The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-10-23
CHAPTER ".
A LAST APPEAL.

reare its head on the other.
Struggling to set aside the fAintnsss
which was creeping over her, and keeping
her rrom repairing the mischief she had
done, she moaned aloud: " He will kill me
when he knows. He will kill me-
He does know" said voice behind her,
that she recognized only too we'll.
She had no need to lift her head to be as
sO=ed that her husband stood beside her
She had never suspected his presence at
the Hall much less that, while prey g the
anger which he had experienced from the
state of affairs be had himself learned from
the Rat, he had been a witness to the whole
of the scene in the nut walk. and followed
her, going out by tie front door Of the Hall,
to visi. her with her punishment.
she started violently at his sudden ap-
pearance beside her-as we'll because it was
90 utterly expected as because there was
that look on his facs, that bright glitter in
his eyes which more than his words told her
that be dad indeed know all.
Ralph I" she feltered, starting to her
feet, aith outstretched ands, for despite
al he was her husband, and her heart was
hungry for his love.
but nc pushed aside her hands roughly.
Not that name here, please" he said,
angrily. "How often have l warned you
that you lose your CHI lncs Of ever using it
at all by do ng 50 carelessly"
"F,rgive me- she murmured, dropping
her head Oh her breast meekly. 81 have
not seen you for SO long --"
Enough Of that, or you will see less of
me than ever he replied, brutally. Il
didn't follow you to listen to the same old
tale. I'm sick of it, as I've told you before,
andn-with a sternness Of manner which
made her heart sink within her-"there is
business to be attended to. Why have you
not done as l told youF'
"And let you know about these people a.
she asked, seeking TO put off the moments
of his anger, which she feared more than
ever before, because she felt herself culpa-
Bile
"Yes, played tue spy" be sneered, UNI
willing even to spare her the pain Of that
stab. "You understood me. You knew
what was at stake. NY neck, and yet, with
al. your lying tales of caring so much for
me, you have not so much as done this for
my safety, because Of your pride"
"Ah, no it is not that" she said, feeling
keenly this nav and cruel blow ~ meant
no harm"
"Of course not. You never do. But harm
is done, or will be. unless l find pretty
strong means to prevent itn
1NbIb was u uOu1enL silence, WDlcu
Madge broke, collecting all her strength TO
make yet another appeal to what good there
might Turk in some hidden corner OF his
nature.
Listen to me. Ralph" she said lifting
her hend, and looking across az him bravely
"listen to me this once, il you never listen
or heed again. ] would have done as |
promi ed. | would have been your spy,
much as hate the work for do love YOU,
despite you will not believe re-I would
have done even that, but could mott have
been illn
"a convenient time, when you could
have been Of use TO me-"
Any heart but that buoyed up by love
and almost divine courage must have turned
to lead at such a cold, harsh answer to SO
heartruDg an appeal.
But Madge would not despair, and bravely
went on with the hard task she had set her
self.
81 don't ask your pity for my sake" she
said, going nearer to him-fixing her eyes
on his-as if to try and force his to look
down into her very soul-and daring even
to put one thin. white, trembling hand upon
his arm, as if to touch him was to receive a
strength support such as she sadly
needed. II don't ask your pity for my own
sake, but for the sake of her face flushed
but with far, far different glow to that
which so often stained her cheeks, not un-
Jus sUdinet DuO budb LljDkuuR Oh Joy ana
pain with which an unhappy mother speaks
of her only little one who has passed away
fl, IA earth and all its soTrows-"for the
sake of our child"
Royal had made a movement as If TO be
free from her hold upon him, but as the
words fell from ller quivering lips that told
hun OF Der motherhood he stood still, look
ing across at her with the anger and cold.
ness both dying out of his face. and a look
creeping into it such as she had seen there
bC once before
1t gave her hope. Yet it was not love
thai held Royal spellbound, bot fear, the
greatest Of all fear, which sinful man only
feels when some strange, great power shows
MN all at once the greatness Of his sin, the
greatness OF the JOY and happiness that ne
hes lost
"Our child" ne repeated in a hoarss-
whisper, the words seemingly wrung from
him, Co burn his lips as they crossed them
All! what would not the young mother
have given then to have been blessed enough
10 have cen able to lay in his arms the little
one whose low unconscious life might have
Won her battle entirely before her.
But even that this could not be she did
not despair.
"Ges, our child. cur dead child.n she
whispered IN tCneCf reverence, Creeping
closer 20 him, ami still as it were chaiGing
HIN 10 her by the steady soul-stirring magic
" hSA iOHely suAuOWeu eyes. 1t only
lived TO look into nv face little while and
Know me as its mother, and then-died,
For moment the grief within her rosa
eoove ell other fe4ling. and she repeated the
word with an anguish terrible to hear
Died! Before it was born felt once as if
1could wish it might not live, but when it
lay dead IN my arms and | knew it would
never look into my face again. never call
me mother, 1t seemed as if at last my heart
was broken. | thought l must have died
then, but Ralph, I thought of you, its ia
Their, and prayed to God to forgive my
sinful wish and let me live to be your wife
SIN, ana save you. Our child is dead. Had
IL lved 1t might have brought us together
at last Let its dead hand unite us now, and
let me feel II has not been taken from us in
vain" -
She bad gone quite close to her husband
now, clasping her arms round his neck. and
pillowlng her head on his breast, looking at
MN stu with a wordless prayer and be-
seeming In her face, which despite the raw.
ages OF sickness and grief, seemed in her
earhestness 10 take all its old enchanting
beauty and charm.
For moment they stood thus. husband
anu VIE, clasped in an embrace such as
slnce the unhallowed tie had bound them
'05eIuer hao rarely passed between them
only mat moment, that one precious mo-
Inent, when Madge felt sure of her hard
won victory at last. and then, with a sud.
uen movement as il her touch stunO him
as II between them had come a dead man's
hand not baby one uniting them RovaI
-.