The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-01-03
MORNING NEWS: SUNDAY, JANUARY 1892sXTEEN PAGES

the woman, rushing forward again, and
shaking both her hands at hun with a Wild
gesture
Some one pushed By me and went
straight up to Stewart. TIE apparation
vsas 50 unexpected that both Dakyn and
I were bewildered. Stewart was amazed
also, and uncertain at first whether the
newcomer was for good or i'll Certainly
[ - was q strange moment for girl TO claim
her lover. But Blanche LUellen was no
common nature. / can hardly explain how
/ it was that there seemed u be nothing i'm
modest or brazsn in her action. She loved
him, and there is a purity il love that de-
/ lies logic and Circumstance. Il protects it
self, and, at the eliminating moment II its
passion, pitch cannot defils it. What shs
had done was natural, but / suppose her in
nocence saw only what was right in the
deed, and was blind 70 what was wrong
She went to him, clasped her hands round
I bis arm, aud locked up at him. She paid
no attention 20 any one else. Her look was
| full Of exalted confidence and security she
| was in her place. and 40 one could come be-
tween her and him. Was such a man as he
/ capable OF appreciating this deVotionl am
inclined to think he did rise 10 her hight. for
an instant or two. II 50, be was a better
man during thoss instants than ever before
| or after. de met her eyes, then stopped
and kissed her, and held her close. He did
not offer to release her; but perhaps
we had better not judge him for that. Peo-
and IN imagination. He confronted Us and
said, with smile:
| "WsllF'
The word sufficiently expressed the situa-
| ton. Blanche had chosen TO go with him,
of her own free will, with her eyes open.
| Who could assume to interfere between
themf We were defeated, and there was
/ untbi0C left For q, do h,ak tn Iaa
There was silence, and pause. glanced
| at Dakyn. There wes a heart-breaking
| anguish IN his face, combined with an ex-
| preston of concentrated longing, as if he
would draw the girl away from her lover
| by the mere force of passionate desire. But
she did not so much as look at him. All was
| lost then.
Mrs. Musgrave Whose existence had
forgottenl made quick movement, whose
tendency 1 failed TO recognize until too
| late. An explosion made my ear ring-a
| fash and a smoke puff. Stewart swung
round on his heel ana fell The bullet had
struck him on the face, shattering the
cheek bone and destroying the right eye.
| DE was lnsensib!e, but not dead. The
would be murderess uttered scream of de-
! spair, and tried to throw herself upon him.
| But | caught her and forced her into a
room. and locked the door on her When |
returned, Blanche was sitting on the floor
with Stewards head on her bosom. He
was breathing, and when l had examined
his wound Il am physcian) / saw that be
would recover.
Dakyn shrugged his shoulders.
"She should have aimed at me" be said
Blanche turned her face toward us with a
vacant expression. l question If she real
lied what had happened. She was of
sensuOus and harmonious organization with
primitive instincts. She had not hesitated
defU rha uUOrlf fnr loUa1a olya. A,,t
blood, Disagreement, violence, threw her
| off her bearings. Her tenderness to the
wounded man was mechanical-she hardly
seemed to feel that he was her handsome
arrogant, ail-powertul lover. He was lost
She submitted quietly to be led away; she
was dszed her will was In allegiance.
BY good fortune-to call IT that-scandal
was suppressed. 1t was understood that
Stewart had accidentally wounded himself
The visit eff the two women to his rooms
was kept a secret-it was to no ones inter
est to divulge it,
Stewart, when his wound was healed, dig
appeared. His story about his inheritance
turned out to be fiction; ne sank lower and
Iower-a gambler. q blackleg, professional
scoundrel. The Musgraves went on as be-
fore, with this ditferenoe-that her spirit
was broken, and her animation and coouet-
tishness forever gone; her husband, who
heretofore had been In subsection TO her,
now ruled her With a ROD Of Iron.
Dakgn, / believe, went to California, and
lives on q ranch there, a bachelor, surly and
solitary,
Luellen took his daughter 90 New York.
The other day, at reception, came across
Caohepolle, looking much the same as ever
There's some one you know, he said, in
dlcating lady in a very iow-necked dress,
with bad complexion, and an eye-glass
flirting absurdly, and yet in a distraught,
mechanical way, with fop much younger
than herself
II don't think know her." said
'Not know Blanche Luellenl Well, she
has gone OF a bit, to be sure.n
Nothing could have been more unplsas-
ant.
What sort of life has she been livingr'
l asked. Romantic and adventurous, I
| suppose"
NO rather commonplace, fancy. AL
ways coquetting with boys, as you see her
now, but she puts no vim into it, and it
| never comes to anything. She dresses
rather vulgarly, but she is o model of the
virgin virtues. When she began her career
l expected she would develop some sensation
| or other. But something seemed to drop
out IF her. | think she had fancy for
| that fellow Stewart; and between you and
| me, added Cachepolle with little chuckle,
81 believe she would have been better
woman-so to speak-if she had run away
| with hinll Some women never amount to
anything unless they jump over the traces,
and she was one of EN-"
Then women con be ruined by virtue, as
we'll as by Weep
| ooh, don't say thatw he returned.
For my part r x x But let each who
reads the story interpret it to suit himself.
THE END.