The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-08-30

CHAPTER XXI.
POLLY'S MARRIAGE.


and discontinued because she was left IN
complete ignorance of a good deal that she
was anxious to know.
OF Nellie Lynden she had heard no word
since she said good-by to her at Manchester.
Where she was, or what she was doing
Frances had no idea. That Hugh Fleming
was alive and well she hal gathered from
the papers, which all contained paragraphs
concerning the missing officer.
In her anxiety to hear something OF Mel
lie, she had written to Polly PhYbbs. but the
girl could only reply that she knew no more
than Miss Smerdon she had never seen or
heard of either DR.. or Miss Lynden since
their departure; that there were letters for
both OF them, but she did not know where
to forward them; she further informed
Miss Smerdon that it was very awkward,
she did not know what to do that the land
lord of the house would, she was afraid,
shortly give trouble; that half years rent
would become due ere long, and that the
proprietor stated that If he could hear moth
ing of the doctor or his money by that time,
he should be compelled to take the house
once more into his own hands; that he did
not understand gentleman in DR.. Lynden's
position absenting himself in such an ex-
traordinary fashion, that it would be called
absconding, as a rule, aud was suggestive of
DR.. Lynden having fed from his creditors,
but he acquitted him Of that, because to the
best of his belief, he owed no man money in
the city, except himself. Why could the
doctor rot have given up the house before
leaving if ne had no further use for it?
That was the usual custom with yearly
tenants. He had been treated with no CON
sideration, and should certainly not keep a
house vacant for man who had behaved
as badly to him as she doctor had done.
The result of this one mans grum bling was
that an idea gradually sprung up IN the
neighborhood that the doctor had fled to es.
cape the consequences Of his evil doing,
though of what his evil doing
consisted no one had al idea even a name
was not given to his assumed crime.
Such, narrated in wandering fashion, was
the gist of Polly Phybb's letter, and Frances
was fam to admit that there was scant IN
formation to be gained from that quarter.
The one thing it seemed TO point to was that
DR.. Lynden had no intention of returning
to Manchester; that something might have
occurred to necessitate his leaving it tempo
rarily was easy to understand but it was
make his landlord acquainted with his deci-
sion.
The weeks slip by, and the Easter of 1856
is at hand. Peace is not proclaimed, but is
known now to be an absolute certainty;
and as Frances Smerdon thinks over the
great drama that is now played out, it all
seems to her like dream. A few months
back. and she had felt herself intimately
connected with some of those who were
playing their parts in it, and now she had
no idea what had become of them. Her
bosom friend, Nellie Lynden-Hugh Elem
ing Tom Byng-she had lost all knowl-
edge Of them. The papers, it is true, still |
mentioned the doings of the Crimean army, |
but the fighting was over there we're no |
deeds of arms now to chronicle, and the let
tiers Of ''Our Special respondents" we're
chiefly made up of accounts Of their own
tour up the country. 1t was rarely that
there was any allusion to particular regi~
ments, and of the doIngs of the -th she
had heard never q word for months. Now
it may be remembered that there resided at
Manchester Mrs Montague, who had con-
stanlly acted as chaperone to the two girls.
She had never maintained any correspond
ence with Miss Smerdon, but one morning
Frances received a letter from her She
was well-meaning, frivolous, gossipy
woman, but news 10 her was as the breath
of her nostrils. She was never so happy "a
when either receiving or retailing it, and
she had just picked up the story that Hugh
Fleming was engaged to be married to
Russian countess. Like every one else, she
was in perfect ignorance of where Miss
Lynden was, otherwise she was lust the
woman TO have at once fastened to condole
with her on the nfdelity Of her lover. Not
being able TO write to her, she thought the
nearest approach to it would be to write to
Frances Smerdon, as her most intimate
friend.
Frances was thunderstruck at hearing
such rumor was current, and her first
feeling was one of indignant disbelief But
as she reflected on Mrs. Montague's news,
came the recollection that though that lady
was an inveterate gossip, she was for all
that veraclous one That such stories as
she might have to tell she had, at all events,
heard and not invented. Still it was hard
to believe, SO thoroughly in love as Hugh
FLEMING had been, he had proved faithless
IN SO short time. All, well, she had made
as terrible a mistake In her own case, and
perhaps she was quite as far wrong in Nelrs.
Then Frances came to the conclusion that
II this was true, well, her friend was well
out of her engagement; that man so tickle
as hugh Fleming was not worth wasting |
a thought about, but for all that she felt
that Nell Lynden would not feel it quite so
easy to tear this love from her breast,
love that had cost her such heartache and
anxiety during the past year. She longed |
more than ever to be by her side and COM
fort her during this fresh hour of trial, and
yet she knew that Nell was the last girl to
bear with commiseration from any one in
such trouble as this would be to her. There |
VS. only one means to inquire into the |
truta OF this report that Miss Smerdon |
could think Of, aud accordingly she once
more wrote to Polly Phybbs 70 ask if she |
had heard anything Of her master and miss
tress.
The reply was as before, nothing.
Miss Ply bbs at present had her hands |
full of her own affairs Police
Constable Tarrant mad been blest with an
other inspiration. What Sergu. Evans had
gathered from their investigation of the
laboratory Dick had no conception. That
that sergeant did not think much of bis
a stuteness, Dick had gathered from his con-
GLIDING words on that occasion, but it hap
pened to suit him TO perseVere in the belief
that the doctor was guilty OF malpractice
of some sort. And as we know the opinion
of the neighborhood rather favored that
supposition. Mr.. Tarraut impressed upon
Polly that it was more imperative than
ever. that strict watch should be kept upon
the doctors house. He had his own reasons
for this, having been suddenly struck with
q brilliant idsa, it was perfectly preposter-
ous that be should be paving for his lodg-
Ings while such an excellent billet as the
DOCTORS house was next door TO vacant
You see, Polly said Mr.. Tarrant, "the
way the doctor went off is in itself sus-
picious, and of course he'll have to account
for himself. When you want to catch a
fox watch his earth, now you see ! can't de-
pend upon you. You've let him slip |
through your fingers once and you'd 60 IL |