The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-10-09
Y Lily TinSley,
ICoPYRIGHT, 1892, BY TLLoTsoN & Son.


moment more Of the anguI n and he
must have choked with grief; then ns Nei-
lie, breathless AMI trembling still, tiEutened
her clasp round his neck and kissed him
tenderly, as If to gather once more the
former courage and resignation beneath
which she had always hitherto masked her
sorrow, hot scalding tears came TO his re-
lief falling like rain upol her upturned
face.
Tears, father" she said in SURPRISE, you
are CRYING now" And she tried to smile,
but instead murmured Ia tone Of felt-re-
prOsch: "Ah, forgive me, forgive me; l
did not mean to pain you. 1t Is only
fancy-Which comes and goes soon"
| But you are blind still, groaned the I'M
! happy man, writhing in the agony Of this
mental torture as he had never done in that
which daily increased In his assumption Of
the dead mans deformlty. o, how greatly
| was that death avenged
Yes, blind still, u SAID Nellie, gently, for
| her fathers grief mad entirely Gained her
! own, 81 but if have lost my eyes l have
| you and Leo, who loves and will marry me,
! despite ali"
! This sweetness but added the more to the
! Rats Tenorse, and perfectly beside himself
with grief he strained the slight form in his
arms &c him, crying wildly: Nell, for
! give your father, forgive me-"
There is nothing for me to forgive" she,
.
pleading. at was Gods will that you did
not claim me sooner, and SO save me from
this evil l owe you, father, all my jov
my happiness. if only because of your good.
ness to Leo, who was so poor and outcast
before you befriended him. Yes, ali the
happiness, not one, no not this one great
evil" And she nestled closer to his breast,
so that but for her own agitation she must
have heard how wildly his heart beat with
in.
"Ah, no, no, he cried, almost drawing
back in his feeling of trenchery of having
won her love falsely. "You do not know,
You do not know"
80, hush, :" she said, trembling and start
ing up. "You brighten me, and--Listenl
Here comes Leo. 1 am sure that is his step,
and he promised me to come Hide this
from him. father. Don't let him think one
shadow dims for me the sunshine of to-mor-
row.
Always unselfsh even in her pain, how
could her father be other than she was,
how could he add TO Leo's burden by be-
traying her sorrow to him, least Of all give
her a new GAUGE for sadness by betraying
his hand as the one that put her afiilotion
upon herr
IL would relieve his remorse, silence
within him the voice which whispered SO
tOrmentngly that, did she know all she
would not love him any longer, but for her
sake he must forego both justification and
peace Of mind.
"Yes. yes, l will keep my promise. l will
go away and leave you to be happy with
him as you will try TO be, he said hastily.
Then as she answered with a beautiful
smile, Indeed, indeed, shall be-" he
caught her once more to him.
Tell me, tell me that you forgive me,
that might have spared you this if l had
never trusted you from my sight"
"Ah, why will you reproach yourselfw
said Nellie, with tender kiss such as gave
her answer. But her father would not rest
content until she had said it in words. Il
will say ] would forgive you even were you
guilty Of this great sin toward me, and
that love you with all my heart, my dear
dear father, she said, throwing her arms
once more round his neoI and sealing the
unconscious bargain with kiss
Passonately did the almost broken
hearted father return IL, with a choking
God bless you" which showed that he had
not regained his cOmposure.
A moment later and he tottered toward
the house, leaning heavily upon his stick
At the end of the terrace he paused aud
looked back, watching the lovers meet with
hungry eagerness, such as told, indeed
how dear was his child's happiness to him.
Nellie had risen TO her feet at Leo's ap-
proach, and held out her hands In the old
supplicating way.
LEO at last have waited for you 80
long began to think you had forgotten
me, she said, with glad light glowing In
her face, which, more than all. made him
bound TO her, tiinging away even the
memory of his burden
Forgotten that you had honored me by
letting me come with you to pick those
flowers which will crown you as my wife
tomorrow he said, taking her hands in
both of his and kissing her upturned face,
Leo was not one to make a parade of his
feelings, but 1t was taoit understanding
between them that since his looks could
never speak TO the little blind girl his lips
! should DO double duty. And it cannot but
be owned they did it right royalty and
wlthal so reverently that even the servants
| never sniggered if they CHANGED to view
any little tribute OF affection between the
pair.
Nellie blushed a little under the kiss as if
she had indeed felt the gaze of her lovers
eyes, and then looked at him in her way
letting her little white fingers travel lightly
over his features, q touch which was
initsef perfection of caress
Leo knew too well how nearly these ewes
had once betrayed him, and he felt that mis-
late struggle must have left It's traces upon
mis- features 50 he obviated the
danger of the inspection by screwinp them
up as he said, laughingly:
you will accuse me next of forgetting
what tomorrow Is, or to 60 to the church
to be marriedm
II don't intend to give you even the faint.
est chance Of doing that, so don't try, -" was
Nellie's equally gay reply
And so, chatting as merrilY as if there
had been for them no sorrow in the world
they passed together out Of the shade OF the
great oak under which they had stood into
the sunlight of the nutWalk
Was it an imagery of their future
Could be have been assured of that, the
fathers heart would have given even his
life. As it was, he turned into the house,
and was about to seek the safety OF his
room to give vent to his agitation, whom a
visitor was announced in the shape of
Royal
Could anything'have been more iRoppor-
tune!
A cold shudder passed over Sir Lawrence
He had known that sooner or later there
was bound to be a reckoning between them,
but he had trusted to the evil day being put
off at least until after his childs wedding,
though despite his fears the baronet hardly
knew what harm he anticipated.
So reassurinR himself that but few
hours would suffice for the fulfilment OF his
plans, as we'll that il would in any case do
no good to svince before his late partner
any apprehension, be received him with
ease, though certainly with no cordiality,
He was little taken aback, however, at
IL. .aW4H-