The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-10-25
CHAPTER II.

self. aud felt sure she UNDERSTOOD IL. "O0S
was in love with her. Jose appreciated
her. Only once in her life had she met
man worthy of her; and that ma had lalIen
in love with her, as she with blm, just as
naturally as two mountain torrents meet
and rush together. His wife alone stood IN
the way-his mad wife, and her own
mother II Jose had but money, be could
get rid of his wife. If the mother were out
of their road, Jose could have money.
There Law her Iiad 10 nutshell Jose must
have money.
She rose up early, and consulted her &C
counts. Even for an American girl, Maisie
had always an ample allowance, for her
mother was generous to her; in fact, her
mother idolized her. Msisie admitted to
herself even then, that she could do as she
liked with mamma, any way. The ac-
counts were satisfactory. Her balance was
big, She took out her check book and
wrote q check to self or bearer for five hum
drsd dollars-a hundred pounds sterling.
For obvious reasons. she avoided drawing il
in the name Of Jose Mansfield. But she IN
closed it in an envelope addressed to him at
his hotel; and with it she sent just folded
sheet of paper bearing the suggestive
words: "For preliminary legal expenses
Maisie."
That evening, as usual, she meet hi m
again. o, how she dreaded tlat meeting.
Her hand was tremulous. Butt ose took it as
frankly and as openly as ever. his great
eyes tuI ned on hers and flooded her With
their light But not CLEAN Of recognition,
of conscious conspiracy was there. Had he
received her note, she wondered, trembling.
III IA ".
was at least a relief. He accepted it as it
was meant, an interchange Of friendly SER
vice between two higher natures. And his
talk was N re high~fown than ever that
evening. He spoke to her In a certain easy
rotund flow Of speech chat passed with him
for rhetoric, for poetry. for imagination), of
the elective affinity that bound great souls
together. of the nothinguess of oonven-
floral laws that strove in vain to part them.
Let me not TO the marriage of true souls
admit imp1dimen !" be said lightly after
Shakespeare. Aud Mai>ie took IN TO mean
that he accepted her gift, and intended to
apply 1t in the ay she desired him.
Yet IL didn't seem sordid-fl ON her to
him, not sordid.
For he spoke to her also of the vanity of
gold-mere ear hly dross that passes soiled
from hand TO hand; what matter If it be
nominally yours or mine, go we enjoy it
equallys What matter who calls himself
the owner OF some noble esta'el 1.-The
fancied proprietor owns but the dil { in the
ditches,n he said, waving his hand; "tLe
sky, the air, the distant hills, the snow-clad
Sierras-tnese, these are not his, but yours
and mine, Meisiel"
And Msisie thought nobody ever spoke
like him Oh this earth. She could take it
all in, yet admire it as she took it So COM
monplace was the thong ht, so large was the
uttera &c. That's the secret of these cheap
and effective displays You say what
everybody can feel or think, or under
stand, in language little more ample than
everybody Civ TO it. TO be truly great is
20 say or do what the world must reject
when it learns 1t
She went home again, whirling. This
thing should be done. 1t was hard to do it;
but for Jose's saKei Yet first, she must see
whether no had taken her money.
Next morn ng. therefore, very shame
faced, she called at her bankers. and asked
for her account They brought her the
ledger. Her heart rose in her mouth; the
check was entered. He had cashed it; sure
enough. Casned it the very same day he
received it.
s 9 hardly knew whether she was glad Of
that or not. He accepted-so far, vol. But
still-had ner idol feet of CLAY, she WON
dereda A little more hesitation, little
more delicacy-but, there. 1t was Jose, aud
we mu int judge these great souls by mere
conventional standard
On her way home sne called--an unusual
call for her-at the Smiths ia In ,titution.
In the library there she remembered to have
noticed DO on edical jurisprude zee
There we're hts of cases there--but no mat
ter! She look the book down and skinned
several pages. IL disheartened Ler, rather.
The details of these symptoms are SO pecus
liarly distressing.
Then she went home, all trembling
Mamma ives in the drawi groom, Cen
Folger was there with her: old Gen. Fo!ger
who lost his second wife November be ore
last. A wido aer, mind you, is always dam
Eerous. Besides, Mai lie noticed tney seemed
hurried as sne entered. conscious hook
skulked in her mothers bland eveA Maisie
grew pale as death. This at least NUT be
prev ed lie last straw was added that
breaks the camers back. To lose her pros
pective fotune, and be Gen. Folger's sep-
oaughter! And that when sue might have
been Jose Mansheid's ride Distressing OF
not. she must brave the symptomsl
And they we're dist essing, as q matter OF
tact, very distressing indeed. She didn't
for moment CO. ceal from herself the
knowledge that they wrung her heart
terribly. She was fond Of mamma really
fond Of poor mammals sue unders God
fond ess. IL gave her the same sort OF pang
70 have 10 do 1t that 1t gives sensitive per-
son TO have 10 shot an old horse who has
served him well, or 60 get rid of a pet dog
who has lain long on the hearth-rug. But
for Joses SAKE, she could do or suffer so =
thing. And she suffered greaj deal At
times, it was hesrt-rendiag.
For three days later, mamma was taken
i'll The doctors. hastily summoned, pro-
nounced IL peritonlris And peril )nitis il
seemed, for it was ce taInly painful, ex-
tremely painful. Poor mamma lay in
agony, a d wr.thed and groa led with the
spasms that shot through her internally.
Every three hours Maisie had to give her a
mixture, TO which she added something pri-
vately on her own account; and she posi-
lively shrsnl from giving it, so appalling
we're he effects But she lad put ner hs d
TO the ploT. and couldn't atfo. TO look
back. Let Il cot what it might now, she
mus 60 right through with it.
To add 20 her horror, as soon as mamma
fell Ill, Jose went back uuexpec eddy to
Nebraska. Maisie didn't 40 I he'd gone
back TO institute divorce pr, CO i IS on the
GROUND of insanity; aid tnst was well
enough Ia It's way. as far ss IL we q: but
still, It would have been go much lighter
for her IL he'd remained in Washington and
called now aud hen a. the hou g. see her
Her loneli ess and isolation "a this terrible
crisis weighed heavily upon her conscience
She loo ed In her class aud saw shs was
growing haggsrd with suspense and
anxiety. II lost Der looks like this,
would joe care for herr But therel She
was herself; nd, ~ sucn, she knew herself