The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-05-01

tell you," Dom declared, 81 would not keep
you in ignorance OF the truth for mo-
I ment.n
George made an angry and impatient
| movement, but Dom's hand had frightened on
his sleeve, and without actual violence he
| could not free himself.
| you must not go, cried Dom; you shall
not go till have discharged my conscience.
| Tell me one thing. This story OF your
| mothers MARRIAGES. IL true"
STORY of my mothers marriagep Red
wood answered in tone Of lncre1ulous
scorn and wonder. 30, my word, Mons.
! Dom, you ought TO be taken care Of
! at is not trueW cried Dom; "it is not
true You are positive, upon your soul, it
| is not true"
Yes said Redwood, in a tone OF weary
patience. 81 am positively certain, upon my
| soul, it is not true"
Then" cried Dom, lit is your business
"My dear sir" George responded, ~ have
| contradicted it. l am in the act OF contra
dieting it. II there is any such story afoot
| it is a foolish, groundless publication. And
even IL it were not what it is you must let
me ask you"
What business it is Of minep' Dom inter
rupted. "You have a right to ask, and l
can only tell you that in my position there is
not man alive who would not make it his
business
You'll understand me. Mons. DOM"
| George answered, feeling more and more
sorrowfully assured in his own mind that
| Dom's intellect was deranged, you'll un-
4 derstand me when l say that unless you
show me some real ground for the curious
| conduct you are now pursuing must de-
cline to talk to you again"
"My poor young friend" Dom said, taka
| ing him by the other sleeve, and confront
| ing him face to face 81 tell you that | am
ha of that |
dare not yet reveal it. l tel you, II ever
| YOU come to know my secret you will thank
| me from your soul for having interfered
between you and your hopes Of happiness"
This is intolerable,n Redwood answered
| "Let us see what lies at the root Of 1t all. If
you are only mailman, of course it doesn't
matter. But what do you mean, to begin
with, by coming with this cock and bull
story of my mothers marriage9 Has any
body heard Of it except yourselfP
They we're talking of it at the hall an
hour ago" Dom answered. II could not
help but come and ask you of 1t. had been
to your house and found that you were out
/ guessed you would pass this way, and I've
waited here since then to meet you"
VERY well, ~ said George, there's some
| thing tangible for me to go on. Will you
come with me to the hall and tell me from
whom you got the news"
"Willingly," Dom answered, releasing his
grasp at once.
They set out side by side without another
word and walked in silence along the lane,
through the lodge gates, and up the drive.
At the entrance to the hall Dom spoke
again.
ut was Mr.. Weybridge," he said, "who
brought the news You had better ask him
for yourself. will await you here"
George asserting, entered the mouse, and
in q minute found him elf in the presence
of Mr.. WeybridRe, who sat in slippered
ease in an afternoon smoking jacket IN the
full en- joyment of his nightly cigar.
"Glad to see you, Redwood" he cried
"Take seat and help yourself to a cigar.
You'll fluid whisky and settler on the side
board"
mo thank you, sir" George answered,
81 won't sit down. 1 have just heard a
very foolish and distressing rumor, and you
are named to me as being the authority Of
it."
80" cried Weybridge. rising and staring
at him little. This is UNPLEASANT, my
| dear boy What is the rumorp
George had grown. pale, his breathing was
uneven, and his heart beat thickly.
''Do you know of no rumorT he asked,
| ''affecting my mother and myseltp
| II got piece of news in town today"
responded Neybridge, emphasizing the
word news as il to repudiate the thought of
rumor. "a piece of news which l confess
LlOuRDL dsUOuISulnR.
MAY | ask its natureT' George de-
| mended.
Certainly, you may" said Weybridge.
Mr.. Hetheridge, who happens to be fell
| low director Of mine In an Australian gold
company, told me this afternoon that q
| marriage had been arranged between Mrs.
| Redwood and himself" Georges faoe of
shocked wonder, so impressed him, that he
| hurried on as IL in self -exculpation. "If
| the statement be untrue, can only assure
YOU am not in the least to blame. 1t was
| offered to me as q fact by man whose
word have always found trustworthy and
| who protessed to be one OF the high con-
tracing parties"
| THANK you, sir" said George. II am
| very much obliged to you"
He shook hands, scarcely knowing what
| he did, and left the house. In the whirl Of
astonishment into which he had been
thrown he had forgotten Dom until he en-
countered him in the Swallowed dimness Of
| the drive.
swell % Dom asked, had 1 reasong'
| Eyes" said George, but the things a lie
| for all that"
~ pray to heaven It may be-" Dom re-
piled
mons. DOM" said George. stopping
short in his walk and facing him, II begin
to see possible glimmer of light. What
| have you got against Mr.. Hetheridgep
| 'tEhm Dom calculated with quick in
drawing OF the breath. But what makes
| you ask thatN
| "You hear that 1 am to be married to
Mr.. Hetheridges daughter, and you seem
on a sudden to go mad. You have silly
falsehood brought to you about my mother
| marrying him, and you come at once to
! NEEDLE In business that doesn't seem to con-
Germ you. Now 1 can OILY see one reason
for this On some ground or other-thougn
why it should matter to you l can't guess
you want to keep the two families apart"
my dear George" Dom answered, ''if
there were no other way of keeping the
two families apart, and 1 could do it by
throwing my own life away, would do it. u
That sounds grave" said George, half TO
himself.
ut is not only grave" Dom answered
81 do not know any words in any language
which can tell you how horrible it is"
What is the man? cried George. tor
tured by his companions words. "Is he the
old dragon in disguised What is he, or
what has he done that a man should say
such things about an alliance with HING
Give me five minutes to think, let us
walk together, said Dom. II will make up
my mind to help you if l can"
They paced down the drive in silence, and
walked back along the lane until they
reached the spot they had left barely q