The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-08-30
THE MORNING NEWS: SUNDAY AUGUST 189lTWELvE PAGES

! cnolY raShlon now tnls eplSCue III ner Ale
was to end.
"a few days" she murmured. land I
must set forth for my return journey TO
! st. Petersburg. What am l to do with my
/ Englishmang He is very nice, and | am
very fond Of him. I'm not very conve1-
tional, and not given to be afraid OF what
the world say but can't quite travel over
half Russia with a gentleman who Is not
my husband. Shall marry him! l can Z
make up my mind about that"
The door opened. and the subject OF her
meditations stood before her, one glance at
his face told Marie that he knew OF her
treachery.
Il thought it very odd" be said. "that no
answer was made by the governor 70 my
| the case with all official business in your
country, that those in authority could not
| be hurried.
You might have known that all officials
expect to be paid for speed"
"You do tn I'm injustice. am told mat
my freedom was restored TO me some days
! hence. How is that the letter has never
reached my handsT
How should know" she replied, with a
slight shrug of her shoulders The orderly
seut with il perhaps got drunk, herhaps
| lost it, What does 1t matter"
at matters good DEAL" be replied,
| quietly, but with hardness in his tones TO
| whio Oh she was totally uuaccIstomed. i've
| business to do in England which brooks no
| delav.'
! "You cannot think of that, Hugh, till
Won have seen me safe to st. Petersburg"
! she murmured in her sotted tones, and with
| a glance of her dark eyes calculated to turn
any mans head.
Not two minutes ago and she had pretty
| well made up her mind that she and Hugh
must part, but now, all the inborn coQuetry
! ornucaI md she pnlnlt
no more bear the idea Of losing her lover
than a cat could bear seeing mouse escape
from its claws. She was, too, just at
present, very fond of Hugh, and it had
been solely from prudential motives that
they must part. Now. passion had con-
quered prudence, and she had determined to
detlin him, cost what it might.
II regret" he said. that 1 am com
PEELED to deprive myself of that pleasure. |
have no right to be absent from England an
hour longer than l can help. Where is that
Ietterp
Hugh, dearest, you will see me to st.
Petersburg, will you notW she replied,
gently laying her hand upon his arm, and
utterly ignoring his last question.
Where is that letter~ was his sole re-
ply.
Marie Ivanhoff's eyes began to sparkle,
and it was with some little asperIty that she
rejoined:
II have told you know nothing of it."
EXCUSE me, you are mistaken. l have
been TO the governors Office. / have seen
the orderly who brought it. He did not
loss it, but delivered it here at this house.
must trouble you to remember what you
have done with it."
Mademoiselle recognized too clearly the
suppressed anger in his tones. What could
it be that made him SO anxious to get to
England? Was this the man whom she had
thought so completely her thrall. so securely
comprised by her claimsl Could it be pos
sibe that she had been beaten at her own
gamel That this Englishman had been
stalking counters all the time against her
own gold pieces9 Her cheeks flushed, aud
the dark eyes flashed ominously, as, still ig
norng his question, she asked:
Nv hat is it you are 50 anxious about in
Englandw
ITO ascertain the safety of one l love-"
he replied, harshly. 1.-The letter!n
''Of one loved dearer than any" She
half unconsciously quoted. aud as sac spoke
the dark eyes gazed into his, as if to read
his very soul.
stop; do not speak, can read my an
swer in your face then crossing the room
rapidly, she opened an escrlto re, and ex-
claimed
"Here is your letter, monsieur"
"And what right had you ~ he exclaimed,
iercely, as he took the letter from her
hand
''Stopm she cried, drawing herself up to
her full hight, spare me further humilia-
ton. Your devotion TO me has been all a
farce. With your trOth pledged to some
white-faced English girl you have dared to
amuse yourself with me. 1t is we'll for you
that my brother is not at hand to call you
TO account for the affront you have put
upon me. l have only now, monsieur, to
congratulate you on the complete recovery
of your health, and to wish you bon voy-
age" and, having bestowed upon him a
stately courtesy, Mademoiselle Ivanhoff
swept from the room.
Nothing could be more sarcastic than the
infexion of her voice, as she alluded to the
recovery of his health.
Hugh could not but recall how much she
had contributed to it, What fool he had
been in his wrath to all but blInder out
that unlucky question. Did he want to tear
the last shred off the woman's vanity, to
whom he, humanity speaking, owed his life
But for such love as there had been between
them he had not to hold himself much to
blame. Mademoiselle Ivanh fl was no girl
In her teens. but young lady of wide ex-
periences, and Hugh could honestly say that
the temptation most decidedly came from
her side in the commencement. He felt I'M
comfortable, nay more, to do him Justice,
he was much distressed at the idea OF so
parting from his nurse, but he vowed to
himself that he would never swerve from
his loyalty to Nellie Lynden. Men are apt
to be causists in such matters, but think it
was perhaps as well for Hugh Fleming that
Miss Lynden was not callel upon to sit in
judgment upon his case at the time. The
most merciful of women would, | fancy,
have though the offending too deep to be
passed over lightly.
Az for MadaFnnisaiIa IvanbOfP
she was for once defeated with her own
weapons no one could say that her retreat
was not conducted with ali the honors of
war. But don't believe, nevertheless, that
her guardian friend and betrayer did not
know that her thrust had gone home, and
exult in her own bower accordingly.
fro BE CoNTIHUED1