The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-04-09

town where they had left all that remained
of her who had been SO dear to both.
! 81 reckon won't go back yet bit-not
yet, b" said Lord Byron unsteadIly. az can't
1 do it, Boy. Seems like it'd plump kill me
Z go back an not see ma. Y'r Aunt Lu-
cindy was splendid woman, Boy"
Mark nodded assent, for a great sob
choked him and he could not SPEAK.
II reckon I'll go 18th you, Boy, TIL I get
sorter used TT bein' alone. She loved ye,
Boy, ma did, jes' like I do, an 'twon's seem
nigh 60 lonesome eff l en- see you once u
awhile"
/ So together they returned to the little COL
! lege city, where Lord Byron could see Boy"
at almost any hour and comfort himself
! with his company.
Uncle By" stayed over a month, during
| which tins Mark was hardly out of his
| sight an hour. when his duties permitted
| him 20 be at liberty. AS time went the
old mans presence grew trksome to the
young fellow. He missed his larks with his
registering fellow-students, whose rsyels
were now carried on without the light Of
his presence. And a few of the fellow
students, with the heartlessness peculiar to
certain Of their kind, did not hesitate to
| throw out sneerinR remarks about "cow-
punchersn and "coTn-feds" with an occa-
sional reference to Lord Byron rs the ''sage-
brush cavalierh-all OF which Mark failed
to resent Had any Of bis fellows made any
direct Fanarks about the old man, he would
have ios1 10 time in silencing them; but as
The snesEs came in a rather indirect way,
he coGld not muster the courage to resent
them.
One day LORD went TO New York on BUSH
ness, expecting to be gone about three days.
On the second evening after his departure
there was "soiree," as the boys termed It,
at Marks quarters. in honor OF his tempo
rary emancipation as bis room mate
called it. At midnight the members of the
company were somewhat the worse for
wine.
"Whsn, me boy" asked Barton, a big
sophomore, 'd-do you 'xpect your Illus
trlously-named nurse ito returnm
Tomorrow night" answered Mark,
sulkily.
"Ahn said Barton, stsadying himself
against table And will he g-gladden Us
with his oh-cheering p-presenoe for some
t-time"
Not if l can help IT," returned Dunton,
teelingly. Then, for he was quite sober, he
felt he had said enough, and turned away
to bring moro refreshments.
Lord Byron, standing Just outside the
door, through which he had been about to
enter when he heard the sounds of revelry
inside, turned sorro wfully away without ro-
oIosiag the door, tiptoed softly back 20 the
street and returned 60 his hotel.
"Poor boy he thought, as he walked
along, 81 reckon tits purity tough 8 have TIL
OF man mopin' round to watchin' ye
But-but Wlsh't ye hadn't said is, boy,n
he said, brokenly, aloud, II wish't ye
hadn't"
The early morning train bore the old man
west. and from New YORK he wrote Mark
that he had been Obliged TO leave suddenly.
and had not had time to see him again. He
inclosed draft for liberal amount, and
hoped Mark would be good boy, and would
not go back on his friends" which latter
injunction the old man could not. for the
life Of him, resist adding. And while Mark
was again entertaining his chums that night
IN honor OF the arrival Of the draft, Lord
Byron was lying awake in the sleeping car,
speeding westward his honest heart full Of
tears.
Mark did not return home the next sum-
mer. He had several invitations for the
holidays, which Lord Byron urged him to
accept, much TO his secret relief.
At the end Of yachting cruise later in
the summer Mark received some startling
news. It was nothing more nor loss than
that Lord Byron had been married Mark
remembered the new-mede bride. Il was
one of the numerous daughters Of old man
Gordon, neighbor Of Lord Byron. Sophie
Gordon-MRrk remembered her as a plump.
rosy, rather pretty and very romantic dam
himself, some what light-hesded and given
TO reading slushy novels. What on earth
could have possessed the OLD mani
Then be remembered how lonely il must
have been for the poor, saddened old fellow.
and concluded, presently that he was hardly
to be blamed, after all. So he sat down
and proceeded TO gladden. the old mans
heart with kind. tacttul letter Of blessing
and congratulation.
year there were many changes The house
had been refurnished, there was a piano.
and last. but, Of course. by no means least,
bouncing girl baby, few weeks old
Mark did not stay at the ranch very long.
1t was not much to his taste. He did NOT
like babies, and this one engrossed every
body's attention, so he ESCAPED" as he
termed 1t, as soon as he could.
Marks course during the next year was
30 much worse than his previous career that
he was requested, at commencement time.
not to return to college. This grieyed Lord
Byron deeply. but be said little about it. It
was decided that after he had remained at
home awhile, be should go to Pueblo to study
law with an old friend of his late father.
For the present he was satisfied to stay at
the ranch and have bit Of recreation.
They had a pleasant time that summer.
There were a number OF visitors a. the
Springs, ouly dozen miles or SO distant.
and they and the "B. H.n people got on yerv
friendly terms. Then there were drives.
and dances, and pionics, and all sorts of ex-
not to mention the excitement of
the August roundup.
Naturally, Mark and Sophie we're thrown
together much OF the time Lord Byron
was entirely wrapped up IN Bess, the baby,
and paid little attention to the goihRs and
comtngs of the rest o. the household. 40
Mark and Sophie were free TO amuse them-
selves as they chose; aud, for the most part,
they amused themselves in each others
company. Lord Byron was only too glad
10 have them enjoy themselves and smiled
On their rapidly strengthening comradeship,
until one day early In September.
He had just returned from q ride to oue
ot the neighboring ranches. aud was COM
ing around the house to LOOK for Bess when
10 happened to glance in at one of the long
windows of the big parlor and saw some-
thing that fairly stunned him.
SoDhte-his wite!-sSt at the piano and
Mark Dunton, half-knesling, with his arms
1lasped about her. was pcssionately kissing
her and murmurinR sweet words in her ear,
They did not see him; he staggered back to
The dining room door, which he entered.
He went to the sideboard and took a heavy
rink Of whisky, and stood staring for
several minutes at his reflection in the
mirror before him. Then he turned and
vent through the house, noisily calling for
he baby, in order that he might not SUR !
Prise the guilty ones. When he reached the |
)arlOF Sophie was gone lint Mark sat in tha |