-
speakable thing itself. For his sake sac
could stand any risk, any punishment.
"Good-by." she cried, rising TO 90. Il
can't stop here longer now. This episode
has been too much for me. at least for the
moment. But, Jose, you shall have money
to set yourself free from this membranes.
And you'll set yourself free. / feel sure, if
Pm able to marry you"
The poet smiled bis inscrutable smile once
more, but answered never a word 1t was
his cue 70 say nothing. Silence never COM
promises.
As for maisie. she drove home in the car
riage with mamma, rejecting all the way
that mammals money -. But there there
are thi Is that scarcely frame themselves at
ali TO the mind in words
Not even to ourselves dare we confess
openly our worst imBginings.
AL she knew was Just tais-at all costs,
at all risks, must and she would marry
jose Mansfield.
TO BE CONCLUDED
LOVE II a GYPSY CAMP.