The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-08-02
CHAPTER XIII.
The LADY OF THE ROSES.

AlLnOuRn Ut. GynQeu naQ Oeen COIN
paratively short time in Manchester. be hs
achieved considerable social status ther
among the better and more refined cir
cles. A suave, courteous gentleman wit
had evidently seen much of the world anc
could talk well on most Of the leading topici
of the day. His knowledge Of foreign
politics was regarded with profound respect
by his intimates. His forecasts OF the
strange events of that stormy period had
proved wonderfully correct, and what Lyn-
den thought of things was question con-
stanuly asked by the leading business men
there to whom the war was excessively re-
pugnant. Some few objected to 1t on moral
grounds. and still fewer on the CONVICTION
that the game was not worth the candle;
that the struggle was unnecessary; that we
were pulling the chestnuts out Of the fire to
serve the French, and that Russia would
willingly have undertaken to do nothing
that would interfere with oar interests II
we would only have kept out of tho quarrel;
but 10 the bulk of the Manchester men the
war was dist8steful, as it always is TO mon
who get their living by trade. The extern
sion of business is not brought about by the
winning of battles. War must Of necessity
be paid for by the nations INDUCING in 1t,
and mas never yet conduced to the ccnuisl-
ton of ricnes, which is after all the main
o ject of all manufacturing industries, or
for the matter of that Of most other employ
ments IN this world.
Ia the very beginning OF the trouble the
doctor bad prophccied that II would all end
in war When people pooa poohed him and
said 1t was lld.culOus t. suppose that We
should ever take part In an another Euro
pean War-tha- IN these days Of advanced
clVillzationi 1t was preposte GUS t. think Il at
we should have res TT to such a barb4rou us
w0y Of adjusting our differences, the dc
tor replied:
1T is lust that belief that you will never
engage Ia another European war that viii
bring it about. That IS Russia's idea also
AS for civilization-it exercises very little
restraint on the passions when reused. HUI
man nature never changes, and asserts it |
self in defiance of civilization whenever |
you come to the crucial test. Your rulers |
think you will not fight; but tie nation is
on the boil. and will have it so. Yes, there |
will be war, aud not a little one, you will |
see
Not only had the doctors representations |
proved correct upon that occasion, but |
either his foreknowledge or his information |
about the march of events was sIngularly |
accurate He took the keenest interest in |
the struggle in front of Sebastopol. He |
had carefully studied the best maps it was |
possible for him to procure; while his |
knowledge Of our numbers in the Crimea,
of what reinforcements we had under ord |
ers to join the army in the field, and OF |
what our garrisons in the Mediterranean |
consisted was remarkable. Not only was he |
a close reader of the daily papers, but it was
pretty certain that information concerning
the war reached him from other quarters.
He was always willing to discuss the situa-
rion in the Crimea with Miss Smerdon and
his daughter.
"Ah, yes =" he said one afternoon when he
came In for his cup of tea, 1.-THE drama pro-
crosses apace. With the fall of Sebastopol
will end the first act. That we should take
that, is necessary TO our insular pride; and,
even if we wished it, it is hardly likely that
the Russians would allow us to re-embark.
The French, | see, have taken the Mamelon
do you know what that means? That is
on the part of our allies, to q
request that we will take the great Redan,
which, it is said they fluid thorn in their
sides. Yes, it is probable that the curtain
will fall on the first act before the end of
the month. And then, ali, then-where
next? We shall have dealt Russia a blow
cannot get at the heart. Napoleon tried
that-and pretty mess he made Of it. We
have no Napoleons now"
Dr LINDEN had usually been singularly
accurate in his representations concerning
the siege, aud he was SO far right that
general assault on the place was imminent.
but what never occurred to him, any more
than IL did to many Of the chiefs actually
present before SebaStopol, was that the at
ht fail u
lasted seven months and 1t was not to be
supposed when the allies did deliver an as
sault it could be anything but a coup de
grace. Why. even in this affair OF the
Mamelon, the Zouaves had reached the
ditch of the Malakoff, aud it was believed,
Lad they been properly supported. could
have taken that work. o no, the first act
must be very nearly over.
"NCu think" asked his daughter "that
the final assault will lake placs before June
is over!'
Yes" replied the doctor. THE
trenches are perpetual train upon our
army, that can be endured but little longer
while he Russians have left thousands by
the wayside on that terrible march across
tine Steppes, but men, when, rs in their case.
they believed their ruler 10 be both their
king and their God, they'll be always ready
to die for him"
Miss Smerdon's first impulse on the
receipt of Byhg's letter, had been at once to
return home, but when she found that
Nellie abstained from questioning her on
the subject she reflected that her mother
would be scarce likely to show such re;i-
cence. and 80 came to the conclusion that
she had pest stay where she was for the
present The Crimea war exercised a
great influence over peoples minds at that
period, and to romantic girl like Frances
with a special interest in the welfare of one
of the actors in the drama, became posi-
tive fascination. She heard, somewhat
more quickly, to say nothing Of more di-
rectly, through Nellie, of what was taking
place there; and then at Twmbarlym, there
would be nobody to explain the intention of
the siege operations so lucidly as the doctor
Even Polly Phybbs had at times her scrap
of information to give concerning it de-
rived from letters received from her
brother, and there was no piece of intelli-
gence from the til but what was worth
listening to, in the opinion of the two girls.
There is nothing like a common bond of
hopes and fears, to draw people of different
grades together. Miss Smerdon's heart at
that time yearned toward any one who had
near and dear belongings In the Crimea
This caused her to uubend somewhat to-
ward Polly Phybbs. and once more her
thoughts Travelled in the direction Of Blue
Boards chamber. True, she was mainly
absorbed in the war, but for all that her
mind at times would wander to other things
Again, she talked the subject over with
Polly, and found that young woman now
quite as curious as herself about it. But
Phybbs while carefully listening to all
Miss Smerdon's views of the mystery
avoided any mention of her own suspicious.
Still the result of their joint curiosity was
that while Frances was perpetually teasing
l. =