The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-12-24

of the tables. She had presented, with
| out knowing it, the strongest argument Of
| all
After this, the patient, whom poor
Harry had left to the happy influences of
! quiet and darkness, with all the blinds
| drawn up and the afternoon sunshine
\ pouring in, went through an hour or two
| of restless occupation. her mind in the
! highest activity. her thoughts and her
/ hands full. She promised finally to Gil
/ christ, not without a mental reservation
] in the case of special impulse or new
! light, not to disclose her conviction to
| Harry, but to wait for at least day or
| two on events. But even this resolution
/ did not suffice to reduce her TO any condi
( ton of quiet. or make the rest which he
! had prescri bed possible. She turned TO a
mum Der of things which had been laid
aside to be done one time or another, ar
rangement of new possessions and put
ting away of old, for previously she had
never found fit occasion, and dispatched
them, scarcely allowing Gilchrist TO help
her, at lightning speed.
Finally, she took out an old and heavy
jewel box, which had stood untouched in
her bedroom for years; for, save an old
brooch or two and some habitual rings
which never left her fingers, Miss Bethune
wore no ornaments.
She took them into her sitting room as
the time approached when Harry might
be expected back. 1t would give her
cOuutenance, she thought; it would keep
her from fixing her eyes on him while he
spoke, and thus being assaulted through
all the armour of the heart at the same
time. She could not look him in the face
and see that likeness which Gilchrist, I'M
conceivable, would not see, and yet remain
silent. Turning over the old-fashioned
jewels, telling him about them, to whom
they belonged, and all the traditions be-
longing to them, would help her in that
severe task of self-Tepression. She put
them on the table before her, and pulled
out the trays.
Nobody in Bloomsbury had seen these
treasures before; the box had been kept
carefully locked, disguised in an old
brown cover, that no one might even
guess how valuable it was. Mis- Bethune
was almost tempted to send for Dora to
see the diamonds in their old-fashioned
settings, and that pearl necklace which
was still finer in its perfection of lustre
and shape. To call Dora when there was
anything to show was so natural, and it
might make it easier for he to keep her
own counsel; but she reflected that in
Dora's presence the young man would not
more than half hers, and forebore.
Never in her life had these jewels
given her so much pleasure. They had
given her no pleasure, indeed. She had
not been allowed to have them in that far
off stormy youth, which had been light
ened by such a sweet, guilty CLEAN of
happiness, and quenched in such misery
of downfall. When they came to her by
inheritance, like the rest, these beautiful
things had made her heart sick. What
could she do with them-a woman whose
life no longer contained any possible festi-
val, who had nobody coming after her, no
heir to make heirlooms sweet2 She had
locked the box, and almost threw away
the key, which, however, was passion
ate suggestion repugnant to common
sense, and resolved itself naturally into
confding the key to Gilchrist, in whose
most secret REPOSITORIES it had been kept,
with an occasional furtive interval during
which the maid had secretly visited and
polished up" the jewels, making sure
that they were all right. Neither mis-
tress nor maid were quite aware of their
value, and probably exaggerated it in
their thoughts; but some of the diamonds
were fine, though all were very old-fash-
Toned in arrangement, and the pearls were
noted.
Miss Bethune pulled out the trays, and
the gems flashed and sparkled in a thou
sand colors in the slant of sunshine which
poured in its last level ray through one
window, Just before the sunset, and made
a dazzling show upon the table, almost
UiIhullR Jdulb, WIN up WIN d mes
sage, and could not restrain little shrek
of wonder and admiration. The letter
was one of trouble and appeal from poor
Mrs. Hesketh, who and her husband were
becoming more and more burden on the
shoulders of their friends. 1t asked for
money, as usual, just little money to go
on with, as the shop in which they had
been set up was not as yet producing
much.
The letter had been written with evil
dent reluctance, and was marked with
| blots of tears Miss Bethune's mind was
! too much excited to consider calmly any
such petition. Full herself of anticipa-
ton, of passionate hope and visionary en-
! thusiasm, which transported her above
all common things, how was she to refuse
a poor woman's appeal for the bare neces-
stiles of eXistence-a woman "near her
trouble,' with a useless husband, who
was unworthy, yet whom the poor soul
loved ? She called Gilchrist, who gener-
ally carried the purse, to get something
for the poor little pair
lis there anybody waiting?" she asked
"Oh, ay, men, said Gilchrist, there's
somebody waiting,-just him himself, the
weirdless creature, that is good for moth
| ing" GilchriSt did not approve ofall heI
mistress S liberalties. II would not just
be their milch COW to give them what
ever they're wanting" she said. "IJ's
awful bad for any person TO just know
4 where to run when they are in any trou-
BILE.
Hold your peacel" cried her mistress
"Am | one to shut my heart when the
blessing of God has come to mel"
"Oh, mem!" cried Gilchrist, remonstra
ting, holding up her hands.
But Miss BeJhune stamped her foot
and the wiser woman yielded.
She found Hesketh standing at the door
of the sitting room, when she went out to
give him very upwillingly the money fol-
his wife. THE impident weirdless crea
ture! He would have been in upon my
Teddy in another moment, pressing to hel
very presence with his impident ways ~
cried Gilchrist, hot and indignant The
faithful woman paused at the door as she
came back, and looked at her mistres.
turning over and rearranging these trea
sure. And her sitting playing with hel
bonnie toys, in a rapture like LITTLE
bairn!" she said to herself, putting w
her apron to her eyes. And then Gil
christ shook her head-shook it, growing
quicker and quicker in the movement, a.
if she would have twisted it of.
But Miss Bethune was every com
posed" when young Gordon came back
With an intense sense of the position
which mistress and maid communicated
to each other with one glance of tacit co
operation, these two women cOmpOrteC