The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-09-13

Queens Hotel. All right, sir; good morn
ing;n and Dick turned back ilto his cot
tage, determined that Polly should tell him
all she knew at once. But in this Mr.. Tar.
rant was destined to meet Nth disappoint-
ment.
Polly had hitherto yielded implicitly to
him, but for once she adamant. Let him
bully or wheelle as he might, and Mr.. Tar
rant tried both, she still per-
sisted in her negation, and Mr.. Tar
rant waxed exceedingly irritable at the idea
OF his wife's trumpery scruples and Capt
Fleming's purse strings.
Rather gloomy conference was held by
the two friends woen Hugh returned from
his bootless visit. 1t was no use having as
certained that Mrs. Tarrant possessed the
knowledge they wanted, if they could not
make her speak. They came to the oonclu-
sion that unless her husbands influence pre-
vailed there was nothing to be got out of
Polly. As Byng remarked. "He was Of no
further uee there" and 80 it was settled be-
tween them that be should return to Lon
don while Hugh should still remain at the
Queens on the chance Of hearing from Mr.
Tarrant
Tom indeed was anxious to get back to
town to carry out new idea that he had
got into his head. His ideas had so far dis
appointed him, and he was more than ever
impressed with the stability of Keeping
them to himself. He had bethought hi n of
another power wherewith to overthrow
Mrs. Tarrant's obstinacy.
He determined to send for Private
Phybbs and insist on his requiring this SER
vice or his sister, on behalf the man who
had saved his life. 1t would probable have
made no difference, but he cursed his
stupidity for not having played this card
during his inter view with Polly. He had
guessed that Hugh had probably made the
same omission from motives of pride. Meu
who do these things are not much given to
Dragging of them afterward, or else in
their conversation in the Queens Hotel Tom
had told Fleming how he had discovered
Mrs. Tarrant's address, and was therefore
aware that Phybbs got through the eighth
of September safely. interchangeable in his
friends service, Tom, having ascerCained by
telegraph that though the transport for
them was In, the til had not yet sailed,
rushed down to Portsmouth by the first
train the next morning, and upon giving
the colonel rough statement of the case,
obtained furlough for Private Phybbs,
and bore him back triumphantly to town in
the afternoon, telegraphing to Hugh to hold
on at Manchester. He explained TO Private
Phybbs what was required of him, that If
he considered Capt. Fleming stood by him
on that eighth Of SeDte nber, it was his
bounder duty to stand by the captain now
he was in trouble. That If he owed his life
to the captain this was his time to show
himself sensible of 1t, and having thus
primed him, Tom dispatched Phybbs to
Manchester by the earliest train he could
find, and then, like any other great strate-
gist, sat down TO await the results.
But for Byng's telegram, not hearing
anything from Mr.. Tarraut, Hugh would
have probably left Manchester, and passed
Phybbs on his way. AS it was, he took
charge Of that young soldier, and decided to
wait and see what came of his interview
with bis sister.
Polly was honestly delighted to see her
brother. His last letter had given her no
expectation of his obtaining furlough for
at least another month. She was very fond
OF Peter, and had made a great pet of him
as a boy. as sisters often will with brothers
a great deal younger than themselves, and
she had cried very bitterly when she first
heard that he he'd taken the shilling, and
was for the wars bound. 1t had been a
slight feeling of relief to find that he was
in the same regiment with Mr.. Fleming,
who, she had vaguely thought, might be-
friend the boy She was quite as con-
scious of the great obligation they lay IN
der to him as her brother himself. II not
from his own lips, she had it under his own
hand, that if Peter was alive now, it was
thanks to Hugh, and 1t had tried her sorely
to refuse Fleming the information for which
he had pleaded SO earnestly and well. But
Miss Lynden's injunctions had been most
positive.
"Now, Polly, I've a great favor to ask
you,n said Peter, after the first tumultuouS
huggiug and kissing had been got over.
"What's thatw
"Why, it's about Capt. Fleming, you
know"
mot that, not that" said Polly, hur-
riedly. He hasn't sent you here to ask
me thatl He knows l can't tell you. He
knows the secret isn't mine, or would tell
him at once"
"But look here, Polly, you know the cap
tain stood by me once"
Polly nodded assent
"Well. Iswore to myself that night that
if ever got the chance to do anything for
him. I'd do the best could for the man who
saved my life in the bloodiest day l was ever
in. Well, l amt had much experience in
sweetheartinR you see, since | listed my
times been spent in the Crimea, and on
board convict hulk, where there wasn't
much opportunity, but I've heard men take
the loss of a sweetheart terrible hard-now
I'm told the captain is In fair way of losing
his, aud all because he can't see the young
lady. Maj. Byng tells me you can manage
it for him if you choose, and l shall call it
real mean of you if you don't. You know
what he wants you to do, now why don't
you say you IL 10 l6f
II can't, 1 can't, indeed. tell yon
promised not!o
whats that got to do with itr' replied
Peter, angrily. promise indeed I'd
break any amount Of promises if the cap
ia told me TO. Promise-why I'd break
all the Ten Commandments if the captain
wanted it-besiaes, Miss Lynden herself
will thank you for breaking that PROMISE"
"How do you knowF said Polly.
ga nd how does he know | WOndarM
the British army know better than the likes
of us about that or anything elses"
Don't tell me,n rejoined Polly, with a
contemptuous toss of her head; "a woman
knows more about that sort of thing than
any ten men that ever stepped"
But tell you," persisted Peter, THAT
it's all a mistake; Miss Lynden's mis-
takenn
"Whst aboutg" said Polly, CURLY.
"How should l know Maj. Byng says
she is, and that the mistake would be put
light in five minutes if Capt. Fleming could
only see her."
But Miss Lynden doesn't want to see
him."
"How provoking you are. Polly. Don't
tell you it's all mistake, and how can you
tell Miss Lynden don't want to see Capt.
Fleming uatil you let Der know he is here?"
At last Polly was staggered. There
might be something in this. She would be
true to her promise, but she did not think
| there could be any harm in letting Nellie
know that Capt. Fleming was at Marches
ter seeking for her, and this much she told
her brother she was prepared to do. But