The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-11-12
CHAPTER N.


sized. for the house was old ana solid.
with three tall windows swathed in red
red curtains, partially softened but not
exJinguished by the white muslin ones
which had been put up over them. Neither
Miss Bethune nor ner maid belonged TO
the decorative age. They had no princi-
pies as to furniture, but accepted what
they had, with rather q preference than
otherwise for heavy articles in mahogany.
and things that were likely to last
They thought Mr.. Mannerings dainty
furniture and his faded silken curtains
were rather Of the nature of trumpery.
People could think so in those days. and
in the locality of Bloomsbury, without
being entirely abandoned in character, or
given up to every vicious sentiment
Therefore ! cannot say. as ! should be
obliged TO say nowadays, in order TO pre-
serve any sympathy for Miss Bethune
in the readers mind, that the room was
pretty and contained an indication of its
mistress character in every carefully
arranged corner. 10 was a room fur
nished by Mrs. SimOX, the landlady. 1t
had been cmbellishCd, perhaps. by a
warm hearth ruC-nOt Persian, however,
by any means and made comfortable by
d few easy chairs.
and there was one glass1fun of wall
flowers on the table, very sweet in sober
cOiOrs-a flower that rather corresponds
with the mahogany, and the Old-fash-
Toned Indifference to ornament and love Of
use. You would have thought, had you
looked into this room. which was full of
spring sunshine bringing out the golden
tints in the wallhower, and reflected in
the big mirror above the fireplace, that it
was empty after young Gordon had gone.
But il was not empty 1t was occupied
instead by a human heart, so Oyerburst-
ing with passionate hope, love, suspense
and anxiety, that it was a wonder the
silence did not Jingle and the quiet
atmosphere beJray that strain and stress
OF feeling Miss Bethunc sat in the
Swallowed corner between the fireplace
and the farther window, with the white
ness Of the curtains blowing softly in her
face as the air came in. That hutter daz-
Zled the behOldCr. and made GilChrist
think when she entered that there was
nobody there. The maid looked round.
and then clasped her hands and said 10
herself softly, she IL be game into her
bedroom to greet there"
And why should / greet, you foolish
woman cried Miss Bethunc from her
corner, with a thrill in her voice which
betrayed the connection in her mind.
Gilchrist started SO violently that the
bundle of clean things, fresh and fra
grant from the country cart which had
brought home the washing, fell from her
arms. "Oh, mem, if had kent YOU were
Ihere!'
MY bonnie clean things" cried Miss
Bethune, with the scent of the grass
upon them, and now they're all spoiled
with the dust of Bloomsbury Gather
them up and carry them away, and then
YOU can come back here" She remained
Fr,asl hg,Fr ~Fe
GilchrisJ had hurried away; but any
touch would have been sufficient to move
her in her agitation, and presently she
rose and began to pace about the room.
"GOne to my room to greet there is that
what she thiuks} Like Mary going to
the grave to weep there. No, no, that's
not the truth. IT'S the other way. |
might be going to laugh, and TO clap my
hands, as they say in the Psalms. But
laughing is not the first expression of JOY.
] would maybe be more like greeting, as
she says. \ person laughs in idleness,
for fun, not for JOY. JOY has nothing,
nothing but the Old way OF tears. which is
just a contradiction And maybe, after
all, she was right. I'll 90 to my room and
weep Tor thdukfulness, and light-hearted-
ness, and joy
oh, mem, cried Gilchrist, coming in,
gang softly. gang softly! You're more
sure than any mortal person has right
to be "
''Ye old unbeliever." cried Miss Beth
une, pausing in the midst of her sob.
what has morality to DO with evidenced
1t would be just as true if were to do die
tomorrow, Tor that matter
Eth, mem" cried Cuchrist again.
'ye're awfu easy to please in the way of
evidence What do YOU call evidence A
likeness We think YC sec. but / Gamma 4;
and there's naethiug in a likeness. Miss
Dora IS no more like her pdpaw than me-
there Is nothing to be lippeneG to in the
like of that. And then the age-that
would maybe be about the same.I grant
We that, so much as it comes to; and a
name that is no the right name, but n
kind of an approach to it
You are bonnie person" cried Miss
Betnune, Ito take authority upon you
about names. and never to think of the
CommOncst old Scots custom. that the
son drops or turns the other way the
name The father has taken to his own. |
hope / know better. II nothing had ever
happened, if the lad had been bred and
trainedat home, he would be Gordon just
as sure as he is Gordon now"
Pm no a person of quality, men,
said Gilchrist, holding her ground u
have never set up for being wan of the
gentry it would i'll become me, being Just
John GNchrist the smith S daughter, and
Your seryaut-woInan, that has served YOU
this Internationally years. But there
are as many Gordons in Aberdeen as
there are kirk steeples in this weary
London town.
Miss Bethune made an impatient ges-
ture. You're a sagaciOus person, Gil
christ, altogether and might be a ruling
elder if you were but man; but / think
perhaps l know what's by the point as
well as you do, and if I'm satisfied that a
thing is, L will not Weld my faith, as YOU
might know by this time, neither to the
lord president himself, nor even TO you. -
'Eh, bless me, mem, but / ken that
well" cried Gilchrist. land if | had
thought you were taking il on that high
line, never word would have come out OF
my mouth"
II am taking it on no high line. but
see what is for il as well as what is
against it. have kept my head clear.
SAID Miss Bethuuc ION other occasions.
grant YOU, ] may have let myself 90, but
In all this have been like a Judge. and
refused 10 listen 20 the voice in my own
heart, But ii was there all the time,
though I crushed it down. How can the
ike Of You understand You've never
lelJ baby CRY so into the very marrow
iNour bOaes. I've set the evidence all out,
ami Died the cause before nv own iudg-
meut never listening one word to the
voice IN my heart" Miss Bethuue spoke
Wi.h greater aud greater yehemence, buo
here paused 10 calm herself The boy
Sod