The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-12-31
NOW FIRST PUBLISHED.
Blu MRS. OLIPHANT,
COPYRIGHTED, 1898, BY THE AUTHOR
CHAPTER xxi.


The evening passed, however, without
any further revelations. Miss Bethune
explained to the young man, with lucid
ity of a man of business, the situation and
requirements of that property in the
north, which would give returns, she be-
Ieved, of various kinds not always calcu-
lated in balance sheets, if it was looked
after by a man who would deal with it
"as if it were his own" The return
would be something in money and rents,
but much more in human comfort and
happiness. She had never had the cour-
age to tackle that problem, she said, and
the place had been terrible to her, fun of
associations which would be thought of
no more if he were there. The result was,
that young Gordon went away thought
full, somewhat touched by the feeling
with which Miss 3ethune had spoken of
her poor crofters, somewhat reused by
the thought of 1.-The north" that vague
and unknown country, which was the
country of his fathers, the land Of bro
heath and shaggy wood, the country Of
Scott, which is, after all, distinction
enough for any well-conditioned stranger.
Should he try that strange new opening
of life suddenly put before him2 The I'M
known of itself has charm
"If the pass were dangerous known,
The dangers self were lure alone"
Hewent back to the hotel with at least
a new project fully occupying all his
thoughts.
ON the next evening, in the dusk Of the
summer night Miss Bethune was in her
bedchamber alone. She had no light though
she was lover of the light, and had
drawn up the blinds as soon as the young.
physician who prescribed a darkened
room had disappeared. She had habit
of watching out the last departing rays
of daylight, and loved to sit in the gloam-
ing as she called it, reposing from all the
cares Of the day in that meditative mo
ment
1t was a bad sign of Miss Bethunes
state of mind if she called early for her
lamp. She was seated thus in the dark,
when young Gordon came in audibly to
the sitting-room, introduced by Gilchrist,
who told him her mistress would be with
him directly, but, knowing Miss Bethune
would hear what she said, did not come
to call her The lamps were lighted in
that room, and showed
little outline of light through the chinks
of the door. She smiled to herself in the
dark, with beatitude that ought to have
lighted up the darkness, as she listened
to the big movements of the young man
in the lighted room next door. He had
seated himself under Gilehrist's minis
trations, but when she went away he got
up and moved about, looking, as Miss
Bethune OWNED, at the pictures on the
walls and the books and little silver toys
on the table.
He made more noise, she thought to
herself proudly, than a woman does;
filed the space more, seemed to occupy
and fill out everything. Her countenance
and her heart expanded in the dark; she
would have liked to peep at him through
the crevice of light round the door, or
even the keyhole to see him when he did
not know she was looking, to read the
secrets of his heart in his face. There
were none there, she said to herself with
an effusion of happiness which brought
the tears to her eyes, none there which a
mother should be afraid to discover The
luxury of sitting there, holding her
breath, hearing him move, knowing him
so near, was so sweet and SO great, that
she sat, too blessed to move, taking all
the good out of that happy moment be-
forei it should feet away.
Suddenly, however, there came dead
silence. Had he sat down againl Had
he gone out on the balcony2 What had
become of him2 She sat breathless, won
dering, listening for the next sound.
Surely he had stepped outside the win
dow to look out upon the Bloomsbury
street. and the waving of the trees in the
square, and the stars shining overhead.
Not a sound-yet, yes, there was some
thing. What was it, A faint, stealthy
rustling, not to be called sound at all,
rather some stealthy movement to annihi-
late sound-the strangest contrast to the
light, firm step that had come into the
room, and the free movements which she
rad fplf n he hinopr- than n
Miss Bethune in the dark held her
breath fear seized possession of her, she
knew not what; her heart sank she knew
not why. Oh, his father-his father was
not good man!
The rustling continued. very faint; it
might have been a small animal rubbing
against the door, She sat bolt upright in
her chair, motionless, silent as a waxen
image, listening. If perhaps, after all
it should be only one of the little girls, or
even the cat rubbing against the wall idly
on the way downstairs! A troubled
smile came over her face, her heart gave
a throb of relief. But then the sound
changed, and Miss Bethune's face again
grew rigid, her heart stood still.
Some one was trying very cautiously,
without noise to open the door; to turn
the handle without making any sound re-
quired some time; it creaked a little, and
then there was silence-guilty silence
the pause of stealth alarmed by the faint
est noise, then it began again. Slowly,
slowly, the handle turned round, the
door opened, hairs breath at a time
o Lord above! his father-his father was
an i'll man.
There was someone with her in the
room-some one unseen, as she was swal-
lowed up in the darkness, yelled by the
curtains at the windows, which showed
family pale streak of sky only, letting
in no light. Unseen, but not inaudible, q
hurried, fluttering breath betraying him
and that faint sound of cautious, uneasy
movement, now and then instantly, guilt
lily silenced, and then resumed. She coulC
feel the stealthy step thrill the flooring
making jar which was followed by one
of those complete silences in which the
intruder, too, held his breath, then an
other stealthy step.
thousand thoughts, very avalanche
precipitated themselves through hel
mind A man did not steal into darl
room like that if he were doing it for the
first time. And his words last night
Show do you know even that l am hon
est2" And then his father-his father
oh, God help him, God forgive him tina
was an i'll man And his upbringing in
country where lies were common, with
guardian that did him no Justice, and tn,
woman that cut him of. And not to know
that he had a creature belonging to hin
In the world to be made gladAr sorry
q whatever hammered oh Cod fO,cri ",