The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-12-04

1
Leo struggled violently, and then stru ci
by Royals manner, asked vonderingly:
mot got Are you mad, or am lF'
II tell you" replied Royal, not letting
him go. but fixing upon him a glance Of
great hidden meaning, II tell you-paus'
more sorrow than now, when she believes
you guilty"
Worse sorrow than nown repeated Leo
Rghast. Then aided, with fierce, almost
menaciug. gesture at Royal. 81 have warned
you at once. Don't try your trickery or
me; least of all. now, whom my life, tbs
whole world is mine again"
There is trickery in this, Leo Forester
rather. there has been," replied Royal
still maintaining his GOODNESS, despite the
others savage, excited manner.
You cay that to my face" cried Leo.
LAY, 1 would dare more even than THAI
for the sake Of the woman you say you
love-"
"Say I lovel No man over loved IL Nellie
is not dearer 30 me than my life." replied
Leo, fervently.
Then prove It"
"Prove itP' he echoed, In amazemenk
How"
by letting all be as it has been by never
revealing to her or a mortal soul what
have just told you"
mot tell her You must be mad, Royal ~
"YOu will drive her so il, TO save your
self, you tell all and implioate one whose
life Is even dearer to her than you are your
| SELF"
You dare to insinuste she has lover
besides met Bah, you are fool for your
psinsp
| ut is no lover mean, but one who is
bound to her by holier tie" replied Royal,
In the same impressive way which, almost
despite himself. convinced his listener that
idle as seemed the story he was telling,
there was none the less truth ip 1t.
| "a holier tie.n he repeated, wonderingly,
/ then with q sudden accession Of understand
ing, why, surely you cannot-do not mean
He paused. hesitating to put into words
| suoh an accusation.
But his master had no such scruples.
II do mean-ber fatherl" he said.
Remembering all the past, how much he
| owed Of the tightening Of his burden to him,
who was now accused OF the sin which had
| made that same burden-what kindness
| tenderness and encouragement, great even
| as bis own fathers might have been, the
| chivalrous soul of the young man-proved
how untouched it was by the terrible shadow
| which had been so long upon it, by crying
out:
ITS a lie-a lie as base and false az that
which has 90 long set the crime upon me-
Ay, sooner than believe him guilty / will
believe myself SO still"
What greater alternative Of faith could
be offeredi Surely none.
You may believe what you please. u
Royal was q perfect marvel Of self-posses-
sion, considering how fully he recognized
| the greatness OF his task, much more she In
oalculable Importance Of its issue. "But you
cannot at least dispute facts. He was in the
house that night He has told you the great
cause for enmity between him and his
| cousin" He had done 80 when explaining
| to the youpg man his ability TO carry out
the trick Of the deception, did he Neoj COM
sent. i.e., advancing his practice in II as q
hoy, as an earnest Of les otherwise less than
probable success). HE hid the crime at a
| cost greater than you even are aware Of, !"
| (The unhappy man had not had any need to
| hide from his partner his daily increasing
suferings, in which fact Royal was fiend
| enough TO secretly rejoice). why should
he do 80 for your sake when, at least in the
beginning, you were nothing, absolutely
| nothing 60 him-if not less than nothing-as
the son Of the man he fears most In all the
| world" THAT was a lie. No even before
the redoubtable Andrew Ferret did the In
| trepid spirit bow, as It had surely proved be-
| yond doubt, In this same piece of work..
The son of Andrew Ferrett-to break
| whose pride would be his delighta Above
all-why should ne have acted to you as he
misunderstanding you at any risk-even to
| the giving you his daughter as your wife
| Would any man, least of all any father
have done so unless he had been assured
only too well OF your innocence and Of has
own need to bind you to him by every
means 10 his ppwerg"
Fiend that he was, Royal did not even
falsely advance the plea Of atonement. he
had no wish to raise SO much as one gentle
feeling in the lads heart for his CRoyals)
new and even more unhappy scapegoat.
And when he found how, despite all
your conscience would not let you forget
entirely his own safety, he changed his tao
tics and is bent on bounding you to pay the
penalty. knowing that it is scarcely likely
TO be paid twice, aud that for little Nellie's
sake you will shield bis share and 90 never
know, nor will the world, that the work
was indeed all his"
Stunned, shocked as he was by such an
array OF facts-mere. perhaps, than be
could realize on the instant-Leo's boyfsh
love for Sir Lawrence, his belief in his
goodness and claim upon his gratitude could
not perish on the instant IL only that he--his
approved master and torturer-was the
father Of his little love.
1t was that remem brance, indeed, which
inspired him, despite all the terrible weight
of evidence advanced by Royal TO make
one last refutation.
"Ah, it all looks black enough agains,
him, as you put it, yet no blacksr than
against me, even 10 myself, and am limo
cent. And know besidss that the crime
by whoever committed, was hidden by
more than this hideous deception. Not
even you can make me believe any father
least Of all such as he would purchase, even
his life, at such price as his ohild's blind.
ness!"
mo, you are right" Royal replied,
calmly as ever, though he knew that on this
one last point half at least of his victory
was complete. cat the time the poor child
by most unhappy chance. seemed likely
to be his accuser. unless effectually silenced
by more than her oath, Sir Lawrence never
80 much as dreamed who she really was. II
nothing else, mis- distress at her afflictiou
would prove him innocent, at least in in,
tention of this crime, which would indeed
be more horrible than the first, while at the
same time IL cannot but proclaim him guilty
indeed"
1twas the blow direct to all Leo's belief,
stanch and true as it was. For had not
it entire confirmation In the story he had
heard so many times from his little love of
her coming to England, the story in which
bound by her oath, she had omitted one
chapter, that Of her fatal adventure in the
house in Narrow lane, a chapter, which,
however, under the pressure of the oircum-
stances of the interview just prior to Royals
arrival, as has been told, she had added.
1t seemed then that in lieu of being to his
(Royars) detriment the incident had been
NlNaw4 -. ID