The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-12-31
CHAPTER XIII.

CHAPTER XIII.
Harry Gordon passed the night upon
the sofa in Miss Bethune's sitting
1t was his opinion that her nerves were
so shaken and her mind so agitated that
the consciousness of having some one at
hand, within call, in case Of anything hap
pening, was of the utmost importance.
l don't know that anyone else in the
house entertained these sentiments, but
it. was an idea in which he could not
be shaken, his experience all tending that
way.
As matter Of fact, his nerves were
scarcely less shaken than he imagined
hers to be. His motherl Was that his
mother who called good night to him
from the next room9 who held that anus
ing colloguy with the doctor through the
closed door, defying all interference, and
bidding DR.. Roland look after his patient
upstairs and leave her in peace with Gill
christ, who was better than any doctor?
Was that his mother2 His heart beat
with o strange confusion, but made no
answer. And his thoughts went over all
the details with an involuntary skepti-
cism. No, there was no voice of nature,
as she had fondly hoped nothing but the
interest response to kind words and kind
look had drawn him towards this old
Scotch maiden lady, who, he had thought,
with smile, reminded him of some
thing IN Scott, and therefore had an at
traction such as belongs to those whom we
may have known in some previous state
of being.
What strange fate was his, to be
drawn into one circle after another, one
family after another, to which he had no
right! And how was he to convince this
lady, who was so determined in her own
way of thinking, that he had no right. no
title, to consider himself her son9 But
9had he indeed no titlee Was she likely
to make such a statement without proof
that it was true, without evidenced He
thought of her with kind of amused but
by no means disrespectful admiration, as
she had stood flinging from her the mis-
cradle would-be thief, the wretched, fur
tive creature who was no match for a
resolute and dauntless woman.
All the women Harry had ever known
would have screamed or fed or tainted at
sight Of live burglar in their very bed
chamber. She flung him off like fly,
like reptile. That was not weak
woman, liable to be deceived by any
fancy. She had the look in her eyes of
human creature afraid of nothing, ready
to confront any danger And could she
then be so easily deceived? Or was it
true, actually truce Was he the SON
not of q woman whom it might be shame
TO discover, as he had always feared, but
of spotless mother, a person of note
with an established position and secure
fortmeR The land which he was to man
age, which she had reused him almost to
enthusiasm about by her talk of crofters
and cotters to be helped forward, and hui
man service to be done-was that land
his own, coming to him by right, his nat
| ural place and inheritencel Was he no
walt and stray no vague atom in the
world drifting hither and thither, but a
man with an assured position, certain
| h.nwo To-. -. 4
| from going back to South America, and
at the best becoming a laborious clerk
| where he had been the young master
| But he could not believe in it.
He lay there silent through the short
summer night, moving with precaution
| upon the uneasy couch, which was too
short and too small, but where the good
| fellow would have passed the night wax
| ing and doing for anybody's comfort,
even were it an old woman's who had
been kind TO him. But was she his
mother--his mother? He could not be-
lieve 1.-THE could not, he could not Her
| wonderful speeches and looks were all eX-
| planned now, and went to his heart, but
| they did not convince him, or bring any
enlightenment into his. Was she the VIC
tim OF an illusion, poor lady, self-deceived
! altogetherg Or was there something in
it, or was there nothing in it9 He thought
| OF his father, and his heart revolted.
| His poor father, whom he remembered
/ with the halo round him of childish
! affection but whom he had learned to see
through other peoples eyes, not strong
man, not good for very much, but yet not
one to desert woman who trusted in
him. But of the young mans thoughts
through that long, uneasy night there was
no end.
| He heard whisperings and movements
| in the next room, subdued for his sake as
1 he gnhdMn6 his inplin a finu and
toss upon his sofa for hers, during half
| the night. And then when the daylight
| came bright into the room through the
! bars of the Venetian blind there came
silence, just when he had fully woke up
to the consciousness that life had begun
again in new world. A little later. Gill
christ stole into his room, bringing him
cup of tea. "You must come upstairs
| now; there's a room where We will get
| some sleep She's sound now, and it's
| broad daylight, and no fear of any dis
turhance, she said.
II want'no more sleep. I'll 60 and get
| a bath, and be ready for whatever is
wanted" He caught her apron as she
was turning away, that apron on which
| so many hens had been folded. Don't 90
away" he said Speak to me, tell me,
Gilohrist, for heavens sake, is this
| true27
| "The Lord knowsr' cried Gilchrist.
shaking her head and clasping her hands
but oh, my young gentleman, dinna ask
| mel"
| Whom can ask7" he said "Surely,
surely you, that have been always with
her, can throw some light upon it. Is it
| true2"
at is true-true as DEATH" said the
woman, "that all that has happened to
my dear Teddy; but oh, if you are the
! BARN, the Lord knows he was but two
days old, and he would have been about
| your age. can say not word, but only
the Lord knows. And there's nothing
nothing, though she thinks sac, that
/ speaks in your hearth"
| He shook his head, with a faint smile
upon his face.
| "Oh, dinna laugh. dinnn laugh. I Gamma
i bear IL. Mr.. Harry, true or mo- true. it's