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

I no deep secrets of the heart or commO-
tions of being involved, and thus were
brought down into the ordinary from the
| the high and troublous level of feeling
and excitement on which they had been.
To Miss Bethune the little episode was
one of child's play in the midst Of the
| most serious question Of the world. Had
she thought it possible beforehand that
snch an interval could have been, she
would, in all likelihood, have ScOrned
| herself for the dereliction. and almost
scOrned the young man for being able TO
forget at once his sorrow and the gravity
of his circumstances at sight of anything
so trifing as a collection Of trinkets.
But in reality this interlude was balm to
them both. 1t revealed to Miss Bethune
possibility of ordinary life and inter
course, made sweet by understanding and
affection, which was a revelation to her
depressed and passionate apirit: and it
soOthed the youth with renewing of fresh
interests, reviving and succeeding the
old, which gives elasticity to the mind,
and courage to face the world anew.
They did not know how long they had
been occupied over the jewels, when the
hour of dinner came around again, and
Gilchrist with her preparations, still
further increasing that sense of peaceful
life renewed, and the order of common
things begun again. 1t was only after
this meal was over, the Jewels being all
its old brown cover in Miss Bethunes bed
room, that the discussion of the graver
questions began again.
"There is one thing" Miss Bethune
said, that, however proud you may be,
you must let me say, and that is, that ev-
erything having turned out so different to
your thoughts, and you left-you will not
be Offended2-astray, as it were, in this
big unfriendly place"
II cannot call it unfriendly," said
young Gordon. "If other people find it
so, it is not my experience. l have found
you" He looked up at her with a half
laugh, with moisture in his eyes.
''Ay," she said, with emphasis, "you
have found me-you say well-found me
when you were not looking for me. 1 &C
cept the word as good omen. And after
that2"
If only she would not have abashed him
from time to time with those dark say
ings, which seemed to mean something to
which he had no clewl He felt himself
brought suddenly to a standstil in his
grateful effusion of feeling, and put up
his hand to arrest her in what she was
evidently going on to say
Apart from that, he said hurriedly,
II am not penniless. have not been alto
gether dependent; at least, the form of
my dependence has been the easiest out.
an since ever l came to mans estate 1t
was my own, though, of course, of his
giving. And am not an extravaganza
fellow. 1t is not as If wanted money for
to-morrow's living, for daily bread" He
colored as he spoke, with the half pride,
half shame, of discussing such subject
II think" he said, throwing off that
flush with shake of his head, chat 1
have enough to take me back to South
America, and there, l told you, l have
friends. l don't think l can fail to find
work there"
"But under such different circum-
stancesl Have you considered9 A poor
clerk where you were one of the fine
gentleman of the place. Such change
OF position is easier where you are not
known" ~ g oeorT= rre ar
He grew red again, with a more painful
colour. II don't think so, he said quick
ly. Il don't believe that my old friends
would cast me of because, instead of be-
ing useless fellow about town, 1 was a
poor clerk"
'Maybe you are right" said Miss Be
thune very gravely. 81 am not one that
thinks so i'll of human nature. They
would not cast you off. But you, working
| hard all day, wearied at night, with no
house to entertain them in that enter
tanned you, would it not be you that would
cast off them2"
| He looked at her, startled, for a
moment. DO you think, ;" he cried, THAT
! poverty makes man mean like that2''
And then he added slowly, 1T is possible
| perhaps, that it might be So" Then he
| frightened up again, and looked her full
in the face. But then there would be
nobody to blame for that, it would be
simply my own fault"
God bless you, laddiel" cried Miss
Bethune, quite irrelevantly; and then she
! too paused. "If it should happen so that
there was place provided for you at
home. No, no, not what you call depend
ence-far from it, hard work l know one
"a lady that has property in the north
| property that has not been well managed
that has given her more trouble than it
is worth. But there's much to be made
of it, If she had man who would give his
mind to it as if-as if it were his own"
But l, :" he said, know nothing about
the north. 1 would not know how to
manage. l told you had no education.
And would this lady have me, trust me,
put that in my hands, without knowing,
without"
"She would trust YOU" said Miss Be
thune, clasplng her hands together firmly,
and looking him in the face, in rigid
position which showed how little steady
she was-"she would trust you, for life
and death, on my word"
His eyes fell before that unfathomable
concentration of hers. "And you would
trust me like that-knowing so little, SC
little? And how can you tell even that
am hOnest-even that l am truce That
there's nothing behind, no weakness, nc
failure"
Don't speak to me-" she said, harshly
81 know"
TTo BE CONTINUED.