The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-09-06
CHAPTER XIV.
IN FULL CRY.

| CHAPTER XIV.
IN FULL CRY.
Tom Byng was not the man to fail
| friend who had claimed his assistance. He
had heard Hugh's story, and having briefly
| arranged that they should dine together,
announced his intention of having good
| solid smoker Tom had much belief in the
virures of tobacco, and generally sought
! inspiration from it in some shape when the
! intricacies of this life seemed too much for
| him. Having taken an arm chair in q re-
tired corner Of the smoking-room, and lit
Cabana of extra sizs to do justice to the oc-
casion, Tom began to turn the whole thing
over in his mind.
YES" ne thought, "Hugh is right; that's
what's the matter. That Sister Marie story
has come to her ears and she's fred up, and
not without reason, IL she knew all. But
the girl can't be lost somebody must have
her address. She must be found; things
can't come straight before them if they
don't meet, and after undergoing all the
fears and anxieties of last year about him,
it would be pitable if she threw him over,
now he's come home safe because he in
dulged in a FOOLS Irritation out there.
There can't be q question about his genuine
love for her. By Jove, l have it! Miss
Smerdon knows where she is Hugh must
write to her. I'll take odds he never thought
of that; he would have said so if he had;
and here Tom pulled viciously at his cigar,
as be reflected that he could hardly we'll
write to that young lady himself. ''rhere's
a bit of GOODNESS, l fancy" he muttered,
between us, and I'd best keep out of reach
of her sarcastic tongue for the present"
And having, as he thought, satisfactorily
solved his riddle, Tom dropped the butt of
his cigar into the ash tray, and proceeded
to go for good stretch before dinner.
When he and Hugh met at that meal, the
latter was much struck by his companions
suggestion.
Stupid of him not think of it before; be
would write that very night, so that his
letter might go the first thing in the morn
ing: aud then, considerably to Toms relief,
began to talk of other things, Though even
these he discussed with a mind evidently
pre-occupied, and in answer to his old
chum's questioning, admitted that he'd de-
cided nothing as yet about the future,
whether to stay in the Guards or exchange
or what.
Hugh's letter was duly written, and re-
ply was anxiously expected.
Miss Smerdon's answer was what Mr..
Swiveller was accustomed to designate a
''staggerer.n
Very formally, coldly and politely
Frances, in q few lines, informal Capt.
Fleming that she had no knowledge Of Miss
| Lynden's present address
| nhb dll nOnSCuuby ouAu AiNkus ouRTllH y,
as he handed the letter to Byng. "Of course
she knows whore Nell is She's got this
idiotic Manchester story into her stupid
| head"
"Hull. come. l say, young man, you
must rally moderate your language a lit
| tlen
For a few seconds Hugh looked keenly
into his companions face, and then smiled as
he remarked:
"Weil, people are very irritating, you
know. AT all events, you'll admit there's
no information TO be gathered from that
source"
More to be done perhaps by personal
interview" suggested Tom, savagely.
"May be-" said Hugh, speaking quietly
and softly. Suppose you were to under
take it,"
"Out of the question" said Tom, hastily
IF you don't see your way there's nothing
more to be done there. Miss Smerdon and
myself are on very distant terms"
Further discussion led to no further sug-
gestion. Tom stood steadfastly by his old
axiom that Miss Lyndon couldn't be lost
that the finding her whereabouts was onlY
question of time, probably of few days.
but he did not agree with Hugh that tue
Manchester story was most likely the cause
of her Withholding her address, aud that tc
put things right between them it was i'm
perative that Hugh should see her. But
how that could be brought about neither OF
them could say.
In the course of the day, however, Tom
was seized with another inspiration. Turn
ing the whole thing over in his mind, il
suddenly flashed across him that on the day
that Hugh was taken prisoner there was a
private soldier named Phybbs, who declared
he owed his life to him, and that this SOL
der was also a brother of Mrs. Lynden's
maid. He remembered quite well hlving
some talk with the man, and telling him to
write his account of the eighth of Septem.
Der home TO his sister.
Now thought Tom, that maid, nc
doubt, is with her mistress at present, and
surely Private Phybbs would know where
his sister is living That's it. Private
Phybbs is the key to the whole mystery"
Tom was a maa of decision. He rushed
into the nearest office aud telegraphed to
the adjutant to know whether the regiment
had sailed for Ireland, and whether Private
Phybbs was still with il. In less than two
hours a yellow envelope was brought to him
at the Thermopolium, containing the fol-
lowing message dated Portsmouth,
STILL waiting Cor transport. Phybbs
here"
Having hastily thrown few things into
a portmanteau, Tom left brief note for
Fleming at the club, saying that he had
been unexpectedly called out OF town for O
day or two. and by o'clock was steaming
out of London on his way to the old sea
port.
But Hugh also had his inspiration He
came to the conclusion that he had not
pushed his inquiries half far enough at
Manchester, and what is more, he had made
them in the wrong directions. 1t was quite
likely that some OF the shop people with
whom they dealt would be able to tell him
something about the LYndens. II his idea
was correct about Neil, she would naturally
not wish TO see or hear from people of her
own position. The old woman he had seen
at the house was obviously only caretaker,
and indeed said she knew nothing Of the
people who had lived there before, except
their name. He would run down TO Man
chester again and see IL he could not discov-
or what he wanted. He could think OF